About Us
Partners in growth with operational expertise
Our Mission
Investing in people and the business process. We unlock value for our portfolio companies through Management Partnership, building upon a company’s Competitive Advantage, and executing on a well-developed growth plan for Strategic Value Creation.
Investing in people and the business process. We unlock value for our portfolio companies through Management Partnership, building upon a company’s Competitive Advantage, and executing on a well-developed growth plan for Strategic Value Creation.
Why Partner with Guardian?
Proven Success
Long and proven track record of building high performing businesses, focused on revenue growth, product capabilities and operational excellence, and generating sustainable value creation and attractive shareholder returns.
Hard Work is in Our DNA
We outwork many of our peers. We work hard and smart, which unlocks incremental value beyond what a portfolio company management team can do on its own.
Fair and Balanced
We fully understand what it is like to be the owner / CEO of a business and would never ask a CEO to do anything we have not, or would not, do ourselves.
Crossing the Chasm
We have the playbook, tool box and proven lower middle-market experience to guide and govern a business from being a family run (closely held) business to a much stronger, more diversified and higher growth middle-market enterprise.
We Follow the Golden Rule
Simple as it is, but uncommon for some in the M&A community, we strive to always do what we say.
Speed and Certainty to Close
We are highly responsive and can close deals faster than most of our peers, while still doing all the work and without cutting corners.
Blue Chip Investor Base
We have a very strong and broad base of blue-chip Limited Partner investors in our Funds.
Punching Above Our Fighting Weight
Extensive network of executive level professionals, board level operators and personal contacts uncommon for private equity funds our size, which helps unlock opportunities and create incremental value.
The Guardian Advantage
Guardian’s Operations and Advisory Company
Guardian’s Operations and Advisory Company (“GOAC”) offers a team of proven operators, advisors, and functional experts to provide guidance and assistance where management feels needed. Guardian established GOAC primarily to partner with management teams to help them evaluate and achieve their strategic objectives. These skilled individuals work exclusively with Guardian’s portfolio companies and are deeply experienced at identifying value creation initiatives and executing against those initiatives alongside management. GOAC also leverages their operating experience and functional expertise to collaborate with Guardian and management teams on new investment opportunities
“Guardian stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us and helped us to navigate through unprecedented times.”
“Guardian stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us and helped us to navigate through unprecedented times.”
Matt Stahlin
Founder of Flat River Group
“With Guardian’s support, we achieved considerable growth across all key channels and product categories.”
“With Guardian’s support, we achieved considerable growth across all key channels and product categories.”
Tim Blurton
CEO of Cosmic Pet
“Because of the strategic partnership with Guardian...we are a scalable, high-performing business serving a growing data center market.”
“Because of the strategic partnership with Guardian...we are a scalable, high-performing business serving a growing data center market.”
Gerald Birin
CEO of CIS Global