Clarkston Capital

What Clarkston Capital does

Clarkston Capital is a boutique investment advisory firm founded in 2007 by Jeff and Jerry Hakala, headquartered in Rochester, Michigan. The firm operates two branded divisions — Clarkston Capital®, which serves institutional clients, and Clarkston Private Client®, which serves high-net-worth individuals — both built around a proprietary investment philosophy the firm labels "Quality Value." The firm also offers the Clarkston Investors Fund, a proprietary pooled vehicle that extends the same philosophy into a fund-of-record structure for investors who prefer a mutual-fund-style vehicle over a separately managed account. The investment process is described as fundamental and research-driven, with team members drawing on backgrounds in accounting, financial analysis, and internal audit to underwrite individual securities.

The firm is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and operates on a fee-only basis, meaning compensation is derived from advisory fees rather than commissions, brokerage, or product sales. This aligns the firm's incentives with client outcomes and is consistent with a fiduciary standard of care. Clarkston Capital positions its brand around community engagement through a "Clarkston Cares" program, integrating philanthropic activity into its public identity. The firm reports a headcount of 11-50 employees, consistent with a small, founder-led boutique rather than a scaled multi-office platform.

From a business model standpoint, Clarkston Capital generates revenue from advisory fees on managed assets across its institutional and private-client books, supplemented by management fees on the proprietary fund. The addressable market is the U.S. investment advisory sector, where it competes against other boutique fundamental shops, larger independent RIAs, and the wealth-management arms of broker-dealers and banks. The competitive position rests on its stated investment philosophy, founder-led continuity since 2007, and fee-only alignment — but the firm has not, on the available evidence, pursued geographic expansion, scale acquisitions, technology investment, or product diversification beyond its three existing offerings.

Name

Clarkston Capital

Legal name

Clarkston Capital Partners, LLC

Website

https://clarkstoncapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clarkston Capital is a boutique, SEC-registered, fee-only investment advisory firm founded in 2007 in Rochester, Michigan, serving institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals through a proprietary "Quality Value" fundamental investment philosophy across two divisions and a pooled fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Advisory & Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking Advisory & Discretionary Portfolio Management (FSABADAD)

Keywords

• Investment advisory services
• Wealth management
• Institutional asset management
• Mutual fund management
• Portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomfield Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: Clarkston Capital charges separate account investment advisory fees. For client assets invested in their Proprietary Funds, no separate account investment advisory fee is charged. However, for client assets invested in third-party products, clients pay both the Clarkston investment advisory fee and the fees charged by the third-party product. This fee-only model eliminates conflicts of interest from commission-based compensation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clarkston Capital Partners, LLC is a boutique, SEC-registered investment adviser that provides fee-only, discretionary investment management through two divisions. Clarkston Capital® delivers institutional-style equity portfolio management (no asset allocation) using a proprietary 'Quality Value' philosophy focused on high-quality, undervalued companies. Clarkston Private Client® offers comprehensive wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and families, including asset allocation, tax-loss harvesting, and coordination with tax, legal, and insurance professionals. The firm also manages proprietary open-end mutual funds and private funds (Clarkston Funds) made available within client portfolios.

Product overview

Clarkston Capital Partners, LLC offers two primary investment advisory divisions: Clarkston Capital® serves institutional clients and individuals seeking stock-focused equity investment without asset allocation services, while Clarkston Private Client® provides comprehensive wealth management for investors seeking guidance on asset allocation across their investable assets. Both divisions leverage the firm's proprietary "Quality Value" investment philosophy, which invests in high-quality businesses at discounted valuations. The firm also offers proprietary mutual funds and private funds (collectively, the Clarkston Funds) that can be incorporated into client portfolios. Clarkston Capital® focuses on fundamental research-driven stock selection emphasizing business quality, financial strength, and management integrity, while Clarkston Private Client® provides a more holistic approach combining individual securities with the firm's proprietary funds and tax-efficient strategies including tax-loss harvesting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clarkston Capital® (Institutional Investment Advisory) Investment advisory services for institutional clients using a Quality Value equity philosophy. Focuses on stock selection in high-quality, undervalued companies through fundamental research, with no asset allocation overlay.
• Clarkston Private Client® (Wealth Management) Fee-only, discretionary wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and families. Includes personalized asset allocation, tax-efficient portfolio management, tax-loss harvesting, and coordinated planning with tax, legal, and insurance professionals.
• Clarkston Funds (Proprietary Mutual Funds and Private Funds) Proprietary open-end mutual funds and private funds managed by Clarkston Capital Partners, providing clients access to the firm's Quality Value equity strategies. Available to eligible investors and incorporated into client portfolios.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Southeastern Asset Management (Longleaf Partners): Long-established, value-oriented investment manager running mutual funds (Longleaf Partners Funds) and institutional separate accounts. Closely comparable to Clarkston in philosophy (high-quality businesses at discounted prices), fund structure, and dual institutional/HNW coverage.
• Tweedy, Browne Company: Boutique global value investor with mutual fund and separate-account offerings; serves institutional and individual clients through a long-tenured team. Directly comparable to Clarkston in deep-value philosophy, fee-only advisory model, and dual-channel distribution.
• Pzena Investment Management: Classic value-oriented equity manager operating mutual funds and institutional separate accounts. Comparable in value philosophy, fund-based distribution, and institutional client focus.
• Cooke & Bieler: Independent, employee-owned investment counsel focused on high-quality, undervalued equities for institutional and HNW clients. Closely aligned with Clarkston's fee-only, boutique, fundamentals-driven approach.
• Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb: Manager of the Sequoia Fund and related private accounts using a long-term, quality/value approach. Comparable as a boutique, multi-vehicle (fund + SMA) value investor serving institutional and HNW clients.
• Ariel Investments: Chicago-based value-oriented investment manager offering mutual funds and institutional SMAs. Comparable in long-tenured value philosophy, fund + separate-account model, and dual client base.
• Wedgewood Partners: Boutique investment manager focused on high-quality, undervalued equities for institutional and individual clients. Comparable as a small, philosophically focused value RIA running sub-advised or pooled fund vehicles alongside SMAs.
• Polen Capital Management: Boutique, high-conviction equity manager running mutual funds and institutional SMAs with a quality-growth orientation. Comparable as a small firm operating mutual fund + SMA infrastructure and serving both institutional and HNW clients.

Regional players

• Greenleaf Trust: Michigan-based wealth management firm serving HNW individuals, families, and institutions with investment advisory and trust services. Directly comparable in regional HNW focus and Michigan roots, though broader in trust/banking-adjacent capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Manning & Napier: Multi-strategy asset and wealth manager offering mutual funds, SMAs, and managed-account solutions for institutions and individuals. Overlaps in distribution model and dual client base but is broader in strategy and national in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarkston-capital-partners-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Clarkston Capital