Center Rock Capital Partners
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersRolling Meadows, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Center Rock Capital Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Center Rock Capital Partners
- Legal name
- Center Rock Capital Partners, LP
- Website
- https://centerrockcp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Center Rock Capital Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity (Industrial)
- NAICS
- All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Large-Cap / Mega-Fund Buyout (FSANABAA)
Keywords
Where Center Rock Capital Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rolling Meadows
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Center Rock Capital Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Private equity firm generates revenue through management fees charged on assets under management.
- Carried Interest: Performance-based fees earned when portfolio companies achieve target returns, representing the primary upside in private equity investments.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Center Rock Capital Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Center Rock Capital Partners is a private equity firm that makes control equity investments in lower middle-market industrial businesses with $50-$500M in revenue and up to $50M in EBITDA, deploying $25-$150M of equity per transaction. The firm executes buyouts, corporate carve-outs, restructurings, recapitalizations, and structured equity transactions, partnering with management teams to drive operational improvements and exit at a premium.
Product overview
Center Rock Capital Partners is a Midwest-based private equity firm that does not offer a software product or technology platform. The firm focuses exclusively on private equity investments in industrial businesses, providing equity capital and performance improvement resources to portfolio companies in the industrial manufacturing, distribution, and services sectors. The firm's offerings are investment and partnership services rather than technology products, and it does not maintain a unified product architecture or sell software solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Center Rock Capital Partners Fund I, LP: Inaugural private equity fund closed at $580 million in 2018
- Center Rock Capital Partners Fund II, LP
Products and services
- Center Rock Capital Partners Fund I, LP Inaugural private equity fund providing control equity capital to lower middle-market industrial businesses in the U.S. and Canada, with typical equity investments of $25-$150M. Closed at $580 million in September 2018.
- Center Rock Capital Partners Fund II, LP Second private equity fund established by Center Rock to continue making control equity investments in lower middle-market industrial businesses. First platform investment was John Lawrie Tubulars in November 2022.
Quantifiable outcome
- Signature Systems sold for $350 million, representing a successful exit under Center Rock's ownership since 2019
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Center Rock Capital Partners
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Center Rock Capital Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Center Rock Capital Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Center Rock Capital Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stellex Capital Management: Middle-market PE firm with strong industrial and business services focus. Comparable in lower middle-market industrial mandate and operationally-driven value creation.
- Sun Capital Partners: Middle-market PE firm with significant industrial and distribution exposure. Comparable in deal size range and operational improvement thesis, though broader sector mandate.
- American Industrial Partners: Industrial-focused middle-market PE firm. Closely comparable in sector mandate (industrial manufacturing, distribution, services) and deal size range, with deep operating partner model.
- Frontenac Company: Privately-held PE firm focused on lower middle-market industrial businesses. Comparable in target company size, sector concentration, and operating partnership model.
- Industrial Growth Partners: Middle-market PE firm exclusively focused on industrial manufacturing and distribution companies. Direct peer in niche, check size, and operational value-add approach.
- KPS Capital Partners: Operationally-focused PE firm investing in industrial and manufacturing businesses. Comparable in sector focus (industrials/manufacturing) and value-creation approach, though typically larger checks and more complex carve-outs than Center Rock.
- Wynnchurch Capital: Lower middle-market industrial-focused PE firm. Most directly comparable peer given that Center Rock's three lead partners (Kirson, Theodore, Laxmanan) and several other team members previously worked at Wynnchurch; identical sector mandate and similar deal size.
- Aterian Investment Partners: Private equity firm focused on lower middle-market industrial businesses. Highly comparable in target company size (~$50-500M revenue), sector focus (industrials), and operationally-oriented value-creation thesis.
- Platte River Equity: Lower middle-market PE firm focused on industrial manufacturing, distribution, and services. Closely comparable in target company profile, check size, and operational partnership model.
Broad incumbents
- Cerberus Capital Management: Large alternative investment manager with a dedicated industrials group and broader portfolio. Overlaps in industrial carve-outs and operational turnaround investments, but at materially larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Center Rock Capital Partners compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Center Rock Capital Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Center Rock Capital Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Center Rock Capital Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries16 records
Center Rock Capital Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Center Rock Capital Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Center Rock Capital Partners
What does Center Rock Capital Partners do?
Center Rock Capital Partners is a private equity firm that makes control equity investments in lower middle-market industrial businesses with $50-$500M in revenue and up to $50M in EBITDA, deploying $25-$150M of equity per transaction. The firm executes buyouts, corporate carve-outs, restructurings, recapitalizations, and structured equity transactions, partnering with management teams to drive operational improvements and exit at a premium.
Is Center Rock Capital Partners a public or private company?
Center Rock Capital Partners is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Center Rock Capital Partners founded?
Center Rock Capital Partners was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Center Rock Capital Partners based?
Center Rock Capital Partners is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, United States, in the North America region.
How does Center Rock Capital Partners make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Center Rock Capital Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stellex Capital Management, Sun Capital Partners, American Industrial Partners, Frontenac Company, Industrial Growth Partners, KPS Capital Partners, Wynnchurch Capital, Aterian Investment Partners and Platte River Equity. Cerberus Capital Management is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Center Rock Capital Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Center Rock Capital Partners.
What industry is Center Rock Capital Partners in?
Center Rock Capital Partners's product category is Private Equity (Industrial). Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANABAA, Large-Cap / Mega-Fund Buyout. Its NAICS code is 52399 and its SIC code is 6799.