Willcrest Partners

Willcrest Partners is a long-term oriented family office that provides equity capital and operational expertise to established, growing companies. The firm focuses its investments on businesses operating in the B2B, tech-enabled services, and niche industrials sectors. They typically target companies with an EBITDA ranging between $2 million and $7 million, although some sources indicate a range of $1 million to $5 million. Willcrest Partners emphasizes a concentrated portfolio approach, allowing them to provide each portfolio company with substantial support and guidance.

The firm's investment philosophy is rooted in a long-term perspective, demonstrating patience while actively supporting the growth objectives of their portfolio companies. The team at Willcrest Partners brings a unique blend of experience, having served as both operators and investors. This dual perspective allows them to deeply understand the entrepreneurial journey and the challenges involved in building a successful business, enabling them to offer consistent support to management teams.

Notable investments by Willcrest Partners include Pearce Services, a provider of specialized engineering, maintenance, and repair solutions for communications infrastructure, which they acquired in 2014. Bret Forster, a Partner at Willcrest, served as CEO of Pearce for ten years following the acquisition, growing the company significantly. Other portfolio companies include Precision Aerospace, in which they invested in April 2019, and Spear Power Systems, an investment made in May 2015.

The senior team at Willcrest Partners comprises experienced professionals like Bret Forster and Ben Krick, both Partners. Bret Forster's background includes leadership roles at Pearce, board positions at other companies, and experience with private equity firms like Serent Capital, as well as entrepreneurial and consulting roles. Ben Krick, also a Partner, serves as President of Pearce Services and has prior experience with private equity firm Parthenon Capital and in investment banking. Louis Brownstone is also listed as a Partner, further strengthening the firm's operational and investment capabilities.