High Road Capital Partners
High Road Capital Partners is a Greenwich, CT-based private equity firm founded in 2007 that buys and builds niche market leaders at the smaller end of the U.S. middle market, targeting companies with $10M–$100M in revenue and $3M–$10M in EBITDA through two committed-capital funds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What High Road Capital Partners does
High Road Capital Partners is a U.S.-based private equity firm founded in January 2007 by Robert Fitzsimmons, William Connell, and Jeffrey Goodrich — three former Riverside Company colleagues — and headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut (15 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 3110). The firm focuses exclusively on buying and building niche market leaders at the smaller end of the middle market, targeting U.S. and Canadian companies with $10 million to $100 million in revenue and $3 million to $10 million in EBITDA. Across two funds — Fund I ($150 million, 2007) and Fund II ($320 million, closed at hard cap in December 2013) — High Road has completed 68+ transactions as of October 2021, comprising 20 platform investments, 36 add-on acquisitions, and 12 realized exits, with aggregate transaction value in excess of $2 billion.
The firm's investment approach combines platform acquisitions with disciplined buy-and-build add-on strategies across specialty distribution, manufacturing, healthcare services, and consumer products. Notable platforms include Radix Wire & Cable (high-temperature wire), Banner Solutions/Exponential Power (door hardware and industrial power), John Henry Foster Minnesota (motion control distribution), York Wallcoverings, Cali Bamboo, PANOS brands, Handi Quilter, and General Tools & Instruments — the last of which was sold to Worthington Industries for $115 million in January 2021 after revenue nearly doubled and EBITDA nearly tripled during ownership. High Road generates revenue through management fees on committed capital and carried interest from successful exits; it does not publicly disclose firm-level financials.
Operationally, the firm maintains a small, focused team (11–50 employees) supplemented by dedicated operating partners who provide functional support in finance, operations, and add-on integration. The firm sources deals through direct origination and intermediary relationships, and has won multiple industry recognitions including Private Equity Firm of the Year in 2011 (M&A Advisor Awards) and 2018 (ACG New York Champions Awards).
High Road Capital Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- High Road Capital Partners
- Legal name
- High Road Capital Partners, LLC
- Website
- https://highroadcap.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- High Road Capital Partners is a Greenwich, CT-based private equity firm founded in 2007 that buys and builds niche market leaders at the smaller end of the U.S. middle market, targeting companies with $10M–$100M in revenue and $3M–$10M in EBITDA through two committed-capital funds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
High Road Capital Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity (Lower Middle Market)
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Placement, JV & Recapitalization) (BPAJABAL)
Keywords
Where High Road Capital Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
High Road Capital Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
High Road Capital Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
High Road Capital Partners is a private equity firm that buys and builds niche market leaders at the smaller end of the middle market, targeting U.S. and Canadian companies with revenues of $10M to $100M and EBITDA of $3M to $10M. The firm invests through two committed-capital funds (Fund I and Fund II), partners with existing management teams, and creates value through a combination of organic growth initiatives and add-on acquisitions across specialty manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, and healthcare services.
Product overview
High Road Capital Partners is a private equity firm that operates two investment funds (Fund I and Fund II) focused on acquiring and building niche-leading companies in the smaller middle market. The firm's core offering is its private equity investment and operational expertise, targeting companies with revenues of $10 million to $100 million and EBITDA of $3 million to $10 million. High Road's investment strategy involves partnering with management teams to drive growth through a combination of organic growth initiatives and add-on acquisitions. The firm has a portfolio of 18 portfolio companies across various industries including specialty distribution, manufacturing, healthcare services, and consumer products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- High Road Capital Partners Fund I, LP Debut private equity fund of High Road Capital Partners, formed in 2007 with over $150 million of committed capital from institutional investors and family offices; invests in platform acquisitions of niche-leading companies with $10M-$100M in revenue and $3M-$10M in EBITDA in the smaller end of the U.S. middle market.
- High Road Capital Partners Fund II, LP Second private equity fund of High Road Capital Partners, closed at a $320 million hard cap in December 2013 — twice the size of its predecessor fund; targets the same lower-middle-market investment criteria as Fund I, with $3M-$10M EBITDA, investing in the U.S. and Canada. Raised in less than 12 months without a placement agent from 25+ institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.
- Private Equity Buy-and-Build Services Private equity investment and value-creation services delivered to portfolio company management teams, including capital for platform acquisitions and add-on acquisitions, operational expertise through dedicated operating partners, strategic guidance for growth, and partnership-based execution of value-creating strategies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Revenue and EBITDA increased by 400% at Accentus during ownership
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use High Road Capital Partners
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
High Road Capital Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
High Road Capital Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Jones DaycoreProvided legal counsel to High Road on John Henry Foster Minnesota acquisition.
- Jones DaycoreProvided legal counsel to High Road on Radix Wire acquisition.
- Jones DaycoreProvided legal counsel to High Road on General Tools sale to Worthington Industries.
- Jones DaycoreProvided legal counsel to High Road and Exponential Power on acquisitions.
- Jones DaycoreProvided legal counsel to the company on PANOS brands sale.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
High Road Capital Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Riverside Company: Global lower-middle-market private equity firm; the prior employer of High Road's three co-founders and the closest direct strategic analog given its small-cap buyout focus, add-on strategy, and fund-of-funds heritage.
- Pfingsten Partners: Lower-middle-market private equity firm headquartered in Chicago that acquires operating companies with $10M-$100M revenue; operates a comparable buy-and-build platform model targeting niche industrial and consumer leaders.
- Wynnchurch Capital: Middle-market private equity sponsor focused on special situations and complex carve-outs at the lower end of the middle market; comparable in scale, fund size, and value-creation playbook to High Road.
- Huron Capital Partners: Detroit-based private equity firm investing in niche-leading lower-middle-market companies with $15M-$150M revenue; uses an Executive Partner model similar to High Road's Operating Partner structure.
- Frontenac Company: Chicago-based private equity firm focused on lower-middle-market buyouts of founder-led businesses in the $15M-$100M revenue range; highly comparable to High Road's niche-leader targeting.
- Mainsail Partners: Lower-middle-market growth equity firm investing in founder-led B2B SaaS and tech-enabled services; comparable fund size and operational partnership model, though with a services/software tilt versus High Road's industrial focus.
- Kidd & Company: Lower-middle-market private equity firm with a long-standing focus on smaller industrial and consumer deals; closely comparable in deal size and acquisition style.
- Pine Tree Equity Partners: Lower-middle-market private equity firm making equity investments in companies with $10M-$50M revenue; similar niche-leadership mandate and operational-improvement approach as High Road.
Broad incumbents
- Avista Capital Partners: Middle-market private equity firm with a broader healthcare and business services focus; serves as a broader-incumbent benchmark for High Road's middle-market LBO and add-on strategy.
- Stone Point Capital: Larger middle-market private equity firm focused on financial services; serves as a broader-incumbent reference point for how mid-market PE firms scale fund sizes and evolve strategies as AUM grows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
High Road Capital Partners social profiles
Digital presenceHigh Road Capital Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
High Road Capital Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
High Road Capital Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries11 records
High Road Capital Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
High Road Capital Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A11 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about High Road Capital Partners
What does High Road Capital Partners do?
High Road Capital Partners is a private equity firm that buys and builds niche market leaders at the smaller end of the middle market, targeting U.S. and Canadian companies with revenues of $10M to $100M and EBITDA of $3M to $10M. The firm invests through two committed-capital funds (Fund I and Fund II), partners with existing management teams, and creates value through a combination of organic growth initiatives and add-on acquisitions across specialty manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, and healthcare services.
Is High Road Capital Partners a public or private company?
High Road Capital Partners is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was High Road Capital Partners founded?
High Road Capital Partners was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is High Road Capital Partners based?
High Road Capital Partners is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
Who are High Road Capital Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Riverside Company, Pfingsten Partners, Wynnchurch Capital, Huron Capital Partners, Frontenac Company, Mainsail Partners, Kidd & Company and Pine Tree Equity Partners. Broad incumbents are Avista Capital Partners and Stone Point Capital.
Does High Road Capital Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for High Road Capital Partners.
What industry is High Road Capital Partners in?
High Road Capital Partners's product category is Private Equity (Lower Middle Market). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJABAL, Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Placement, JV & Recapitalization). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.