Private Equity Firm Industrial Services

The Sterling Group

Houston, Texas, United States

Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group, L.P. is a private equity investment firm that targets controlling interests in basic manufacturing, industrial services and distribution companies. Sterling partners with management teams on operational and strategic growth; typical enterprise values of target companies range from $100 million to $750 million.

Focus Areas
Basic manufacturing, Industrial services, Distribution

Tracked deals

76

76 tracked deals across 2016-2026.

Recent pace

10

10 tracked deals announced in the last 12 months.

Deal mix

Addon

59 addon · 17 buyout

The Sterling Group Acquisition Volume by Year

Last 10 years

Acquisition volume by year Annual acquisition counts for the last 10 years for The Sterling Group. 1 2017 1 2018 14 2019 9 2020 20 2021 5 2022 9 2023 1 2024 7 2025 ~10 est. 8 2026
Actual Full-year estimate

Supporting Data

Recent Transactions

Showing the 12 most recent of 76 tracked deals for The Sterling Group.

  • Buyer
    The Sterling Group Foundation Fund
    Target
    Slingmax Group
    Seller
    River Associates
    Industry
    Manufacturing
    Type
    Buyout

    The Sterling Group Foundation Fund acquired Slingmax Group, a manufacturer and distributor of engineered lifting, rigging, and rope products headquartered in Aston, Pennsylvania. The transaction closed on September 30, 2026; Slingmax is the parent of Slingmax Rigging Solutions, I&I Sling, and Yale Cordage.

  • Buyer
    AGS American Glass Services, The Sterling Group Foundation Fund
    Target
    Mark Industries
    Seller
    Josh Cunningham
    Industry
    Construction
    Type
    Addon

    AGS American Glass Services (AGS), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, has completed the acquisition of Mark Industries, a commercial glazing contractor based in Elgin, Illinois. The deal expands AGS’s footprint into the Chicago metropolitan market and places Mark close to AGS’s East Moline operations.

  • Buyer
    Overhead Garage Door (OGD), The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, The Sterling Group
    Target
    Madisonville Garage Doors, Hall's Garage Doors, Compaan Garage Doors
    Type
    Addon

    Overhead Garage Door (OGD), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, has completed three add-on acquisitions: Madisonville Garage Doors (June 2026), Hall’s Garage Doors (June 2026), and Compaan Garage Doors (August 2026). The deals expand OGD’s service density across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic and extend its coverage into metropolitan markets in Michigan.

  • Buyer
    Bad Boy Mowers, The Sterling Group, TorQuest Partners
    Target
    Excel Industries
    Seller
    Stanley Black & Decker
    Industry
    Manufacturing
    Type
    Buyout

    Bad Boy Mowers agreed to acquire Excel Industries, maker of Hustler-branded commercial and residential ride-on and zero-turn mowers, from Stanley Black & Decker. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions; financial terms were not disclosed.

  • Buyer
    Pavement Preservation Group, Inc., The Sterling Group
    Target
    Asphalt Paving Systems, Inc.
    Type
    Addon

    Pavement Preservation Group, a portfolio company of The Sterling Group, announced the acquisition of Asphalt Paving Systems, Inc. and its related pavement preservation affiliates. The deal adds a vertically integrated pavement preservation contractor and asphalt/emulsion manufacturer to PPG’s growing national platform.

  • Buyer
    The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, The Sterling Group
    Target
    The Scruggs Companies, Scruggs, Neil Technical Services (NTS)
    Seller
    Rox Capital Partners
    Industry
    Infrastructure
    Type
    Buyout

    Rox Capital Partners sold The Scruggs Companies, a municipal water infrastructure platform, to The Sterling Group Foundation Fund. The deal includes Scruggs’ regional flow control products and repair/maintenance services supporting municipal water and wastewater systems across the Southern and Midwestern United States. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the existing leadership team is expected to remain in place under Sterling’s ownership.

  • Buyer
    The Sterling Group, L.P., York Private Equity
    Target
    Healthcare Linen Services Group (HLSG)
    Seller
    York Capital Management's private equity arm (York Private Equity), York Capital Management's private equity group (York Private Equity)
    Type
    Buyout

    The Sterling Group, an operationally focused middle-market private equity firm, completed its acquisition of Healthcare Linen Services Group (HLSG) from York Capital Management’s private equity arm (York Private Equity). HLSG provides outsourced linen laundry and management services to healthcare institutions across the United States, operating 20–23 processing facilities in 13 states.

  • Buyer
    Pavement Preservation Group, Inc., The Sterling Group
    Target
    Holbrook Asphalt, LLC, Integrated Pavement Solutions, LLC
    Type
    Addon

    Pavement Preservation Group (PPG), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group, acquired Holbrook Asphalt, LLC and Integrated Pavement Solutions, LLC to expand its national pavement preservation platform. The deal broadens PPG’s geographic footprint across the Intermountain West, Southwest and Southern United States and adds IPS’s HA5 product line and related preservation capabilities to the platform.

  • Buyer
    Russell Landscape Group, The Sterling Group Foundation Fund
    Target
    Utz Environmental Services
    Type
    Addon

    Russell Landscape Group, a portfolio company of The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, has acquired Utz Environmental Services, a commercial landscaping provider based in Austin, Texas. The deal is Russell's first entry into Texas and represents an add-on acquisition to expand the platform's regional footprint across the Southern U.S.

  • Buyer
    Precision Concepts International (PCI), The Sterling Group
    Target
    Comar
    Industry
    Manufacturing
    Type
    Addon

    Precision Concepts International (PCI), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group, has acquired Comar to create a scaled rigid packaging platform serving consumer and healthcare customers across North America. The deal expands PCI's product and geographic footprint and enhances customer and end-market diversification in rigid and medical plastic packaging.

  • Buyer
    Vance Brothers, LLC, Pavement Preservation Group, Inc., The Sterling Group
    Target
    Circle C Paving and Construction, LLC, Circle C Transport, LLC
    Seller
    Chad Alexander (owner of Circle C)
    Industry
    Construction
    Type
    Addon

    Vance Brothers, a division of Pavement Preservation Group (PPG) — a portfolio company of The Sterling Group — has completed the acquisition of Circle C Paving and Construction, LLC and Circle C Transport, LLC (collectively "Circle C"). Headquartered in Goddard, Kansas, Circle C is a regional provider of pavement preservation (primarily chip and scrub sealing) serving public, commercial and residential customers in Kansas and northern Oklahoma; the business will be integrated into Vance/PPG to expand the platform’s regional presence and capabilities.

  • Buyer
    PrimeFlight Aviation Services, The Sterling Group, Capitol Meridian Partners
    Target
    StratAir (cargo handling operations)
    Seller
    Saltchuk Aviation
    Type
    Addon

    PrimeFlight Aviation Services, a portfolio company of The Sterling Group and Capitol Meridian Partners, has acquired StratAir’s cargo handling operations at Miami International Airport (MIA), Richmond International Airport (RIC), and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). The deal expands PrimeFlight’s cargo handling footprint and capacity—adding StratAir’s facilities (including a 120,000 sq. ft. third‑party handling complex at MIA) and experienced personnel to PrimeFlight’s growing global cargo network.

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