Private equity firm focused on manufacturing and industrial companies

KPS Capital Partners

  • HeadquartersNew York, NY S1
  • Founded1991 S1
  • Websitekpsfund.com
  • Last verifiedOctober 22, 2026

At a glance

Assets under management$19.1B (as of Jun 2026) S5
Latest fundKPS Special Situations Fund VI, $8B (Oct 2023) S4
Check sizeUp to $1.6B S2
Deal typesPlatform, Add-on S3
GeographyNorth America, Europe S2
SectorsIndustrial & Manufacturing

What KPS Capital Partners buys

KPS Capital Partners is a New York private equity firm, investing since 1991, that manages the KPS Special Situations Funds, with about $19.1 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2026. It buys control of manufacturing and industrial companies headquartered in North America or Europe, often through complex corporate carve-outs, restructurings or turnarounds, and it focuses on fixing operations rather than adding debt. Its flagship funds can put up to $1.6 billion into one platform and its mid-cap funds up to $340 million. The latest flagship, Fund VI, closed at $8.0 billion in October 2023 alongside the $1.7 billion Mid-Cap Fund II.

KPS also buys from families and founders and lets sellers keep a stake: at Jennmar, a Pittsburgh maker of ground support products, the CEO and FalconPoint Partners stayed on as minority owners when KPS took control in 2026. KPS rarely buys small companies; its smallest recent platform, Crane Composites, was valued at $227 million. A smaller manufacturer is most likely to meet KPS as a follow-on acquisition for one of its companies.

Recent deals

Announced in the 24 months before October 22, 2026.

DateCompanyTypeSectorSource
Oct 2026C&D TechnologiesPortfolio company C&D Technologies completed a merger with Stryten Energy; terms were not publishedInvestmentIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Sep 2026MetraAgreement to sell the Italian aluminum extrusion maker to Grupa Kęty for €645 million, expected to close in early 2027ExitIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Mar 2026JennmarControl of a Pittsburgh maker of ground support products for mining and infrastructure; the CEO and FalconPoint Partners keep minority stakes. Closed in June 2026PlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Feb 2026The Wells CompaniesMinnesota designer, maker and installer of precast concrete with about 2,700 employees, bought by the Mid-Cap team. Closed in March 2026PlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Jan 2026NovacelControl of a French surface protection film maker carved out of Chargeurs, which keeps 25%. Closed in May 2026PlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Oct 2025Ketjen51% stake and operating control of Albemarle's refining catalyst business, with Albemarle keeping 49%. Closed in March 2026PlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Jun 2025Hussey CopperPennsylvania copper products maker, owned since 2020, sold to International Wire Group. Closed in July 2025ExitIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Dec 2024EviosysSale of the metal packaging maker to Sonoco completed; the deal was agreed in June 2024 at €3.615 billionExitIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Dec 2024INEOS Composites (Alta Performance Materials)Resins and gelcoats maker carved out of INEOS for about €1.7 billion and renamed Alta Performance Materials. Closed in March 2025PlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Dec 2024Crane Composites (Valto Engineered Materials)Fiberglass reinforced plastic panel maker carved out of Crane at a $227 million enterprise value, later renamed Valto. Closed in January 2025PlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource
Nov 2024Catalyst Acoustics GroupNoise and vibration control products maker bought from The Stephens GroupPlatformIndustrial & ManufacturingSource

Portfolio by sector

From the firm's portfolio page S1.

Flagship

  • Alta Performance Materials
  • AM General
  • Autokiniton Global Group
  • Briggs & Stratton
  • Innomotics
  • Jennmar
  • Ketjen
  • Life Fitness
  • Lufkin Industries
  • Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope
  • Primient
  • Speira
  • Sport Group

Mid-Cap

  • 1HMX
  • Catalyst Acoustics Group
  • Metra
  • Novacel
  • PEMCO
  • Princess Yachts
  • Siderforgerossi
  • The Wells Companies
  • Valto Engineered Materials

Past investments: Hussey Copper, Eviosys

Greymont’s take

How KPS Capital Partners fits a seller

KPS suits owners and corporate parents of large, complex manufacturing businesses, especially ones that need operational repair, heavy capital spending or a clean separation from a parent. Most of its recent platforms were carve-outs from big corporations such as Albemarle, Crane, INEOS and Chargeurs, and sellers often keep a stake, as Albemarle did with 49% of Ketjen. A family or founder seller can get the same structure: Jennmar's CEO and FalconPoint kept meaningful minority stakes.

KPS says sellers deal directly with a partner who can commit the firm's resources, which it presents as a way to close quickly and with certainty. Most founder-owned companies will be too small for a new KPS platform. A seller who keeps a stake should ask how KPS plans to exit, since recent sales went to strategic buyers, such as Hussey Copper to International Wire Group and Metra to Grupa Kęty.

Questions owners ask

How much can KPS invest in one company?

Its Target Investments page says the flagship funds invest up to $1.6 billion per platform and the mid-cap funds up to $340 million, and both amounts can grow with co-investment. KPS does not publish minimum sizes.

Does KPS buy family-owned or founder-owned companies?

Yes, alongside its corporate carve-outs. Its site lists private sales by families, founders and long-term owners as one of its deal types, and when KPS took control of Jennmar in 2026, the CEO and FalconPoint Partners kept meaningful minority stakes.

What is KPS's latest fund?

KPS held final closings of KPS Special Situations Fund VI, at $8.0 billion, and Mid-Cap Fund II, at $1.7 billion, on October 25, 2023. The combined $9.7 billion was more than a third larger than the predecessor funds.

Where does KPS invest?

It targets businesses headquartered in North America or Europe, which may run plants worldwide. In June 2026 it launched KPS Asia and said it would open a Tokyo office in 2027.

Sources

  1. S1KPS Capital Partners home page (active investments) Accessed October 22, 2026
  2. S2KPS Capital Partners: Target Investments Accessed October 22, 2026
  3. S3KPS Capital Partners: Our Story Accessed October 22, 2026
  4. S4KPS Capital Partners Raises $9.7 Billion (November 1, 2023) Accessed October 22, 2026
  5. S5KPS Capital Partners to Sell Metra to Grupa Kęty S.A. for €645 Million (September 14, 2026) Accessed October 22, 2026
  6. S6KPS Capital Partners to Acquire a Controlling Interest in Jennmar (March 11, 2026) Accessed October 22, 2026
  7. S7KPS Capital Partners Launches KPS Asia (June 30, 2026) Accessed October 22, 2026
  8. S8KPS Capital Partners: News Accessed October 22, 2026
  9. S9KPS Capital Partners: Investments Accessed October 22, 2026

Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with KPS Capital Partners. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction

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