Heartwood Partners

Heartwood Partners is a middle-market private equity firm founded in 1982, focusing on lower-leverage, high-equity investments in North America. The firm partners with founder, family, and management-owned businesses to drive growth and value creation through a unique investment approach that emphasizes stability and performance. Heartwood's strategy involves capitalizing companies with approximately half the debt typically used in private equity, enabling them to thrive in diverse economic climates and business challenges. This approach is designed to provide a strong foundation for businesses to achieve their goals and sustain long-term success.

The firm's investment strategy targets companies with revenues between $20 million and $250 million and EBITDA between $5 million and $30 million. Heartwood seeks businesses with a competitive position capable of maintaining margins, solid and committed management teams, and the ability to produce excess cash flow. The firm has a history of investing in various sectors, including food, agriculture, specialty chemicals, niche manufacturing, packaging, industrial services, environmental services, automotive, heavy trucking, consumer products, healthcare, aerospace, defense, electronics, and data centers. Heartwood's portfolio companies are characterized by strong performance and a commitment to growth, with the firm actively supporting management teams through its in-house Value Creation Specialists, who provide expertise in strategic areas such as eCommerce, digital marketing, human capital, organizational design, IT improvement, and acquisition integration.

Heartwood Partners has a proven track record of successful investments and exits, managing over $1.3 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024. The firm has invested in more than 100 platform and add-on acquisitions, demonstrating its ability to identify and nurture businesses with significant growth potential. Notable exits include the sale of High Bar Brands in December 2023 and the successful closing of an oversubscribed continuation vehicle for The Amlon Group in November 2025. These achievements underscore Heartwood's commitment to delivering value to its investors and portfolio companies through strategic partnerships and operational excellence.

Heartwood Partners is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, and continues to focus on partnering with founder, family, and management-held businesses to support their growth and success in the marketplace.