We are private equity done differently

A Letter from Our Founders

 

When we founded Greenridge, the world did not need one more generic private equity firm. What was true then remains so as we write this letter: there are more private equity firms representing more capital today than at any point in history. Capital, by itself, no longer differentiates. We believed there was an opportunity to be different – to innovate in our industry.

With the benefit of supportive spouses and families, we formed Greenridge and became entrepreneurs. We sought to build the type of firm that would allow us to be the kind of private equity partner that founders and entrepreneurs in the lower-middle-market deserved.

To be good partners, we must first live out our values:  Integrity Always, Best Ideas Win, Better Every Day, Enjoy the Journey, Purpose Driven. Success in the lower middle market means that we must also be business builders, with a focus on how we can help our partner companies grow, not how they can help us grow our assets under management. We must be patient. In the lower middle-market, we believe the ability to be patient is both valuable and a differentiator. We know that sustainable, long-term value creation can often come at the expense of short-term profits. Finally, we must be good stewards of the companies in which we are privileged to invest, leaving them and their people better than we found them.

These are more than words at Greenridge…these values, and the behaviors and habits that flow from them, form the foundation of all that we do as a firm.

As we look back on the years since we started Greenridge, we are overcome with gratitude, not just for the successes, but also for the challenges. All of our experiences have made us better as a firm and have prepared us for the future.  When we allow ourselves a brief moment of pride, it is that we built the kind of firm we set out to create all those years ago.