Our Investment Strategy

Our investment strategy leverages our deep industry knowledge and experience to accelerate growth through proven, repeatable processes.
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Our Approach

We’ve done our homework. Over the course of 20 years, we’ve deployed 5 funds and successfully invested in over 200 dynamic businesses. We apply a thematic, industry-focused approach to investing across our three core sectors: business services, consumer products & services, and industrial growth.

 

We work with motivated, cohesive management teams to develop a shared vision and strategically plan for accelerated growth together, leveraging our tools and resources such as our Centers of Excellence and Thematic Areas of Expertise.

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Investment Criteria

Sectors

Business Services

Consumer Products & Services

Industrial Growth

Enterprise Value

$150+ million

No minimum for add-on acquisitions

Targeted Equity Investment

$100+ million

Transaction Types

Buyouts

Founder Recapitalizations

Corporate Divestitures

Key Platform Attributes

Motivated and Experienced Management Team

Sustainable Market Leadership

High Free Cashflow Conversion

High-Value Product or Service

Geography

North America for platform investments

Global for add-on acquisitions

Winning Together

We invest within our thematic sectors where we have extensive industry experience and are positioned for success. We are continually refining our playbook of repeatable value creation strategies to deliver results for our management teams and our investors – we are dedicated to winning together.

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Motivated Team

We value those who play as a team and earn their victories through hard work, commitment, and determination. We’ve found the best results come from working with businesses that align with our principles. We have the highest respect for the cultures founders and management teams have created. Acting as an extension of your team, we work with you to grow your business.

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Niche Industry Expertise

True insight doesn’t happen overnight. To maintain best-in-class sector expertise, Gridiron sector teams identify leading market trends and winning attributes. Our Thematic Areas of Expertise enable us to recognize opportunities within our core sectors, establish differentiated networks to access great companies, and deliver on our partnership commitment to accelerate growth through our Centers of Excellence.
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Business Services

Thematic Areas of Expertise

  • Legal & Insurance Services
  • Training, Education, and Knowledge
  • Outsourced Pharma Services 
  • Human Capital Management
  • IT Services

Representative Investments

Health Monitor Logo
Esquire Logo
Vistage Logo
Class Valuation Logo
AML Rightsource Logo
Colibri Logo
Jacent Logo
Travel Nurse Across America Logo
The Lattice companies Logo
Legility Logo
Motion Recruitment Logo
Engage 2 Excel Logo
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Consumer Products & Services

Roofers Installing Roof

Thematic Areas of Expertise

  • Vehicle Aftermarket – B2C
  • Residential Products & Services
  • Outdoor Enthusiast and Active Lifestyle

Representative Investments

Garage Co Logo
Legacy Service Partners Logo
Erie Home Logo
Rough Country Logo
LeafHome Logo
GSM Outdoors Logo
Foundation Wellness Logo
Performance Health Logo
McKenzie Logo

Industrial Growth

Thematic Areas of Expertise

  • Facility Services: Managed & Technical
  • Testing, Inspection, Certification, & Compliance
  • Security & Safety Solutions
  • Specialty Distribution
  • Industrial Technology
  • Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket

Representative Investments

M&D Logo
VSG Logo
Dealer Tire Logo
Ramsey Industries Logo
PAS Technologies Logo
Interior of a Warehouse

Latest News

We’re never stagnant – always improving, refining, and adapting our existing strategies and processes to better position ourselves in a constantly evolving market. Discover our latest news and insights to find out where we think the industry is headed.

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Gridiron Capital’s 2024 Year In Review

Getting Better Every Day: Investment in New Companies, Exited Platform Companies, Returned Investor Capital, and Enhanced Team Capabilities
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Gridiron Capital Kick-starts its 20th Anniversary Year with Promotions

Promotions Reflect Gridiron’s Continued Growth and Strong Culture
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Gridiron Portfolio Company, Leaf Home™, Appoints Rocco Mango as Chief Executive Officer and Rex Tibbens as Executive Chairman of the Board

Leaf Home Elevates Interim CEO & Appoints Industry Veteran to Execute Next Phase of Growth
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Gridiron Capital Portfolio Company Vertical Supply Group Acquires UK-Based Tacklestore ltd.

Acquisition Will Further VSG’s Leadership in the At-Height Safety and Adjacent Industrial End Markets
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Gridiron Capital Partners with Health Monitor Network

Investment Underscores Strong Conviction in Business Services Within Outsourced Pharmaceutical Services Thematic Area of ExpertiseTM 
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Gridiron Capital Recognized as a Top Founder-Friendly Investor

Inc. Magazine names Gridiron Capital to its 2024 list of Founder-Friendly Investors
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Gridiron Capital Expands Its Team with New Talent

Gridiron Focuses on New Hires to Support Firm Growth
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Gridiron Capital Completes Sale of GSM Outdoors

GSM Exit Showcases Value-Added Partnership Within Consumer Products & Services Sector
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Gridiron Capital Enhances Operating Partner Resources with the Addition of Tom McInerney and Jason Cohen

McInerney’s and Cohen’s Experiences Implementing Key Growth Initiatives Will Offer Significant Value to Gridiron’s Portfolio Partnerships
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Winning Together Culture

Our approach to partnership and processes begins with a lived understanding of the challenges and opportunities of building and running businesses. Our investment professionals think and act like business owners, building long-term relationships with our portfolio companies rooted in trust and respect.

 

We have cultivated a strong knowledgebase and understanding within our Thematic Areas of Expertise, including relationships with successful executive talent and views on the most attractive business models for long-term success. We support each portfolio company with tremendous resources through our Centers of Excellence which includes Gridiron team, our Operating Partners, Board of Business Executives, and additional independent advisors who bring relevant experiences to help a company achieve its strategic goals. Relationships matter in the middle market.

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Gridiron Playbook

Our industry knowledge through our Thematic Areas of Expertise, coupled with the Gridiron Playbook, enable our team to swiftly collaborate with management to quickly establish a strategic plan, supplement teams with the right talent, and accelerate growth at the onset of a partnership through our Centers of Excellence. Our team proactively identifies key strategic initiatives and initiates onboarding preparation before an investment is even finalized.

 

We have developed an onboarding process that outlines critical procedures early on in an investment, increasing the likelihood of a successful outcome and mitigating risk. Gridiron uses a strategic planning model to establish key objectives, goals, and strategies to build value across its portfolio companies. Strategy deployment throughout the company’s organization, including communication of goals and strategies and establishing accountability with each employee, is critical to success. Our team works closely with management to map out which Centers of Excellence would be most helpful to leverage as they create strategic plans.

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