BERKS Group

What BERKS Group does

BERKS Group is the private investment division of News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG), a fourth-generation family enterprise founded in 1951 by Henry D. Bradley and headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri. BERKS deploys patient capital across four stated verticals — high-value precision manufacturing, education technology, technology infrastructure, and better-for-you consumer brands — targeting growth companies with $2-20 million in EBITDA and enterprise values of $10-100 million. The firm operates without defined hold periods, allowing portfolio assets to dictate investment timelines, and provides management teams with equity participation alongside access to shared IT, Finance, HR, and Marketing infrastructure across the broader NPG enterprise of 1,000+ employees.

The portfolio comprises a precision manufacturing platform (Swiss-Tech, Instrument Development Corporation, Natoma Manufacturing — all AS9100/ISO-certified suppliers to aerospace, defense, and medical end markets), an education technology cluster anchored by WorkForge (the 2023 merger of 180 Skills and Valor Manufacturing Training) and Trualta (family caregiver e-learning), technology infrastructure holdings including carrier-neutral data center 1623 Farnam in Omaha, and consumer brand investments including Waterloo Sparkling Water and prior holding FitVine Wine. BERKS generates returns through capital appreciation, dividends from portfolio operations, and exits, while operating partners and senior advisors from companies including Ascend Learning, Cerner, IBM, GE, and PwC provide vertical and functional expertise across manufacturing, healthcare, technology infrastructure, and procurement.

The go-to-market is relationship-driven: deal sourcing relies on direct outreach by operating partners (Drew Komenda for healthcare, Sam Yun for manufacturing/operations, Bill Severn for technology infrastructure) and family members across regional offices in St. Joseph, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Atlanta. Portfolio companies monetize through distinct models — subscription-based e-learning (ISSA, Trualta, 180 Skills, WorkForge), contract manufacturing (Swiss-Tech, IDC, Natoma), interconnection and colocation fees (1623 Farnam), and consumer retail distribution (Waterloo through Whole Foods and natural food channels).

Name

BERKS Group

Legal name

BERKS Group

Website

https://berksgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BERKS Group is the private investment division of family-owned News-Press & Gazette Company, deploying patient capital across precision manufacturing, education technology, technology infrastructure, and better-for-you consumer brands targeting companies with $2-20M in EBITDA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Portfolio Dividends: BERKS Group generates returns through strategic investments in portfolio companies across education technology, precision manufacturing, technology infrastructure, and consumer brands. Returns are realized through company exits, acquisitions, and organic growth of portfolio companies.
2. Portfolio Company Operations: Current portfolio companies generate revenue through various models including subscription-based e-learning platforms (ISSA, Trualta, 180 Skills, WorkForge), manufacturing sales (Swiss-Tech, IDC, Natoma, APSCO), technology infrastructure services (1623 Farnam, StackPath), and consumer products (FitVine Wine, Waterloo Sparkling Water).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BERKS Group is a privately held, family-owned investment firm and division of News-Press & Gazette Company that provides patient capital to growth-stage companies with $2-20 million in EBITDA across four verticals: high-value precision manufacturing, education technology, technology infrastructure, and better-for-you consumer brands. The firm deploys capital with no defined hold period, partners with management teams through equity participation, and provides portfolio companies access to shared IT, Finance, HR and Marketing support infrastructure spanning 1000+ employees.

Product overview

BERKS Group is a diversified investment company and division of News-Press & Gazette Company with holdings across education technology, high-value precision manufacturing, technology infrastructure, and better-for-you consumer brands. The education technology portfolio includes WorkForge (a comprehensive Learning and Development platform created from the merger of 180 Skills and Valor Manufacturing Training), alongside investments in Trualta (family caregiver e-learning) and prior holdings in ISSA/NCCPT (fitness certifications). The precision manufacturing platform comprises Swiss-Tech, IDC, and Natoma (precision machined components for aerospace, defense, and medical sectors). Technology infrastructure investments include 1623 Farnam (carrier neutral data center), StackPath (cybersecurity), and Port TMS (cloud transportation management). Better-for-you consumer brand investments include Waterloo Sparkling Water and exited investments in FitVine Wine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WorkForge: Comprehensive Learning and Development solution merging 180 Skills and Valor Manufacturing Training for employee knowledge, retention, and professional development.
• BERKS Manufacturing

Products and services

• WorkForge A comprehensive Learning and Development solution designed to elevate employee knowledge, retention, and professional development through engaging and interactive digital content. It is the result of merging 180 Skills and Valor Manufacturing Training.
• 180 Skills An end-to-end online manufacturing skills training solution offering one of the world's largest libraries of skills courses for manufacturing, including technical training and compliance content for employers, schools, workforce boards and associations.
• Valor Manufacturing Training Employee training and retention solution providing turn-key, state-of-the-art training content and delivery platforms to manufacturing organizations to reduce costs associated with training, employee turnover and retention.
• Trualta An e-learning platform focused on helping families manage the care of loved ones at home with clinically validated education, offering on-demand, personalized skills-based training to caregivers.
• Swiss-Tech LLC Precision CNC Swiss machined components manufacturer serving medical technology, aerospace, and high-end industrial sectors with ISO 13485, AS9100, and ISO 9001 certifications.
• Instrument Development Corporation (IDC) Ultra-precision machining company manufacturing high quality, complex components primarily used in defense and aerospace systems, based in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.
• Natoma Manufacturing LLC Build-to-order precision parts manufacturer for global customers in aerospace and defense markets, holding ISO 9001 and AS9100 certifications.
• 1623 Farnam Carrier neutral interconnection facility in Omaha, NE serving as the nexus for local, national and international carriers, enterprises, network operators, and cloud providers with extensive fiber connectivity.
• Port TMS Cloud software platform serving the freight brokerage segment of the transportation industry, enabling users to price, schedule, track, invoice, manage documents and pay for Truckload (TL) and Less-than-Load (LTL) shipments.
• StackPath Information technology security services provider offering a comprehensive suite of cyber-security solutions including a secure content delivery network that protects enterprises from constantly evolving cyber security threats.

Quantifiable outcome

• ISSA achieved nearly 50% revenue growth over three years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Joe Kitterman (180 Skills Founder)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2022180 Skills founder Joe Kitterman partnered with BERKS Group, with the mission to provide learning opportunities that help both people and businesses be more productive through one of the world's largest libraries of online manufacturing skills courses.
• Healthcare payers and providerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 December 2021Trualta partners with healthcare payers, providers, government and social service organizations. Each partner organization is equipped with a customized learning portal offering on-demand, personalized skills-based training to help caregivers keep loved ones at home longer.
• Whole FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 December 2020Waterloo Sparkling Water has a strong partnership with Whole Foods and is distributed in grocery, club and natural food stores across the country as the third largest independent sparkling water brand.
• Natoma Manufacturing LLC Management TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2020Darin Campbell (CEO) and Mark Griffey (President) continue leading Natoma with BERKS providing additional resources, interaction with other companies and long-term investment perspective to achieve sustainable growth.
• IDC (Instrument Development Corporation) Management TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2020Joe Schaffer (CEO) continues leading IDC with BERKS providing long-term investment horizon, family values, and capital resources for continued growth of IDC, employees and customers.
• Swiss-Tech LLC Management TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 2018Frank Meiland (President) and current Swiss-Tech management team continue strategic direction while BERKS Group provides long-term resources and capital investments to accomplish goals and provide customers with world-class service and quality.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Platinum Equity: Platinum Equity is a private investment firm focused on take-private transactions, carve-outs, and operational restructuring of middle-market industrial, distribution, and services businesses. Its sector focus on industrial/manufacturing and operationally intensive value creation closely mirrors BERKS's precision manufacturing platform thesis.
• L Catterton: L Catterton is a consumer-focused private equity firm backed by LVMH and the Arnault family, investing in consumer brands including food, beverage, and wellness. BERKS's investments in Waterloo Sparkling Water, FitVine Wine, and NCCPT represent the same "better-for-you consumer" thesis L Catterton specializes in, making it a relevant direct peer for that sub-vertical.
• Genstar Capital: Genstar Capital is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in software, healthcare, industrial technology, and financial services. It targets companies with $2-20M EBITDA — directly comparable to BERKS's stated investment criteria of $2-20M EBITDA and $10-100M enterprise values across similar verticals.
• Hall Family Enterprises: Hall Family Enterprises is a Kansas City-based family investment office associated with the Hall family (Hallmark Cards). It invests patient capital across operating businesses, real estate, and financial assets with a long-term horizon. As a fellow Midwestern multi-generational family office with direct private investments, it is highly comparable to BERKS in structure, geography, and investment philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Berkshire Hathaway: Berkshire Hathaway is the archetypal family-controlled diversified holding and investment company, deploying patient capital across manufacturing, services, and consumer brands via wholly-owned subsidiaries. While vastly larger, it shares BERKS's core thesis of long-duration, decentralized capital allocation under family stewardship, making it a clear strategic comparable for the BERKS operating model.
• Cargill: Cargill is one of the largest privately held US companies, family-controlled, and operates a diversified portfolio of food, agriculture, and industrial businesses with patient capital. While much larger, its family-ownership structure, multi-sector operating model, and Midwestern roots make it a structural comparable to BERKS as a private family-controlled diversified enterprise.
• Bain Capital: Bain Capital is a global multi-strategy private investment firm with dedicated verticals in industrial/manufacturing, education, technology, and healthcare. While structured as a traditional institutional fund, its multi-sector thesis and operating partner model parallel BERKS's approach of deploying dedicated operating partners (Sam Yun, Drew Komenda) into portfolio companies.
• Koch Equity Development: Koch Equity Development is the equity investment arm of Koch Industries, deploying patient family-controlled capital across a broad range of industries and stages. Like BERKS, it provides flexible, long-duration capital and takes both minority and majority positions, making it a strong model peer for family-office-style direct investing at scale.

Emerging players

• Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe: Welsh Carson is a private investment firm focused on healthcare and technology, with notable education technology exposure through its historical Ascend Learning investment (where Bill Aliber, a BERKS advisor, was CFO). The Ascend Learning / Doug Krebs connection makes WCAS a relevant peer with overlapping edtech expertise and operating partner networks.
• Insight Partners: Insight Partners is a global software and technology investment firm with significant education technology holdings (e.g., its investments in online learning platforms). While larger and more software-focused, its thesis on scaling edtech and tech-enabled service businesses overlaps with BERKS's WorkForge, Trualta, and 1623 Farnam investments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/berksgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/BERKSGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berks-group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BERKS Group