September 03, 2026
Pavement Preservation Group, Inc. (“PPG”), a portfolio company of The Sterling Group (“Sterling”), today announced the appointment of Barnes Barton as Chief Executive Officer following Darin Matson’s planned retirement effective September 1, 2026.
Mr. Barton brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience to the PPG platform, including sixteen years in the construction materials sector at CRH. He most recently served as President of the South Division, CRH Americas Materials and previously held various business leadership roles at the company. Additionally, Mr. Barton served on the board of Sterling’s Frontline Road Safety investment from 2023 through Sterling’s sale of the company to Bain Capital in 2025, and, since 2024, serves on the board of the National Asphalt Pavement Association.
“We’re excited to partner with Barnes again as PPG enters its next chapter of growth. His operating track record and experience leading regional platforms — combined with the trust we built working together at Frontline — give us confidence in PPG’s continued strong trajectory,” said Brad Staller, Partner at The Sterling Group. “And as we welcome Barnes, we say ‘thank you’ to Darin, who came out of retirement nearly two years ago to lead the newly-established PPG platform. We are deeply grateful for his leadership over this formative period and wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”
“I am thrilled to join PPG at such an exciting moment in the company’s evolution. I look forward to working alongside PPG’s talented team to build on the strong foundation already in place and deliver even greater value to our customers and partners,” said Barnes Barton, Chief Executive Officer of PPG.
PPG provides specialized pavement preservation products and services that help extend the useful life of asphalt infrastructure through cost-effective solutions. Through continued organic growth and disciplined acquisitions, Sterling and PPG intend to further scale the platform, deliver even greater value to customers, and strengthen PPG’s position as a leading national provider of pavement preservation solutions with strong local execution capabilities.
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $1 billion. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 78 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $25 billion. Sterling currently has approximately $9.0 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss. Forward-looking statements reflect current intentions only and are subject to change without notice. No assurance can be given that the objectives or results described herein will be achieved.
May 21, 2026
The Scruggs Companies (“Scruggs”), consisting of The Scruggs Company and Neil Technical Services, today announced the appointment of Greg Rogowski to its Board of Directors. Scruggs is a provider of critical products and services to the municipal water and wastewater industry.
Mr. Rogowski brings more than three decades of executive leadership experience across the water infrastructure, industrial, and engineered materials sectors. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Mueller Water Products, Inc. from 2018 to 2020 and President of Mueller Co. from 2009 to 2017, where he led the company’s core operating division focused on water distribution infrastructure, and oversaw sales and marketing. Earlier in his career, Mr. Rogowski served as President & CEO of Performance Fibers and held general management and global marketing leadership positions at Honeywell / AlliedSignal across engineered materials businesses.
“Greg’s appointment to the Scruggs Board reflects our focus on surrounding the company with operators who have scaled leading businesses in the water infrastructure ecosystem,” said Dan Myers, President of Scruggs. “His relationships across the OEM and distribution landscape, combined with his commercial and operational track record, will be invaluable as we work to further grow Scruggs.”
“Scruggs has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner to municipalities and OEMs across a large and growing market,” said Greg Rogowski. “I see tremendous opportunity to deepen the company’s OEM relationships, expand its service capabilities, and pursue strategic growth in attractive geographies. I look forward to working with the Scruggs team to realize that potential.”
About The Scruggs Companies
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, The Scruggs Companies provides essential flow control products – spanning valves, actuators, and automation components – and repair and maintenance services for water and wastewater infrastructure across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Through its differentiated product and service offering, Scruggs supports municipal water and wastewater customers through the lifecycle of construction, expansion, and ongoing maintenance of essential water infrastructure. Scruggs is a portfolio company of The Sterling Group Foundation Fund. For further information, please visit https://www.scruggsco.com/ and https://ntshouston.com/.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
April 23, 2026
The Sterling Group (“Sterling”), a Houston-based, operationally focused middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce the additions of Robert Gray, Managing Director, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer and Pierce Edwards, Managing Director, Business Development to the Sterling team.
Robert Gray joined Sterling in February to lead the firm’s legal and compliance functions. Rob previously spent more than fifteen years at Riverstone Holdings LLC, an energy-focused asset management firm, where he most recently served as General Counsel, overseeing legal matters including transaction execution, fund formation, and regulatory compliance. Rob brings over 25 years of legal experience and will support Sterling’s operations, as well as provide broader legal guidance to Sterling portfolio companies.
Pierce Edwards joins Sterling’s Dallas office to expand the firm’s sourcing efforts. Prior to Sterling, Pierce served as Managing Director & Head of Business Development at Valesco Industries, a Dallas based private equity firm. Pierce brings nearly a decade of experience in business development in the lower middle market and will work closely with Sterling’s Foundation Fund team to source new platform investments as well as add-on acquisitions across all of Sterling’s strategies.
“We are pleased to welcome Pierce and Rob to the Sterling team,” said Scott MacLaren, Partner at The Sterling Group. “Pierce’s deep relationships and sourcing experience in the lower middle market will be highly valuable to our Portfolio Resources Group, and Rob’s legal expertise and experience navigating complex regulatory environments will further strengthen our legal and compliance capabilities.”
To learn more about a career at The Sterling Group, please visit www.sterling-group.com/careers/ or contact Claudine Lussier at clussier@sterling-group.com.
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $1 billion. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 78 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $27 billion. Sterling currently has approximately $9.0 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
March 05, 2026
The Sterling Group (“Sterling”), a Houston-based, operationally focused middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce four internal promotions: Jared Bell to Principal, Foundation Fund; Greg Caraway to Principal; Mike Galanis to Principal, Commercial Excellence; and Bryan Tisdale to Principal, Foundation Fund.
“Recognizing the growth and accomplishments of our team members is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. These individuals have consistently demonstrated leadership, initiative, and a strong commitment to our firm and our portfolio companies. We are proud to celebrate their promotions and look forward to their continued contributions to Sterling’s success,” said Claudine Lussier, Partner, Human Capital at The Sterling Group.
To learn more about a career at The Sterling Group, please visit www.sterling-group.com/careers/ or contact Claudine Lussier at clussier@sterling-group.com.
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $1 billion. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 77 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $27 billion. Sterling currently has approximately $9.0 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
October 02, 2025
The Sterling Group (“Sterling”), a Houston-based, operationally focused middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Bucaro to the firm’s leadership ranks as Partner, Operating Executive.
Dan joins Sterling after more than two decades of partnering with Sterling as either Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of the Board of multiple portfolio companies. Most recently, Dan was CEO of Sterling portfolio company PrimeFlight Aviation Services, and prior to that, was CEO of Landmark Aviation. Dan and Sterling Partner Greg Elliott first joined forces in 2003 to build Trajen and then Encore, two successful aviation services businesses. With over forty years of management and operational experience across aviation services, retail, and distribution sectors, Dan brings deep expertise and proven leadership capabilities to the firm. In his board roles, Dan has been an invaluable resource to several Sterling portfolio companies, including Velcon Filters, ProcessBarron, Lynx FBO Network, West Star Aviation, L&S Mechanical, and Gulf Winds.
“After working closely with the Sterling team throughout much of my career, I am honored to join the official ranks of the organization. I look forward to continuing our collaboration and building winning businesses in the industrial sector,” said Dan Bucaro.
Greg Elliott, Partner at The Sterling Group, added “Dan’s unique ability to develop and cultivate leadership talent across Sterling’s portfolio as a board member and now Operating Executive will continue to have a tremendous impact on our companies as an integral part of the Sterling value creation model.”
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $750 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 76 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $25 billion. Sterling currently has over $9 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
April 07, 2025
PrimeFlight Aviation Services announced a leadership transition as President and CEO Dan Bucaro steps down from his role after more than seven years. Bucaro’s transition is the result of several years of planning, and he will continue to play a critical role in the company’s leadership as Chairman of the Board.
“Under Dan’s leadership, PrimeFlight has been built into a global aviation services leader with nearly 18,000 employees worldwide,” EVP and Chief Operating Officer Charlotte Cheatham explained. “His strategic vision and leadership have positioned PrimeFlight for continued growth and success.”
The company has tapped ground handling industry leader, Craig Smyth, as the succeeding President and CEO. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Craig has held a series of senior leadership roles, most recently serving as Group CEO for Worldwide Flight Services (“WFS”), where he led global strategic growth initiatives and operational advancements. Since 2023, Craig has served as an active Board Member for PrimeFlight Aviation Services, bringing strategic guidance and assisting directly the company’s growth trajectory.
Prior to his tenure at WFS, Craig spent more than two decades at Menzies Aviation, where he held key leadership positions, including CEO. In addition to his extensive executive experience, he has been actively involved in private equity, advising and leading businesses through investment cycles, strategic transformations, and value creation initiatives. Craig holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Glasgow.
“Dan has been a trusted advisor and partner to us for many decades. We thank him for his years of leadership and congratulate him on this well-deserved transition. We look forward to his continued guidance as Chairman” said Adam Palmer, Partner at Capitol Meridian Partners. “We are thrilled to announce Craig as our next CEO. Craig has served on our Board and as a trusted advisor since 2023, giving him a detailed understanding of our business and strategy. This experience, paired with his expertise in aviation services and phenomenal track record in the industry, make him the ideal leader to lead PrimeFlight into its next phase of growth,” said Greg Elliott, Partner at The Sterling Group.
About PrimeFlight Aviation Services
Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, PrimeFlight Aviation Services provides major airlines and airports with GSE maintenance, ground handling services, aircraft services, into-plane fueling, deicing, aviation cleaning supplies, and terminal services, as well as general aviation aircraft cleaning and support services, across a global footprint. PrimeFlight is a portfolio company of The Sterling Group and Capitol Meridian Partners. For more information, visit www.primeflight.com.
April 04, 2025
The Sterling Group (“Sterling”), a Houston-based, operationally focused middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce three additions to the Sterling team: Jason Taibel as Operating Partner, Financial Operations; Nadeem Ahmed as Operating Partner, Technology; and Matthew Cobb as Director, Operations.
Jason Taibel, Operating Partner, Financial Operations, joins Sterling from BDO USA, P.C. where he was the Texas Market Managing Partner of Assurance Services. Jason has a long history of partnership with Sterling, having advised many of Sterling’s portfolio companies on financial matters over the past decade. Jason will lead the firm’s Execution lever and serve as a technical expert, working with Sterling’s portfolio companies to evaluate and support financial operations.
Nadeem Ahmed, Operating Partner, Technology, joined Sterling in March to lead the firm’s Technology lever. Nadeem brings over 20 years of technology strategy, management and execution experience, having worked for several private equity firms and product technology companies. Nadeem will support technology-enabled growth initiatives at Sterling portfolio companies, including systems implementations, data management, and AI.
Matthew Cobb, Director, Operations, joined Sterling in January from Boston Consulting Group, where as Principal, he led growth strategy and operational effectiveness initiatives for industrial companies. Matthew will assist Sterling portfolio companies in all areas of operational improvement, with a particular emphasis on procurement and supply chain.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jason, Nadeem and Matthew to the Sterling team and to the firm’s Portfolio Resources Group,” said Brad Staller, Partner at The Sterling Group. “Their extensive experience and deep expertise in their respective fields will be immediately impactful as we continue to drive operational improvements across our portfolio through our Seven Levers methodology.”
For forty years, Sterling has partnered with management teams of industrial businesses to drive growth and transformation. Execution, Operations, and Technology are three of Sterling’s Seven Levers, or seven areas in which the firm consistently and materially impacts businesses. Investments in these areas typically offer meaningful opportunities for value creation at industrial companies.
To learn more about a career at The Sterling Group, please visit www.sterling-group.com/careers/ or contact Claudine Lussier at clussier@sterling-group.com.
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $750 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 73 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $25 billion. Sterling currently has $9.4 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
February 07, 2025
The Sterling Group (“Sterling”), a Houston-based, operationally focused middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce four internal promotions: Nate Reeve to Director; Annika Ward to Director, Management Company Accounting; Vincent Gennaro to Principal; and Nikhil Nayak to Principal, Commercial Diligence & Strategy.
“As a firm, our success is built on the dedication and talent of our incredible team. We are thrilled to celebrate those being promoted for their hard work, growth, and achievements. These promotions reflect not only their individual commitment but also the collective strength of our team,” said Brad Staller, Partner at The Sterling Group.
To learn more about a career at The Sterling Group, please visit www.sterling-group.com/careers/ or contact Claudine Lussier at clussier@sterling-group.com.
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to $750 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 73 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $25 billion. Sterling currently has $9.2 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
December 19, 2024
The Sterling Group, a Houston-based,
operationally focused middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce that
John Griffin and Claudine Lussier have been promoted to Partner.
“We are excited to recognize the extraordinary contributions of John and Claudine,” said
Brad Staller, Partner at The Sterling Group. “Each has played a critical part in Sterling’s
success to date. We are thrilled to celebrate their accomplishments and welcome them
as Partners.”
John Griffin, Partner, joined Sterling in 2018 from McKinsey & Company’s Houston
office where he focused on strategic and operational initiatives for industrial and energy
companies. John has been a leader on the PrimeFlight Aviation, West Star Aviation,
Fencing Supply Group, Tangent Technologies, and Lynx FBO Network investment
teams. John has also been a key member of the firm’s Operations Committee, which
drives continuous improvement in Sterling’s own value creation capabilities.
Claudine Lussier, Partner, Human Capital, joined Sterling in 2017 to lead Human Capital
at Sterling and its portfolio companies. During Claudine’s time at Sterling, she has
contributed to a significant build-out of the team and has driven a dramatic improvement
in Sterling’s ability to drive value creation through the Human Capital lever. Claudine is a
critical business partner to investment teams and management teams alike.
To learn more about a career at The Sterling Group, please visit
www.sterling-group.com/careers/
About The Sterling Group
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment
firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services
companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from
$100 million to $750 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 73 platform
companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $24
billion. Sterling currently has $9.4 billion of assets under management. For further
information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to
loss.
July 08, 2024
The Sterling Group, an industrial focused middle market private equity firm, announced the addition of Jonathan Jackson as Managing Director of Foundation Fund, the firm’s lower middle market strategy.
Jonathan Jackson joins Sterling from Sun Capital Partners, where he spent thirteen years focused on middle market investing in a variety of services, industrial and food sectors. “Jonathan is a key addition to Foundation Fund’s senior leadership team,” said Lucas Cutler, Partner. Foundation Fund launched in 2023 to apply Sterling’s experience and operational capabilities by partnering with industrial companies in the lower middle market.
In addition, Sterling Foundation Fund has completed the acquisition of founder-owned OGD Overhead Garage Door (“OGD”), a provider of repair, replacement and installation services in the overhead door and dock industry. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, OGD serves a large and growing base of commercial and residential overhead door and dock customers with installation and repair and replacement services. “We look forward to leveraging Sterling’s industry expertise and operational capabilities to continue to expand OGD,” said Bret Westbrook, founder and CEO of OGD.
Sterling has extensive experience partnering with founders to build residential and commercial service businesses. OGD is the fourth acquisition for Sterling Foundation Fund. Each partnership to date has been with founder owned businesses.
Adams Street Partners’ Private Credit investment strategy provided senior debt financing and an equity co-investment in support of the acquisition.
McDermott Will & Emery LLP served as legal counsel and HamptonRock Financial Advisory, LLC served as a financial due diligence advisor to The Sterling Group.
BlackArch Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to OGD Overhead Garage Door.
About OGD
OGD is a provider of repair, replacement and installation services in the overhead door and dock industry. OGD operates in 45 MSAs across the Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the Mountain West regions. OGD is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.
About The Sterling Group Foundation Fund
Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity and private credit investment firm that targets investments in basic manufacturing, distribution, and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies at initial formation range from $100 million to over $1 billion. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 72 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $24.0 billion. Sterling recently closed its sixth investment fund with $3.5 billion in commitments and currently has $9.4 billion of assets under management. Launched in 2023, The Sterling Foundation Fund aims to leverage the firm’s operational capabilities and experience in the industrial sector to “set the foundation” for growth at lower middle market companies. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and all investments are subject to loss.
The Sterling Group is an operationally focused middle market private equity firm that builds winning businesses for customers, employees and investors.
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