A Strategy Driven Private Equity Firm
A History of Success
With more than three decades of strategic, transactional and operating experience, and more than 75 years of collective experience, The Watermill Group is structured to acquire companies at a time of particular transition, and efficiently develop a path to sustainable and continuing success.
Company History
- Founded in 1978 by Steven Karol as a private investment firm
- Executed 50 investments over the last 30 years in 18 industries with total enterprise value approaching $800 million
- Actively involved with all portfolio companies on a strategic and operational level
- A representative sample of past portfolio companies includes: Vertex Fasteners, Moore’s Lumber, Southland Paint, and International Business Interiors.
The Watermill Group Principals’ Collective Experience
- Executed more than 100 transactions with a total transaction value of over $4.1 billion
- Invested in approximately 30 industries, participated in 11 bankruptcy processes resulting in 9 acquisitions, purchased from founding families over30 times, and effected 13 carve-outs
- Over 140 years of executive management experience at public and private companies ranging in size from $25 million to $2.2 billion in sales in more than 25 industries
- Have in excess of 150 years of strategic planning experience in over 30 industries