Acquisitions in Illinois

Azuria Water Solutions, a New Mountain Capital portfolio company, has acquired Waterline Renewal Technologies from Behrman Capital. Financial terms were not disclosed; Waterline is headquartered in Ottawa, Illinois and provides engineered products and services for trenchless rehabilitation of wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

a21 has acquired an equity stake in Two12, the culinary-focused talent management company founded by Scott R. Feldman, forming a strategic partnership to integrate talent representation with a21’s event production, marketing, and brand partnership capabilities. Paradigm Talent Agency will continue to support Two12, and the alliance will immediately extend across a21’s portfolio of food- and wine-focused events and planned touring platforms to expand opportunities across food, beverage, hospitality, and media.

HistoryIT has acquired LifeWeb 360 and launched MemoryPort, a digital commemoration and engagement platform that complements its Odyssey Preservation software. The acquisition expands HistoryIT’s offerings to capture contemporary, community-generated memories for nonprofits, alumni groups, faith-based organizations and similar institutions, preserving them to professional digital-archival standards.

Scale, an EQT-backed provider of on-site energy solutions, has acquired Reload, a powered land development platform focused on siting, designing, and permitting gigawatt-scale data center campuses. The deal adds Reload's grid-scale development expertise and multi-gigawatt pipeline to Scale's data center energy offering to accelerate speed-to-power for hyperscalers and other large customers.

OTR Solutions, a Roswell, Georgia-based logistics-focused fintech, has acquired Peruse Technology, an AI-powered document automation platform built for the transportation and logistics industry. The acquisition will expand OTR's AI-driven capabilities across document classification, audit, fraud detection and data extraction—delivering reported operational gains such as a 32% reduction in cost per invoice and more than 70% no-touch invoice processing.

RevSpring, a Frazier Healthcare Partners portfolio company, has acquired TrustCommerce, a payments and gateway provider previously owned by Waud Capital Partners and part of the Sphere family. The deal expands RevSpring's integrated payments footprint and EHR gateway connectivity to provide greater payment visibility, routing flexibility, and simplified reconciliation across provider and payer revenue cycles.

Labelbox has acquired Upcraft, an AI-powered sales automation startup, to integrate Upcraft's agentic sales automation technology into Alignerr, Labelbox's expert network for AI training data. Terms were not disclosed; Upcraft was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Chicago.

PX Holdings Inc. (parent of Pure Freight Lines) has acquired Freight Exchange of North America from Redwood Logistics and announced an expanded strategic partnership with Redwood. The deal adds asset-backed capacity and operational density to Pure Freight while enabling Redwood to continue providing 4PL orchestration and managed transportation services across Midwest and U.S.–Mexico border lanes.

Direct Marketing Solutions (DMS) has acquired Johnson & Quin, a 150-year-old, family-owned direct mail production and marketing firm, combining complementary capabilities to form a larger national direct-marketing platform. The deal expands DMS's production capacity and Midwest footprint, preserves leadership continuity (Andrew Henkel becomes President of DMS; David Henkel joins the DMS board) and aims to deepen end-to-end, data-driven omnichannel direct marketing services.

Investindustrial has completed a $2.9 billion all-cash take-private acquisition of TreeHouse Foods, with Industrial F&B Investments III, Inc. merged into TreeHouse Foods. TreeHouse shareholders received $22.50 per share plus a contingent value right tied to ongoing litigation proceeds; the deal takes TreeHouse Foods private to support operational improvements and international expansion under Investindustrial.

The State Group, a portfolio company of funds managed by Apollo, has acquired Ruder Electric, a Kankakee, Illinois-based electrical contractor. The add-on expands The State Group's footprint into central and northern Illinois and brings Ruder Electric's electrical construction, maintenance, fire, security, communications, utility, and safety systems capabilities (including over 100 union electricians) into the platform.

R.E. Chaix & Associates has acquired US Pro Insurance Services to deepen its specialty lines capabilities, particularly in Cyber Liability, and expand market access for retail agents and brokers nationwide. The US Pro team will join R.E. Chaix and the combined business will operate under the R.E. Chaix & Associates name.

Morningstar, Inc. completed its $365 million acquisition of the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) from the University of Chicago, adding CRSP Market Indexes and historical research data to Morningstar Indexes. The deal expands Morningstar's index and data capabilities—bringing benchmarks tied to more than $3 trillion in U.S. equities—and preserves a continued relationship with Vanguard to use the CRSP indexes for several Vanguard funds.

Affiliates of 26North Partners LP acquired a controlling interest in The Middleby Corporation’s Residential Kitchen business, with Middleby retaining a significant non‑controlling stake through a joint venture. The business has been rebranded as Composition Brands and will operate as an independent platform housing premium and ultra‑luxury residential kitchen and outdoor living brands including Viking, AGA, Rangemaster, La Cornue, Lynx and U-Line.

SI Solutions, through its advanced engineering division Structural Integrity Associates (SIA), has acquired Radiological Solutions, Inc., a nuclear engineering partner that specializes in plant chemistry, radiological controls, radiation protection, and specialized monitoring equipment. The acquisition expands SIA's capabilities in nuclear chemistry, radiation management, emergency preparedness and equipment design and brings Radiological Solutions' team and expertise (based outside Chicago) into SI Solutions' PE-backed platform.

Schneider Geospatial, an Align Capital Partners portfolio company, has acquired Bruce Harris & Associates (BHA), a Batavia, Illinois–based GIS consulting firm specializing in parcel mapping, geodatabase design and land records modernization. The add-on expands Schneider Geospatial’s services and delivery capacity for complex parcel and land-records programs for state and local governments.

Shipfusion, a national e-commerce fulfillment provider, has completed the acquisition of Chicago-based Boxtrot LLC and integrated Boxtrot merchants into Shipfusion’s North American warehouse network. The deal expands Shipfusion’s capacity and capabilities to support high-volume DTC and omnichannel brands, contributing to a record year of growth for Shipfusion.

Salt Creek Capital, a San Francisco Bay Area private equity firm, has acquired Builders Cabinet, Inc., a Chicago-based designer, manufacturer and installer of premium and semi-custom cabinetry serving the greater Chicagoland market. Founder and president Brian Benner prepared for retirement as part of the transaction; VP Brian Benner (owner) will transition out and Ben VanDixhorn will continue as vice president to support growth under Salt Creek's ownership.

Concentric Equity Partners, a Chicago-based private investment firm, has acquired Aleysian, a Salesforce implementation and advisory firm. As part of the transaction Aleysian named Jon Klinepeter as CEO and moved former CEO Dustin Ward into the COO role to support scaled delivery and accelerated investments in Salesforce capabilities.

NorthRock Partners announced it has onboarded Illinois-based advisory firm Martin & Associates, a five-person team bringing approximately $500 million in assets under management, pushing NorthRock's AUM past $11 billion. The team, previously affiliated with Ameriprise Financial, will transition client relationships onto NorthRock’s Personal Office platform to deepen the firm’s presence in Illinois and expand its wealth management capabilities.

Murgado Automotive Group has acquired Toyota of Lincoln Park, a Chicago-area Toyota dealership formerly owned by AutoCanada’s U.S. subsidiary Leader Automotive Group. Haig Partners served as exclusive sell-side advisor on the transaction, which represents a local-market expansion for Murgado and a divestiture by AutoCanada/Leader Automotive Group.

PRO-SET Formulated Resin Systems, LLC (a holding of Iron Path Capital) has acquired Universal Chemicals and Coatings, Inc. (UNICHEM), a family-owned manufacturer of industrial coatings, laminating adhesives and container linings. The deal expands PRO-SET’s formulated coatings and laminating adhesive capabilities as an add-on to its growing resin systems platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

Rich Products Corporation (Rich's) has acquired Great Kitchens Food Company from Brynwood Partners VIII L.P.; the transaction closed in January 2026 for undisclosed terms. Great Kitchens, headquartered in Romeoville, Illinois, is a leading U.S. manufacturer of private-label take-and-bake and topped pizzas (including the Uno Foods/Pizzeria Uno lines) with three production facilities and roughly 1,000 employees; the deal gives Rich's expanded topped-pizza capabilities, greater capacity and a vertically integrated pizza platform.

Outrig has acquired Lakes Region Business Rentals, a multi-building small-bay industrial facility in Lakemoor, Illinois, and will rebrand it as Outrig Commerce Park Lakes Region. The acquisition expands Outrig’s small-bay industrial and storage portfolio and strengthens its presence in Lake County, Illinois, where this becomes its second acquisition.

Arora Engineers, a portfolio company of Jacmel Partners, has acquired J.A. Watts, LLC (JWI), a Chicago-based construction, program and project management firm. The add-on strengthens Arora's capabilities in program and construction management—particularly in aviation and transportation—enabling integrated services across planning, design and construction execution.

Platinum Equity has acquired Czarnowski Collective, a Chicago-based experiential marketing and event production firm, from CEO Mark Nagle and the Nagle family. The deal includes a leadership transition (Jim Milanowski to become CEO) and signals Platinum’s intent to invest in systems, expand footprint and pursue strategic add-ons while preserving the company’s culture.

Alliance Fleet, a portfolio company of Owner Resource Group (ORG), has acquired Vital Truck & Van, a light commercial vehicle upfitter headquartered in Batavia, Illinois, with additional locations in Colorado. Vital's founders will join Alliance Fleet's leadership team and retain an ownership stake as the combined company pursues a national dropship upfitting facility network to accelerate delivery and expand geographic coverage.

Chicago-based Bear Icebox Communications (BICOM) has acquired boutique PR and crisis communications firm Carson Stoga Communications. The acquisition expands BICOM's reputation management and crisis readiness capabilities; Carson Stoga's founders and senior leaders will join BICOM to continue leading crisis and reputational accounts. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Purpose Legal has acquired Hire Counsel, a 30+-year managed review and flexible legal staffing provider, to create an integrated managed review, staffing and legal technology platform. The deal—supported by Purpose Legal’s majority investor Blue Sage Capital and with Hire Counsel previously held by Long Point Capital—combines Hire Counsel’s talent network and delivery capabilities with Purpose Legal’s eDiscovery, digital forensics and AI-enabled review services; financial terms were not disclosed.

Protera has acquired Redfig, an SAP-focused business transformation firm, to broaden its enterprise IT modernization, SAP BTP and AI automation capabilities. The deal strengthens Protera's delivery offerings across cloud migration, SAP modernization, intelligent workflows and end-to-end data integration to better support enterprise customers pursuing AI-driven transformation.

First Supply, the family-owned Wisconsin wholesaler, has acquired Able Distributors, a Chicagoland HVAC supplier with four branches in the Chicago area. The deal adds 48 team members, expands First Supply’s presence in a priority Midwest market and brings Able’s hydronic heat, radiant systems and HVAC product offerings into the First Supply organization.

The Baldwin Group (NASDAQ: BWIN) has completed the acquisition of Creisoft, Inc., doing business as Obie, a Chicago-based embedded insurance distribution platform serving real estate investors and landlords. The deal expands Baldwin's embedded distribution capabilities through its MGA MSI, bolstering its property insurance product suite and digital distribution reach.

USK Capital, the family office of Uday Kotak, has acquired Go Raw, a Chicago-area seed-based snacking brand, from Juggernaut Capital Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed; Juggernaut said it more than doubled Go Raw's revenue and expanded its distribution during ownership.

Chicago-based Rothschild Wealth Partners has acquired Windgate Wealth Management, an independent advisory firm managing over $200 million in client assets. The deal expands Rothschild's advisory footprint in the Chicago market and brings Windgate leaders onto Rothschild's platform to broaden services for high-net-worth individuals, families and business owners.

iAltA Holdings, a WestCap‑backed private markets infrastructure company, has acquired BridgeFT, a cloud‑native, API‑first wealth infrastructure software provider. The acquisition brings BridgeFT’s data aggregation and analytics capabilities into iAltA’s platform to broaden its wealth data and intelligence infrastructure for financial institutions, fintechs, and RIAs.

Club Car Wash has acquired the single-site Matt's Carwash at 1165 S. Illinois Route 31 in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The location is being renovated and will reopen as a Club Car Wash in February, expanding Club Car Wash's presence in Illinois and adding to its nationwide network.

Radial Equity Partners has acquired Cortina, a Franklin Park, Illinois-based manufacturer of traffic and work zone safety products, and will merge it with Radial’s 2024 portfolio company Plasticade. The Giannelli family will retain an ownership stake and Matt Soule has been named interim CEO of the combined business to accelerate growth and expand product and manufacturing capabilities.

Calera Capital, a middle-market private equity firm, has acquired ReVamp Companies, a national provider of specialty floor and surface coatings, fencing, and decking replacement and installation services, from Bertram Capital. ReVamp is headquartered in Freeport, Illinois, operates 14 brands across more than 60 locations in nearly 20 states, and Calera said the investment will support platform expansion, innovation, and continued growth under founder Jeff Gear and the existing management team.

LindFast Solutions Group, a portfolio company of Nautic Partners, has acquired AZ Wire & Cable from private equity owner MFG Partners. AZ, a Northbrook, Illinois-based master distributor of industrial, commercial, and specialty wire and cable, will join LSG’s distribution platform to expand product and geographic reach; financial terms were not disclosed.

Accordion, a New York–based, AI- and data-powered financial consulting firm focused on private equity, has acquired operator-led performance improvement firm FCM. The deal adds about 50 operator-led consultants to Accordion’s capabilities, broadening its performance improvement and operational-diligence offerings to better serve private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies; financial terms were not disclosed.

SupplyOne, a national value‑added packaging distributor, has acquired Wertheimer Box, a long-established corrugated packaging provider based in McCook, Illinois. The deal expands SupplyOne’s Midwest/Chicago footprint and strengthens its custom corrugated and e-commerce packaging capabilities.

Premium Brands Holdings Corporation completed the acquisition of Stampede Culinary Partners, Inc. for approximately US$688.0 million, funded with cash, issued shares and debt. The purchase from Wynnchurch Capital expands Premium Brands’ U.S. branded and customized cooked-protein capabilities and adds significant production capacity across multiple U.S. and Canadian facilities.

First Financial Bancorp completed its all-stock acquisition of Chicago-based BankFinancial Corporation, adding 18 retail financial centers and expanding First Financial’s presence in the Chicago market. The acquisition brings BankFinancial’s commercial lending, equipment finance and deposit franchise onto First Financial’s platform and increases the combined company’s assets to approximately $22 billion.

Cantor Fitzgerald announced the successful first closing of its acquisition of the UBS O'Connor alternative investment platform, transferring two O'Connor hedge fund strategies to Cantor Fitzgerald Asset Management (CFAM). Further funds and assets will transfer in phases through Q1 2026, with CFAM and UBS Asset Management working together to ensure a seamless transition for clients and fund investors.

Crescendo Capital Partners, together with operators from Construction Capital Group, has acquired Peoria Industrial Piping Company (PIPCO) and created a new holding company, Essential Facility & Infrastructure Services (EFI Services), with PIPCO as the first operating company. Fidus Capital provided term debt and an equity co-investment; the Cicciarelli family (sellers) retain equity and will remain in leadership roles as the sponsors build a regionally dominant MEP and fire protection platform in the Midwest.

Inszone Insurance Services, a Sacramento-based full-service insurance brokerage, has acquired Northern Insurance Group, Ltd., a long-established independent agency based in Illinois. Northern Insurance will continue to operate in place and will be supported by Inszone’s broader platform, carrier access, and technology to support continued growth.

Reserve Advisors, a Milwaukee-based national consulting firm specializing in reserve studies and property wellness solutions, has acquired Waldman Engineering Consultants, Inc., a Lisle, Illinois-based engineering and building inspection firm. The transaction closed on December 18, 2025 and expands Reserve Advisors’ engineering and building evaluation capabilities for homeowner associations, condominiums, high-rise buildings and private clubs.

AVANT, a Chicago-based technology services distributor and sales-enablement platform for Trusted Advisors, received a strategic growth investment from Court Square Capital Partners with a reinvestment from existing partner Pamlico Capital. The founders and executive leadership retain significant ownership and will continue to run the business as the new capital will be used to scale AVANT's platform, capabilities, and support continued growth initiatives.

The Riverside Company-backed Vomela acquired Moss Inc., a global producer of premium event and retail graphics and complex structures, from investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital. The transaction merges Vomela’s Fusion events unit into Moss (to operate as Moss, A Vomela Company), expanding Vomela’s European footprint and creating a larger global experiential events production platform.

Bertram Capital has made an investment in Left Lane Auto, a Champaign, Illinois–headquartered tire retail and automotive-service platform operating more than 75 locations across 18 states. Terms were not disclosed; Bertram will partner with Left Lane’s management to accelerate growth, invest in technology through Bertram Labs, and support continued acquisitions to build a national platform.