The Sterling Group Foundation Fund Launches New Platform, Premier Tire & Service

The Sterling Group, an operationally focused middle market private equity firm, announced the establishment of Premier Tire & Service (“Premier”), a new platform formed to build a leading, one-stop tire and auto service solutions provider.

Lucas Cutler, Partner of The Sterling Group Foundation Fund, and other team members have deep experience in the auto aftermarket sector. “We are excited to enter the highly attractive tire retail and service segment of the aftermarket automotive industry and partner with seasoned industry professionals to build a platform of scale,” said Lucas Cutler.  Sterling will partner with John Adams, an executive with 25 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket industry and former CEO of Full Speed Automotive, to build the Premier platform. Premier will seek to acquire independent tire and retail service locations with customer-focused service models in various markets across the country.

Premier is a portfolio company of The Sterling Group Foundation Fund. The 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. Earlier this year, Luke Bateman joined the Foundation Fund team as a Managing Director.  Luke brings over a decade of experience partnering with lower middle market companies and was most recently a Partner at Insight Equity in Dallas. Luke joins a group of both Sterling alumni and new additions that comprise the Foundation Fund Investment team: Steven Hirsch, Director; Jared Bell, Vice President; Bryan Tisdale, Vice President; Lynn Astrup, Associate; and Graham Gillespie, Associate. The Foundation Fund team partners with Sterling’s Portfolio Resources Group, a team of operational executives with expertise in each of the Seven Levers.

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 65 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $14.0 billion. Sterling currently has over $5.9 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit www.sterling-group.com.