Juniper Capital Management — M&A Advisory Profile

01Advisory Approach

Sweet Spot

Founder-owned businesses with $10M-$75M enterprise value, EBITDA under $8M, stable profitability, and management teams seeking a growth partner rather than a complete exit.

Not A Fit If

Businesses above $75M TEV, turnarounds, distressed situations, founders seeking immediate cash-out, or companies requiring aggressive leverage.

Smaller scale focus than institutional PE ($10M-$75M TEV), patient capital with flexible structures, founder-friendly approach emphasizing culture preservation, hands-on operating experience, conservative debt approach, no rigid fund timeline constraints.

02Process & Fees

Direct investment approach: extensive dialogue with founders to ensure alignment, conservative debt structure, hands-on operational support including process implementation, team building, KPI establishment, and acquisition integration support. Timeline driven by business needs rather than fund mandates.

Fee Structure

Juniper Capital Management Research

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION: Firm Type

Juniper Capital Management is a private equity firm, not an M&A advisory firm. They are buyers of companies rather than advisors to sellers. The firm provides capital and strategic guidance to lower middle-market companies, investing as a financial sponsor rather than representing clients in sell-side or buy-side advisory engagements. This research documents their activities as an investment firm that acquires and builds portfolio companies.

Investment Approach

Juniper Capital Management was founded in 2014 by Bryan Grabowsky and Lou Grabowsky (formerly COO of Grant Thornton LLP) as a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on the lower middle market. The firm's thesis centers on partnering with founder-owned businesses that have been overlooked by institutional private equity due to their smaller scale. Juniper targets companies with less than $8 million in EBITDA and enterprise values between $10 million and $75 million—a segment where many traditional PE firms cannot deploy capital efficiently due to fund size constraints and minimum investment thresholds.

The firm differentiates itself through a "patient capital" approach with flexible investment structures tailored to each business owner's individual goals. Rather than aggressive leveraged buyouts, Juniper takes a conservative approach to debt and emphasizes preserving company culture and legacy. Their website explicitly contrasts their model with "traditional private equity," highlighting that they prioritize stakeholder alignment over pure financial engineering, avoid hierarchical decision-making that leads to groupthink, and take long-term perspectives rather than being driven by fund mandate timelines.

Sector Focus

Juniper concentrates on four core sectors where the investment team has hands-on operating experience: Business Services, Niche and Value-Added Manufacturing, Residential Services, and Industrials. Within manufacturing, they have demonstrated particular strength in aerospace and defense precision machining through their Precision Aerospace Holdings platform, and in water/sewer infrastructure services through their ISG platform. The firm seeks fragmented industries with consolidation opportunities and looks for businesses with stable profitability histories, transparent cultures, and identified growth catalysts.

Investment Track Record

Juniper has completed multiple significant transactions since its founding:

Infrastructure Services Group (ISG): Created in 2018 by combining Green Mountain Pipeline Services and Mr. Rehab Sewer System Rehabilitation, then expanded with the add-on acquisition of Rhode Island-based Inland Waters in 2021. ISG provides water and sewer infrastructure services, concentrating on the U.S. Northeast. In July 2024, Juniper successfully exited this investment, selling ISG to Azuria (a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital). This exit demonstrated Juniper's ability to build value in portfolio companies and return capital to investors.

Precision Aerospace Holdings: Formed in 2022 through partnership with CIC Partners, this platform has become Juniper's most active consolidator. Precision Aerospace focuses on complex component manufacturing for space, aerospace, and defense programs. The platform has completed five acquisitions since 2022: Decatur Machine Services (2023), Owens Machine and Tool Company (2024), Clearwater Engineering (2025), and two others. The platform now operates approximately 140 employees across five AS9100- and ITAR-certified U.S. locations. Pete Stegmaier serves as CEO, while Bayard Friedman (CIC Partners) serves as Board Chairman.

Ballard Marine Construction: Juniper completed a growth capital investment in this Washougal, Washington-based specialty underwater and marine contractor, enabling the acquisition of property and equipment assets from Marine Technologies Inc. in Baltimore.

In 2025, Juniper launched its first dedicated private equity fund with a target of deploying $100 million over 3-4 years, marking the firm's evolution from a family office-style investment vehicle to a formal fund structure. The firm also expanded its team with the addition of Braden Eddy as Partner (formerly of Hastings Equity Partners).

Investment Criteria & Process

Juniper's investment criteria are highly specific: U.S.-headquartered companies with $10M-$75M enterprise value, cultures of transparency, stable profitability, and passionate management teams. The firm explicitly seeks founders who want to "roll equity" and continue building their businesses with a collaborative partner rather than cashing out completely. Their process involves extensive dialogue with entrepreneurs before investing to ensure alignment on goals for the business and the working partnership.

The firm brings hands-on operating capabilities to portfolio companies, including scalable business processes, team building for growth, data/KPI establishment, acquisition identification and integration support, and strategic partner connections. Juniper takes a conservative approach to debt leverage and emphasizes preserving company culture and legacy.

Geographic Coverage

Juniper is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, at Oaklawn Hall at Old Parkland. The firm's portfolio companies span multiple states including Texas, Kansas (Clearwater Engineering), Washington (Ballard Marine Construction), and Rhode Island (Inland Waters/ISG).

Team & Leadership

The founding team combines deep operating and financial experience. Bryan Grabowsky serves as Managing Partner and Co-Founder, bringing private equity and investment banking experience. Lou Grabowsky, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, previously served as COO of Grant Thornton LLP, providing significant operational and financial expertise. Pete Stegmaier, Operating Executive, serves as CEO of Precision Aerospace Holdings and is an industry veteran in aerospace manufacturing. Braden Eddy joined as Partner in 2025 from Hastings Equity Partners, bringing over a decade of M&A and strategic finance experience. Justin Potter is a Partner focused on origination, execution, and portfolio monitoring. Mike Sisk serves as Operating Executive, contributing hands-on operational expertise to portfolio companies.

Regulatory Status

Juniper Capital Management is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser (SEC #170150, CRD #170150). The firm is not a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, which is consistent with its role as a private equity investor rather than an M&A advisor facilitating third-party transactions.

Summary for Platform Users

For business owners exploring their options, it is important to understand that Juniper Capital Management is a potential buyer/acquirer of companies, not an advisor that would represent you in a sale process. If you are considering selling to a private equity firm, Juniper could be a prospective purchaser. However, if you are seeking representation to run a competitive sale process, you would need an M&A advisory firm rather than Juniper Capital Management.