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Our Investment Strategy

Discover a disciplined approach to building long-term value.


Our team partners with founders and management teams at moments of transition. Of course we bring new capital to founder- and family-led companies. But we also bring enterprise-level capabilities, including strategic planning, operational support, talent, and financial discipline.

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Our strategy centers on value creation through strategic alignment.

We believe the most durable businesses are built by working with people who know them best, respecting what they have created and applying both financial and operational resources with purpose.

What we look for in our partners.

Areas of Interest


  • Niche Manufacturing & Distribution
  • Advanced Materials
  • Safety Products
  • Engineered Equipment & Products
  • Assembly & Fulfillment
  • Business & Consumer Services
  • Testing & Certification
  • Environmental Services
  • Infrastructure & Utilities
  • Field Services

Ideal Financial Profile


  • Enterprise value of $20 million to $200 million
  • EBITDA between $2 million and $15 million
  • EBITDA margin of at least 10%
  • Equity investments of up to $50 million

Business Characteristics


  • Favorable growth prospects with stable competitive dynamics
  • Positive historical cash flows with opportunities for improvement
  • Non-discretionary products and services
  • Diversified customer bases
  • Based in North America

Three pillars of value creation.


To us, value creation is not a checklist. It’s about alignment and collaboration, so we know as much when to step forward as when to step back.

Strategic perspective

We provide long-term planning insight, including capital allocation and prioritization to empower businesses to scale.

Operational support

Our teams facilitate collaboration on systems, processes and infrastructure to improve execution and resilience.

Talent and leadership

Partnership with Compass Group gives companies access to executive-level expertise in critical areas like finances, HR, technology, marketing, and more.


Committed to a thesis-based approach, right from the start.

Our investment strategy is informed by research and long-term perspective. That starts with a thesis-based approach to understanding both industries and markets. This deep, research-driven discipline shapes where we focus and where we engage, and has from day one.

Tim Wood

Founder of KGM


“I really did not know what to expect when began with the Compass Group into the world of private equity, but I know now what a fantastic partner looks like. From start to finish, this has been such a rewarding experience. The friendship and support that helped solidify such solid results in such a short timeframe is rare and I know I will always look back on this time with Compass as some of the best time of my life.”

Talk to our team.