Industrial-focused private equity firm
Center Rock Capital Partners
- HeadquartersChicago, IL S5
- Websitecenterrockcp.com
- Last verifiedOctober 20, 2026
At a glance
| EBITDA range | Up to $50M S2 |
|---|---|
| Revenue range | $50M to $500M S2 |
| Check size | $25M to $150M S2 |
| Deal types | Platform, Add-on, Growth S2 |
| Geography | United States, Canada S2 |
| Sectors | Industrial & Manufacturing, Distribution, Construction Services, Environmental & Waste |
What Center Rock Capital Partners buys
Based in Chicago, with a second office in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Center Rock invests only in industrial companies: manufacturers, industrial distributors and industrial service businesses based in the U.S. or Canada. Its target company has $50 million to $500 million of revenue and up to $50 million of EBITDA, and it will look at businesses that are currently losing money. It puts $25 million to $150 million of equity into each deal. Its first fund closed at $580 million in 2018, and its recent deals come from Fund II.
Most of its deals are control buyouts, but it also does corporate carve-outs, restructurings, recapitalizations, growth investments next to founding families, and non-control structured equity. The firm leans toward complicated situations, such as a division a larger company wants to sell or a business with a strained balance sheet. A smaller company is most likely to meet Center Rock as an add-on, as when LINC Systems bought fastener distributor Corus Fastening in late 2024.
Recent deals
Announced in the 24 months before October 20, 2026.
| Date | Company | Type | Sector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | American Piping ProductsSpecialty pipe and tube distributor, bought in 2018, sold to SCF Partners | Exit | Distribution | Source |
| Feb 2026 | Stoneridge Control Devices segmentCorporate carve-out of Stoneridge's Control Devices unit for a $59 million base price, announced by the seller | Investment | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
| Mar 2025 | Diamond C TrailersEquity investment next to the founding Crabb family in a Texas trailer maker; fourth deal from Fund II | Growth | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
| 2025 | Gage ProductsControl investment in a Ferndale, Michigan business that recycles and reclaims industrial solvents | Platform | Environmental & Waste | Source |
| 2025 | GHSPControl investment in a Holland, Michigan maker of automotive shifters, pumps and electronic controls | Platform | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
| 2025 | Tiseo PavingGrowth investment in a Dallas-Fort Worth road paving and reconstruction contractor serving cities and public works | Growth | Construction Services | Source |
| Nov 2024 | Corus FasteningNew Jersey fastener and pneumatic tool distributor added to LINC Systems | Add-on | Distribution | Source |
Portfolio by sector
From the firm's portfolio page S3.
Industrial Distribution
- John Lawrie Tubulars
- LINC Systems
- The Merit Distribution Group
Industrial Distribution and Manufacturing
- Gage Products
- Mark Andy
Industrial Manufacturing
- Diamond C Trailers
- Eastern Wholesale Fence
- Flanders Electric Motor Service
- GHSP
- Power Services Group
- TAG Manufacturing
- Wolverine Advanced Materials
Industrial Services
- Tiseo Paving
Greymont’s take
How Center Rock Capital Partners fits a seller
Center Rock fits owners of industrial manufacturers, distributors and service companies, especially when the situation is not simple: a family with mixed goals, a business that needs a turnaround, or a corporate parent selling a division. Its recent deals show that range. In March 2025 it invested in Diamond C Trailers next to the founding Crabb family, whose second-generation CEO still runs the company, and in early 2026 it bought Stoneridge's Control Devices segment as a carve-out.
The firm holds for several years; it bought American Piping Products in 2018 and sold it in September 2026. An owner should ask whether Center Rock is proposing full control or a structured minority deal, and which specific improvement projects it plans for the first year, since its approach is built around measurable operating, commercial and strategic changes.
Questions owners ask
What size company does Center Rock look for?
Its criteria call for $50 million to $500 million of revenue and up to $50 million of EBITDA, with an equity investment of $25 million to $150 million. It says it will also consider companies with negative EBITDA.
Will Center Rock take a minority stake?
Its main focus is control, but its criteria also list non-control structured equity and recapitalizations. The March 2025 Diamond C Trailers deal was an equity investment made alongside the founding family, which remained an owner.
Does Center Rock buy companies in difficult situations?
Yes. It describes complex operations, misunderstood industries and stressed balance sheets as opportunities, and its listed deal types include restructurings, special situations, asset purchases and secondary debt purchases.
Where does Center Rock invest?
Its criteria name the U.S. and Canada, and it looks for industrial companies headquartered in North America, many of which also have operations in other countries. GHSP, for example, has factories in Michigan, Mexico and China.
Sources
- S1Center Rock Capital Partners home page Accessed October 20, 2026
- S2Center Rock: Investment Criteria Accessed October 20, 2026
- S3Center Rock: Portfolio Companies (current and exited) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S4Center Rock: News & Media Accessed October 20, 2026
- S5Center Rock: Contact Us (Chicago and Bloomfield Hills offices) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S6Center Rock Capital Partners, LP Closes $580 Million Inaugural Fund Above Target (September 5, 2018) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S7Center Rock: Investment Approach Accessed October 20, 2026
- S8Center Rock Invests in Diamond C (March 26, 2025) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S9Stoneridge Completes Strategic Review with Sale of Control Devices Segment (PR Newswire, February 2, 2026) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S10Center Rock portfolio: GHSP Accessed October 20, 2026
Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with Center Rock Capital Partners. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction