Westshore Capital Partners

What Westshore Capital Partners does

Westshore Capital Partners is a Tampa, Florida-based private equity investment firm founded in 2006 that provides long-term equity capital to small and medium-sized businesses, typically those with $8M-$100M in revenue and $1.5M-$7M in adjusted operating profit. The firm concentrates on manufacturing, distribution, and service companies with well-defined competitive advantages and significant market share, executing recapitalizations, management buyouts, management buy-ins, industry consolidations, and growth capital transactions. Management teams typically retain 10-20% equity ownership alongside Westshore's majority capital contribution.

The firm is led by three principals: Managing Partner David J. Malizia (30+ years PE/operations/investment banking experience, previously Managing Director at Florida Capital Partners), Partner and Vice President Michael J. Sullivan (15+ years PE, operations, corporate development, and investment banking; previously Senior Investment Banker at Cross Keys Capital and corporate development at Rockwell Collins), and Partner and Advisor J. Cameron Robinett (20+ years in PE, M&A, and consulting). The principals have collectively invested in 35+ companies across 30+ industries since 1995.

Westshore's business model is relationship-driven: deal sourcing relies on direct outreach to business owners, management teams, and intermediary networks including investment bankers and brokers, supplemented by active participation in M&A industry organizations (ACG, AM&AA, CFA, IBBA). The firm maintains a thought-leadership blog and explicitly welcomes intermediary referrals. Revenue is generated through equity returns realized via exit events (sales, recapitalizations, or other liquidity events) rather than disclosed management fees or carried interest. Notable portfolio outcomes include Red Hawk Industries growing from $9M to $150M through 12 add-on acquisitions, and United States Environmental Services quadrupling in size within three years. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and serves primarily US-based companies across multiple regions, with occasional Canadian investments.

Name

Westshore Capital Partners

Legal name

Westshore Capital Partners

Website

https://westshorecapitalpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Westshore Capital Partners is a Tampa-based private equity firm founded in 2006 that provides long-term equity capital for recapitalizations, management buyouts, buy-ins, and industry consolidations targeting US small and medium-sized manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity Investment

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD)

Keywords

• Private equity investment
• Management buyouts
• Business recapitalization
• Growth capital
• Industry consolidation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Returns: Westshore Capital Partners generates returns through equity investments in small and medium-sized businesses via recapitalizations, management buyouts, management buyins, and industry consolidation strategies. Returns are realized through exit events including sales, recapitalizations, or other liquidity events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Westshore Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm that provides long-term equity capital to small- and medium-size businesses with revenues between $8–$100 million. Its core offerings include recapitalizations (owner and family succession), management buyouts and buy-ins, industry consolidation, and growth capital, focused on manufacturing, distribution, and service companies with stable demand and competitive advantages. The firm works side-by-side with entrepreneurs and management teams, providing hands-on personalized partner attention rather than taking operational roles.

Product overview

Westshore Capital Partners operates as a unified private equity platform offering complementary investment services. The core offerings include Owner Recapitalization and Family Succession Recapitalization (providing liquidity events), Management Buyout and Management Buy-in services (enabling ownership transitions), Industry Consolidation (acquisition-driven growth), and Growth Capital (equity investment for scaling). These services work together to address the full lifecycle of small- and medium-size business ownership transitions and growth initiatives, from partial liquidity events to full ownership changes and strategic acquisitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Owner Recapitalization

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies can achieve significant growth through Westshore partnerships, with examples including Red Hawk growing from $9 million to $150 million through 12 add-on acquisitions, and USES quadrupling in size within three years.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Association for Corporate GrowthminorOthersProfessional organization focused on mergers and acquisitions where Westshore principals maintain active membership and visibility in the M&A community.
• Alliance of Merger & Acquisition AdvisorsminorOthersProfessional organization for M&A advisors where David J. Malizia maintains active involvement as a visible investor and member.
• Corporate Finance AssociatesminorOthersInternational investment banking firm network where Westshore maintains relationships and visibility for deal sourcing.
• International Business Brokers AssociationminorOthersProfessional association for business brokers where Malizia maintains active involvement for deal sourcing and industry visibility.
• Investment Bankers and Brokers NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInformal network of investment bankers and business brokers who serve as key referral sources for prospective investment opportunities. The firm explicitly welcomes inquiries from these intermediaries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIVC Partners: CIVC Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on the lower-middle market, investing in business services and industrial growth companies. It is one of the closest direct comparables to Westshore in target company size and sector orientation.
• Trinity Hunt Partners: Trinity Hunt Partners is a Dallas-based private equity firm that partners with entrepreneurs and management teams to build leading lower-middle-market companies. Its target check size and focus on founder-led businesses closely align with Westshore's SMB investment approach.
• The Riverside Company: Riverside is a global private equity firm focused on the smaller-end of the middle market, investing in well-positioned businesses with enterprise values typically below $400M. Its lower-middle-market focus and add-on acquisition strategy parallel Westshore's platform-and-consolidation model.
• Cortec Group: Cortec Group is a New York-based private equity firm that invests in family/founder-owned and smaller middle-market businesses, with a strong focus on recapitalizations and management buyouts. Its transaction structures and target profiles closely match Westshore's investment products.
• Centre Partners: Centre Partners is a New York-based private equity firm that pursues control investments in the lower-middle-market, particularly in consumer, industrial, and business services. Its SMB-focused investment strategy and recapitalization/buyout orientation make it a direct comparable.
• Gryphon Investors: Gryphon Investors is a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on middle-market leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth capital investments. Its flexible capital structures and middle-market focus parallel Westshore's investment approach.
• Sterling Investment Partners: Sterling Investment Partners invests in founder/family-owned lower-middle-market companies through buyouts and recapitalizations. Its target company profile and partnership-oriented model closely align with Westshore's SMB focus.
• Wynnchurch Capital: Wynnchurch Capital is a Chicago-based middle-market private equity firm focused on leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and corporate carve-outs of middle-market companies. Its industry consolidation strategy and operating partnership model are comparable to Westshore's playbook.

Broad incumbents

• Pritzker Private Capital: Pritzker Private Capital is a Chicago-based private equity firm that partners with middle-market businesses across manufacturing, services, and industrial sectors. Its long-term capital approach and operating partnership philosophy closely mirror Westshore's patient-capital model.
• Genstar Capital: Genstar Capital is a San Francisco-based middle-market private equity firm investing in software, business services, financial services, and industrial technology. While broader in mandate, it competes for the upper end of Westshore's target range in B2B services and industrial verticals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A5 records

Investments6 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Westshore Capital Partners