Lower middle market private equity firm
Westward Partners
- HeadquartersSeattle, WA S1
- Founded2010 S7
- Websitewestwardpartnersllc.com
- Last verifiedNovember 6, 2026
At a glance
| EBITDA range | $5M to $25M S3 |
|---|---|
| Revenue range | $20M to $500M S3 |
| Deal types | Platform, Add-on S6 |
| Geography | Western US S4 |
| Sectors | Industrial & Manufacturing, Consumer & Food, Transportation & Logistics |
What Westward Partners buys
Westward Partners is a Seattle private equity firm started in 2010 by two founders who still run it. It buys into established, profitable companies with $20 million to $500 million of revenue and $5 million to $25 million of EBITDA, across manufacturing, consumer, retail and business services. It looks for at least three years of positive cash flow, low ongoing capital needs and simple operations, and it expects managers to keep a role after closing. The firm counts 35 investments and seven exits.
The Northwest is home ground, and its target list covers nine western states including Alaska, but it goes further when it knows the industry: it holds Curtis in Saskatchewan and, since December 2025, Synapse Wireless in Alabama, bought with SMB Climate. It publishes no check size. A 2019 SEC filing shows $76 million sold for Westward Partners Fund I. Because it has added smaller businesses to Superfeet, Grant Aviation and Environmental Containment, a company below its EBITDA floor is more likely to meet Westward as an add-on.
Recent deals
Announced in the 24 months before November 6, 2026.
| Date | Company | Type | Sector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | Synapse Wireless and EdgePowerMajority interest in the lighting control and energy management company, bought in December 2025 together with SMB Climate and alongside existing management | Platform | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
Portfolio by sector
From the firm's portfolio page S6.
Business Services
- Grant Aviation
- Cost Management Services (CMS Energy Advisors)
- Curtis (listed by Westward as Curtis Industrial, now Curtis Ltd.)
Consumer
- Superfeet
Manufacturing
- Synapse Wireless and EdgePower
- Globe Machine
- Environmental Containment Corp (Superior Concrete, National Precast, Marks Metals)
Retail
- Three Bears Alaska
Past investments: Cascade Coffee
Greymont’s take
How Westward Partners fits a seller
Westward suits an owner in the western US who wants a nearby buyer and is happy to stay involved after a sale. Its criteria call for managers who want to keep a role, and both founders sit on every portfolio company board, so expect an owner who is close at hand. Holds can run long: it kept Cascade Coffee for about four years and still lists Curtis, which it backed in 2013.
The firm says it cut Cascade's customer concentration from nearly 80% to about 30%, so an owner with one dominant customer should ask how Westward would approach that. Because Synapse Wireless was bought with a partner, ask whether a co-investor would join your deal, and who would then control the board and the eventual sale. Also ask which pool of capital would fund the purchase, since the firm does not publish its current fund or check size.
Questions owners ask
Does Westward Partners only buy in the Northwest?
Mostly, but not only. Its target list covers Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Alaska, and it says it will look further when it knows an industry well. It holds Curtis in Saskatchewan and Synapse Wireless in Huntsville, Alabama.
Who controls Synapse Wireless, Westward Partners or SMB Climate?
The January 2026 announcements say the two firms together acquired a majority interest in December 2025, in partnership with existing management. None of them names a lead investor or says what each firm holds, so a seller should not assume a split.
Is recycling a focus for Westward Partners?
No. Its listed industries are manufacturing, consumer, retail and business services. It does still list Curtis, which it backed in 2013 and which recycles agricultural plastic containers across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but its stake in Curtis is not stated.
What has Westward Partners bought and sold lately?
Its latest announced purchases are Synapse Wireless in December 2025 and Globe Machine of Tacoma in April 2024. Its latest announced sale is Cascade Coffee to LaSalle Capital, reported on October 3, 2024, with the CEO staying on to lead the company.
Sources
- S1Westward Partners home page Accessed November 6, 2026
- S2Westward Partners: Strategy Accessed November 6, 2026
- S3Westward Partners: Lower Middle Market Accessed November 6, 2026
- S4Westward Partners: Northwestern North America Accessed November 6, 2026
- S5Westward Partners: Company Criteria Accessed November 6, 2026
- S6Westward Partners: Portfolio Accessed November 6, 2026
- S7Westward Partners: Team Accessed November 6, 2026
- S8Westward Partners: News Accessed November 6, 2026
- S9Westward Partners and SMB Climate Invest in Synapse Wireless (January 7, 2026) Accessed November 6, 2026
- S10Synapse Wireless: SMB Climate and Westward Partners Invest in Synapse Wireless (January 9, 2026) Accessed November 6, 2026
- S11SMB Climate home page Accessed November 6, 2026
- S12Westward Partners Sells Cascade Coffee to LaSalle Capital (October 3, 2024) Accessed November 6, 2026
- S13Manufacturing Growth: Westward Partners Acquires Globe Machine (April 4, 2024) Accessed November 6, 2026
- S14SEC Form D: Westward Partners Fund I, L.P. (filed March 6, 2019) Accessed November 6, 2026
- S15Curtis Ltd.: About Us Accessed November 6, 2026
- S16Curtis Ltd.: Services Accessed November 6, 2026
- S17Environmental Containment home page Accessed November 6, 2026
Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with Westward Partners. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction