Must meet
4/5
Guardian Capital → Havis + Pro-gard
Tom Caruso (Managing Partner, Portfolio Ops); Quinn Hayward
◆ Yes: Operating Partner Playbook, Oct 21, 10:00am
LinkedIn intelReposts only
- Feb: Fund IV closed at $441M hard cap in seven months
- Mar: portco American Overhead Door & Dock launched a revamped website (docks-doors.com)
- Apr: Nugredient expansion; LINX acquired Building Infrastructure Group
- Jul 2025: hired Matt Fried as VP Portfolio Growth
Use it: Proof Guardian portcos pay for web work. Opener: “Saw the new docks-doors.com. Who handles that across the portfolio?”
★ Knows Seth Goldblum (CBIZ) from a 2025 ACG panel. They share the 10:00 stage again.
Why meet themOperating-partner route: Havis just acquired Pro-gard, a fresh two-brand combination.
What to say"Enjoyed the Operating Partner Playbook panel. With Havis absorbing Pro-gard, how early do you push to get the commercial systems integrated?"
Check firstTitle upgraded to Managing Partner.
Research notes
Havis acquired Pro-gard Jul 2026 • Fund IV $441M (Feb 2026) • New platforms: Nügredient, Elmer Schultz
It follows on from his own talk, and 'how early' asks for his method, not a sale. Operating partners like talking about how they sequence the first 100 days.
Must meet
4/5
Sole Source Capital → Peak Technologies
Lisa Flanigan (MD); Addison Galloway
LinkedIn intelOccasional · mostly firm news
- Oct 3: SSC appointed its first Chief HR Officer
- Aug: SSC ranked #1 performing manager by PitchBook for a second year
- Jul 31: published a children’s book, Small Dog, Big City
- Jan: SSC acquired Brite (cybersecurity), first platform in Fund III
Use it: Open with congratulations on the book, a human opener nobody else will use. Then ask about Brite and Peak.
Why meet themSponsor route to a multi-brand roll-up: Peak has made 18 add-ons and has a new CEO.
What to say"Peak's on 18 add-ons now, with a new CEO since July. Is bringing the commercial side together on his list?"
Check firstNot verified that Peak runs a fragmented CRM.
Research notes
Peak Technologies: Automation Intelligence was its 18th add-on (May 2025) • New CEO Joe Heel (Jul 2026) • Buyer: Mike Wills, CRO NA
It shows we know their portfolio. 'Commercial side' sounds like value creation, not software, and his answer qualifies the intro to Wills.
Should meet
3/5
Bison Capital → Elevate Eyecare
Yee-Ping Chu (Partner)
Why meet themSponsor route to an 80+ location roll-up with no integration playbook we could find.
What to say"Elevate's gone from one practice to 80+ locations in about five years. What does the tech side look like at that scale, and who owns it?"
Check firstHealthcare roll-up: EHR is out of scope; pitch patient-facing web/CRM.
Research notes
Elevate Eyecare: one practice (2021) to 80+ locations in 8 states • Bison growth investment Aug 2025 • No EHR/PM platform or CIO found publicly • CEO Messinger dropped off the agenda and isn't attending
It's an honest question about a gap anyone can see. 'Who owns it' gets us a name and shows whether Bison drives tech decisions.
Should meet
3/5
Harbour Group
Katherine Fox (VP Corp Dev)
Why meet themIts operating companies keep each acquired brand separate, creating many multi-brand groups (SHF runs 4 brands).
What to say"With APG now alongside Texcel and OmegaOne under SHF, how does Harbour decide whether add-ons keep their own brand and site? Your brand background must come into that."
Check firstBackground from theorg.com (unverified).
Research notes
236 acquisitions • 2026: Symmons (Jul), APG joined SHF alongside Texcel and OmegaOne (Jul) • Her background is brand management
It ties to her expertise and their live decision. If they keep brands, the follow-up is one shared customer record behind separate brands: the 'one group, many brands' angle.
Should meet
3/5
Kirtland → Actron
Bill Bergen (Operating Partner)
Why meet themAdd-on route: Actron is buying and building (Crabil plus more planned).
What to say"Saw Actron picked up Crabil last year with more planned. Having run eight businesses yourself, what's the hardest part of folding in add-ons?"
Check firstNo 2026 news found.
Research notes
Actron acquired Crabil Jun 2025 • Bergen has run 8 businesses
It invites him to share hard-won lessons; operators who have been CEOs answer it in detail and name the systems pain themselves.
Should meet
2/5
NewSpring Capital
Christopher Czyzewski
Why meet themRuns portfolio ops at NewSpring and led ERP improvements at a portfolio company, so systems work is already on his agenda.
What to say"I read about your ERP work at Aero Components. Is systems cleanup now a standard value-creation lever across the mezz portfolio?"
Research notes
NewSpring VP Portfolio Ops (Mezzanine); board seat at Aero Components, where he led ERP improvements. ~17 yrs at Lockheed/Sikorsky. NewSpring sponsors M&A East.
It refers to a specific, verified recent event and asks for their view instead of pitching, so they describe the systems or integration pain in their own words.
Should meet
3/5
Radial Equity → Cortina + Plasticade
David Noble
Why meet themA clean two-brand combination that kept both brands: a multi-brand structure on a smaller scale.
What to say"With Cortina and Plasticade under one roof but keeping both brands, how are you handling the shared go-to-market behind them?"
Check firstRadial's site lists him as Head of Business Development.
Research notes
Cortina combined with Plasticade (Jan 2026), both brands kept • 2026 deals: M R Products, Thomas Precision, MPG, HKX, Global Energy Solutions
'Both brands kept' is exactly where most multi-brand groups start. Asking about shared go-to-market gets at duplicated CRMs and sites without sounding like a pitch.
Should meet
2/5
The Halifax Group → Q-mation
Chris Cathcart (Managing Partner); Spencer Mueller
Why meet themSponsor route to Q-mation (Dec 2024 recap), a multi-brand industrial automation group.
What to say"How is Q-mation coming along since the recap? As add-ons land, are they keeping separate brands and systems?"
Check firstQ-mation add-on activity not re-verified since Aug.
Research notes
Halifax recapitalized Q-mation Dec 2024 • Q-mation itself is not on the attendee list
An easy portfolio check-in that partners like answering. The second question gets straight to the multi-brand signal.
Should meet
3/5
Trivest
Joan Hellmer (Operating Exec, Discovery Fund)
Why meet themThe Discovery Fund builds consolidators in fragmented industries, so every portco becomes a multi-brand group over time.
What to say"Thanks for helping put the program together. In a fund built on add-ons, what goes on your 'operating foundations' list for the first 100 days?"
Check firstConfirm Joan's current portfolio focus when you meet.
Research notes
Joined 2026 • The fund's strategy is add-on consolidation • On the M&A East Program Committee
Thanking a committee member is warm and specific, and 'operating foundations' is Trivest's own phrase, so it gets their real playbook.
