Focused, professional, principled
Creating value for investors, management and employees by enhancing the performance of, and growing lower middle market businesses.
Creating value operationally and financially
Laurel Oak Capital Partners is an independent sponsor that creates value for investors by enhancing the performance of, and growing lower middle market businesses. Our focus is on businesses with $2-15mm in EBITDA with strong margins, and we are currently targeting the transportation & logistics, industrials and business services industries.
Collaborative, solution-oriented, and prepared.
With over 40 years of combined business experience and over $2bn in transactions, our team provides strategic and operational expertise to achieve efficiencies and drive business growth. We are highly analytical and critical when assessing a business, with an uncompromising commitment and determination to achieve long-term success.
Why Laurel Oak?
Strong operational leadership experience
Significant experience leading industrial companies in the lower middle market partnering with management teams to successfully develop and lead business operations
Strategy & execution capabilities
Proven track record designing and implementing financial and operational efficiencies and experience turning around underperforming businesses
Business growth experience
Proven ability to develop and implement a successful end market diversification strategy and strong experience in identifying and acquiring synergistic add-on acquisitions
Investing experience
Proven ability to identify strong business models across industries and opportunities to create value. Extensive capabilities in M&A deal structuring, valuation, investment research, analysis and portfolio management
Investment Criteria
Transactions types
- Management buyouts
- Family business
- Corporate carve-outs
- Underinvested businesses
- Industry consolidations
Business characteristics
- Long term diversified customer relationships
- Recurring revenue
- Strong outlook and growth opportunities
- Defensible market position
- Solid management team
- Operational improvement opportunities
- Headquartered in the U.S.
Investment size
- $2M – $15M EBITDA
- Target at least $10M in revenue
- $5M – $50M in equity per transaction
- Control and minority positions with board involvement
Industry sectors
- Industrial products & services
- Business services
- Supply chain and logistics
- Transportation components & aftermarket
- Healthcare products & services
- Food and agricultural products & services
Our team
25+ years of leadership experience in general management, private equity and entrepreneurship; Prior roles include: Partner with GenNx360 Capital Partners led transactions totaling +$1bn in revenue; President/CEO of two private equity sponsored portfolio companies; Management experience at General Electric (GE), Bain & Co., Harvard Business School and the Kraft Sports Group.
Board member for Initiative for Competitive Inner Cities (ICIC), Lasell University, Proctor Academy and The Carroll School; Trustee at Boys & Girls Club of Boston, Lamar University Foundation.
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with Honors from Lamar University, MBA from Harvard Business School.
15 years of business experience across private equity investing, driving business strategy, and designing & implementing financial and operational efficiencies; transactions +$1bn.
Prior experience at Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Deutsche Bank and Deloitte Consulting.
Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, MBA from Harvard Business School.