Atlanta, GA – CCG Advisors, LLC (“CCG”), an Atlanta-based investment banking firm, announced their latest successfully closed transaction in the commercial landscape industry. Sterling Investment Partners has acquired HeartLand, LLC, a Kansas City based commercial landscape management firm, from Great Range Capital. HeartLand was jointly represented by CCG and Piper Jaffray.

Founded in 2016 by Edward E. Schatz, Jr. and Great Range Capital to acquire Signature Landscape in Kansas City, another CCG client, HeartLand has quickly become a regional player via the acquisition of four other platform companies across the Central United States:  in Denver, CO;  Columbia, MO; Lexington, KY; and Pittsburgh, PA along with several tuck-ins in existing markets. HeartLand provides commercial grounds maintenance, enhancements and winter services to a customer base consisting of class-A office, industrial, institutional and homeowner associations. With no exposure to cyclical new construction, HeartLand is quickly becoming one of the largest pure-play commercial maintenance companies un the US.

Ed Schatz, CEO of HeartLand, stated, “With the professional guidance of CCG Advisors, we conducted an intensive and focused search to secure a new financial partner who will support our continued growth; that process led us to the ultimate selection of Sterling Investment Partners. While they possess the depth of financial resources we need, they also bring an understanding of and enthusiasm for this business. CCG’s deep knowledge of the commercial landscape industry is unique, and their involvement helped HeartLand successfully navigate this complex process.”

CCG Founder and Managing Partner, Brian Corbett, added this perspective on the transaction: “We are pleased to have been involved from the outset of this three-year journey which now enters an exciting second phase. The current capital markets strongly supported the notion that the HeartLand platform was prepared to partner with a larger capital provider, thus enabling the company to expand beyond their current footprint in the Central US.”

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About CCG Advisors (www.ccgadv.com)

CCG Advisors is an investment banking firm based in Atlanta, Georgia specializing in representing the owners of best-in-class privately held companies in the planning and implementation of strategic growth and exit strategies. CCG has an unrivaled 21-year history in commercial landscape management, having successfully closed transactions on behalf of many of the biggest and best companies in the green industry.

About Sterling Investment Partners (www.sterlinglp.com)

Sterling Investment Partners is a private equity firm based in Westport, Connecticut that has been investing in and building middle-market companies for over 28 years with a highly experienced, cohesive team of senior investment professionals. Sterling has completed over 165 transactions, representing $16.6 billion in transaction value.

About Great Range Capital (www.greatrangecapital.com)

Great Range Capital, a private equity firm based in greater Kansas City, primarily targets controlling equity investments in Midwestern companies with revenues ranging from $20 to $150 million.