Charter Capital Partners
Charter Capital Partners is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based middle-market investment banking and advisory firm founded in 1989. Following KSM's January 2026 acquisition of its M&A advisory team, the surviving Charter Growth Capital continues independently as a Great Lakes-focused mezzanine debt and minority equity fund manager with $111 million under management.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Charter Capital Partners does
Charter Capital Partners was a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based investment banking advisory firm founded in 1989, serving middle-market corporations, family-owned businesses, private equity groups, and family offices across the U.S. The firm delivered sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, capital raise, and business valuation advisory services, with a stated emphasis on senior-level engagement throughout each transaction. Its core differentiation was a personalized, relationship-based approach anchored by a small team of senior advisors, including John Kerschen, Mike Brown, and Mark Streekstra, with a track record of more than 200 closed acquisitions and aggregate deal value exceeding $2-3 billion over the leadership's careers.
In January 2026, KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller) acquired Charter Capital's 13-member investment banking team, which now operates as KSM Corporate Finance. The remaining Charter entity — Charter Growth Capital — continues to operate independently as a private investment firm providing mezzanine debt and minority equity to lower-middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region, typically deploying $1M-$5M per transaction for growth, recapitalization, or succession. Charter Growth Capital Fund II closed at $111 million in 2024 with an SBIC license from the U.S. Small Business Administration, making it the only active SBIC in Michigan.
The firm's revenue model combined transaction-based advisory fees with fund management economics (management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on exits). Fund I (2019 vintage) invested in 12 companies and has realized 6 exits; Fund II is in active deployment. Customer concentration is naturally low given the deal-by-deal advisory model, with named transactions spanning construction, environmental services, manufacturing, energy solutions, healthcare technology, and investigative services industries.
Charter Capital Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charter Capital Partners
- Legal name
- Charter Capital Partners
- Website
- https://chartercapitalpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Charter Capital Partners is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based middle-market investment banking and advisory firm founded in 1989. Following KSM's January 2026 acquisition of its M&A advisory team, the surviving Charter Growth Capital continues independently as a Great Lakes-focused mezzanine debt and minority equity fund manager with $111 million under management.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charter Capital Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Banking & M&A Advisory
- NAICS
- Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE), Capital Raising Advisory (Equity & Equity-Linked) (FSAEAGAC), Middle-Market Lending (FSANADAI), Private Credit / Direct Lending (FSAAAHAG)
Keywords
Where Charter Capital Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Charter Capital Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory Fees: Advisory fees from representing business owners in M&A transactions including sell-side and buy-side mandates. The firm guides clients through the entire M&A lifecycle from initial sourcing through final execution.
- Capital Raise Advisory: Advisory services for companies seeking to raise growth capital, including private placements and debt financing arrangements.
- Valuation Services: Business valuation services for succession planning, transaction support, and strategic planning purposes.
- Junior Capital Investments: Charter Growth Capital provides mezzanine debt and minority equity investments in lower middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region. Fund II has $111 million in committed capital.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Charter Capital Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charter Capital Partners is a middle-market investment banking advisory firm that provides M&A advisory services including sell-side and buy-side representation, capital raises, and business valuations for family-owned businesses, private equity groups, and family offices. Through its subsidiary Charter Growth Capital, it also provides mezzanine debt and minority equity investments to lower middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region. The firm operates with senior-level advisor attention across its engagements.
Product overview
Charter Capital Partners operates as a full-service investment banking advisory group offering a unified platform of M&A advisory services and private capital solutions. The core advisory arm provides Sell-Side M&A, Buy-Side M&A, Capital Raise, and Valuation services for middle-market corporations, family-owned businesses, private equity groups, and family offices. Supporting the advisory business is Charter Growth Capital, a sub-brand that operates as a mezzanine debt and minority equity fund targeting lower-middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region with investments of $1 million to $5 million. In January 2026, the M&A advisory team transitioned to KSM Corporate Finance following an acquisition by Katz, Sapper & Miller, while Charter Growth Capital continues operating independently.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Charter Growth Capital: A private investment firm providing junior capital (mezzanine debt and minority equity) to lower-middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region, with an SBIC license from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Products and services
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 acquisition transactions with combined value exceeding $2 billion
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Charter Capital Partners
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Charter Capital Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Charter Capital Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- KSM (Katz, Sapper & Miller)coreKSM acquired Charter Capital Partners' investment banking team in January 2026. Mike Brown and Mark Streekstra joined as partners and managing directors leading the 13-member team that transitioned to KSM Corporate Finance. The partnership expands KSM's capabilities to include full M&A advisory and succession planning services, positioning the firm comparable to top CPA firms nationwide. Eligible employees became employee-owners through KSM's ESOP.
- Charter Growth CapitalcoreCharter Growth Capital, the mezzanine debt and minority equity fund under Charter Capital, is not part of the KSM transaction and continues operating independently under its own leadership (John Kerschen, Mike Palm, Hector Bultynck). The fund provides junior capital to lower middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Charter Capital Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Calder Capital: Lower middle-market M&A advisory firm based in Grand Rapids, MI, co-founded by John Kerschen in 2013. Directly comparable as a Great Lakes-focused M&A advisor serving similar family-owned and lower middle-market clients with a similar senior-led engagement model.
- KSM Corporate Finance: Formed in January 2026 when KSM acquired Charter Capital's M&A advisory team; KSM Corporate Finance now provides the same sell-side, buy-side, capital raise, and valuation services Charter historically offered. Directly comparable as a middle-market advisory platform with shared team continuity.
- Generational Equity: Lower middle-market M&A advisory firm focused on selling privately held businesses across the U.S. Directly comparable to Charter's advisory model for family-owned businesses and succession-driven transactions in the $10M-$250M revenue range.
- Colfax Creek Capital: Birmingham-based private equity firm investing in middle-market consumer products, services, and industrial companies across Great Lakes states. Directly comparable as a regional middle-market investor that has co-invested alongside Charter Growth Capital.
Broad incumbents
- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Middle-market investment bank providing M&A advisory and capital-raising services across multiple sectors and geographies. Comparable as a larger incumbent in the same middle-market advisory space where Charter Capital historically competed.
- Livingstone Partners: Global middle-market M&A advisor with deep coverage in industrials, business services, and consumer. Comparable as a broader incumbent serving the same lower middle-market to mid-cap advisory clientele with similar sector coverage.
- Peninsula Capital Partners: Detroit-based middle-market private equity firm managing multiple funds (where partner Hector Bultynck previously managed $1.5B across five funds). Comparable as a larger Michigan-anchored lower middle-market investor with similar sector and check-size profile.
- Huron Capital: Detroit-based private equity firm focused on lower middle-market companies. Comparable as a regional lower middle-market investor that competes with Charter Growth Capital for mezzanine and minority equity deals in the Great Lakes.
- Wipfli Corporate Finance Advisors: Top-20 U.S. accounting and advisory firm with a corporate finance practice serving middle-market M&A. Comparable as a larger CPA-platform-affiliated advisor (paralleling the new KSM Corporate Finance structure) competing for the same middle-market advisory mandates.
- Plante Moran Corporate Finance: Michigan-based top CPA firm with an active middle-market M&A advisory practice. Comparable as a larger CPA-platform-affiliated advisor serving Great Lakes lower middle-market clients — a structural parallel to the new KSM Corporate Finance arrangement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Charter Capital Partners social profiles
Digital presenceCharter Capital Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charter Capital Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Charter Capital Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Charter Capital Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charter Capital Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Charter Capital Partners
What does Charter Capital Partners do?
Charter Capital Partners is a middle-market investment banking advisory firm that provides M&A advisory services including sell-side and buy-side representation, capital raises, and business valuations for family-owned businesses, private equity groups, and family offices. Through its subsidiary Charter Growth Capital, it also provides mezzanine debt and minority equity investments to lower middle-market companies in the Great Lakes region. The firm operates with senior-level advisor attention across its engagements.
Is Charter Capital Partners a public or private company?
Charter Capital Partners is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Charter Capital Partners founded?
Charter Capital Partners was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Charter Capital Partners based?
Charter Capital Partners is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does Charter Capital Partners make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. M&A Advisory Fees are the primary driver. The others are capital Raise Advisory, valuation Services and junior Capital Investments.
Who are Charter Capital Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Calder Capital, KSM Corporate Finance, Generational Equity and Colfax Creek Capital. Broad incumbents are Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, Livingstone Partners, Peninsula Capital Partners, Huron Capital, Wipfli Corporate Finance Advisors and Plante Moran Corporate Finance.
Does Charter Capital Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charter Capital Partners.
What industry is Charter Capital Partners in?
Charter Capital Partners's product category is Investment Banking & M&A Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAB, Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAHAOAE, Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital). Its NAICS code is 523150 and its SIC code is 6282.