Speyside Equity Expands Team to Deploy $300M Industrial Buyout Fund

DETROIT, MI – March 03, 2026 – Speyside Equity Advisers LLC is significantly bolstering its investment team, a strategic move designed to accelerate the deployment of its recently closed $300 million fund aimed at transforming North American manufacturing businesses. The Detroit-based private equity firm announced the appointment of three new Principals: Kyle Cash, Marcus Badger, and Nathan Quattrochi.

This team expansion comes as Speyside actively deploys Speyside Equity Fund III, which closed in late 2022 at its hard cap after seeing strong demand from both existing and new investors. The hiring of three seasoned professionals signals the firm’s intent to ramp up its deal-making capacity and deepen its operational oversight within the highly competitive lower middle-market industrial sector.

Fueling the Growth Engine

The successful close of Speyside's third fund at $300 million provided the firm with substantial dry powder, and its deployment is well underway. The fund has already made several platform investments.

With a mandate to acquire companies typically valued between $20 million and $200 million, the addition of Cash, Badger, and Quattrochi is a calculated step to scale Speyside's capacity. The firm specializes in operationally intensive situations and complex corporate carve-outs - transactions that demand significant hands-on involvement from the investment team. By expanding its roster of principals, Speyside is better equipped to source, diligence, and execute these intricate deals while simultaneously managing its growing portfolio.

“Kyle, Marcus, and Nathan each bring deep middle-market transaction experience and operational rigor that align directly with our investment strategy,” said Eric Wiklendt, Managing Director at Speyside, in a statement. “As we deploy our most recent fund, their addition strengthens our ability to execute complex deals and drive structured, repeatable value creation across the portfolio.”

Architects of Value Creation

The new hires bring a wealth of diverse experience that directly complements Speyside’s focus on industrial turnarounds and growth. Each principal has a track record forged at other notable investment firms, providing a blend of financial acumen and operational insight.

Kyle Cash joins as a Principal responsible for due diligence, transaction execution, and portfolio oversight. His background includes roles as a Senior Vice President at Erie Street Growth Partners and experience at Glencoe Capital and Deloitte Corporate Finance. His time at firms focused on growth equity and control investments gives him a strong foundation for executing Speyside's value-add playbook.

Marcus Badger brings over 18 years of principal investing and private credit experience. Most recently, he was a Managing Director at Deerpath Capital Management, a major provider of debt financing to lower middle-market companies. His extensive background in underwriting and structuring deals provides Speyside with enhanced expertise in the credit and financing aspects of complex transactions. He previously held investment roles at Raymond James Capital and Frontenac Company.

Nathan Quattrochi will focus on due diligence, transaction execution, and investment management. He joins from Industrial Opportunity Partners (IOP), a direct competitor with a similar focus on middle-market manufacturing and distribution businesses. His experience at IOP, a firm known for its own operational value creation, along with his early career in the Industrials Investment Banking Group at Wells Fargo Securities, makes him particularly well-suited for Speyside's core strategy.

Mastering the 'Fix and Build' Strategy

Speyside has carved out a distinct niche in the private equity world with its disciplined “Fix and Build” strategy. This approach is powered by its proprietary Portfolio Value Creation System (PVCS), a framework developed over two decades to systematically improve manufacturing businesses. The firm actively avoids simple financial engineering, instead rolling up its sleeves to partner with management teams on fundamental operational transformations.

This model is particularly effective for complex carve-outs, where a business unit must be untangled from a larger corporate parent and established as a standalone entity. These situations often involve creating new back-office functions, upgrading IT systems, and instilling a new corporate culture - all while improving core manufacturing processes. Speyside’s track record includes successful exits like Metal Forming & Coining Corporation (MFCC) and Northern California Compactors (NCC), both of which were transformed through operational improvements and strategic initiatives before being sold after hold periods of around four years.

The addition of three principals with hands-on experience in due diligence and portfolio management is critical for the successful execution of the PVCS. Their role will be to not only identify and acquire new platforms but to actively participate in the post-acquisition improvement phase, ensuring that the firm's strategic plans translate into tangible gains in EBITDA margins and market share.

Navigating a Competitive Industrial Landscape

Speyside’s expansion occurs within a dynamic and resilient lower middle-market for manufacturing. Despite economic headwinds, private equity interest in the sector remains robust, fueled by trends like supply chain reshoring, the need for technological upgrades (Industry 4.0), and the sheer number of founder-owned businesses facing succession challenges. This environment has created a competitive landscape where private equity firms must differentiate themselves beyond just capital.

Firms that can demonstrate genuine operational expertise are at a distinct advantage. The ability to improve efficiency, optimize supply chains, and drive growth through operational levers rather than leverage is what sets top-quartile managers apart. Speyside's unwavering focus on its 'Fix and Build' model, now supercharged with additional senior talent, positions it to compete effectively for the most promising opportunities.

As corporations continue to shed non-core assets and family-owned businesses seek partners for growth, the pipeline of complex, operationally-intensive deals is expected to remain strong. With a larger, more robust team and a fully capitalized fund, Speyside Equity is poised to accelerate its activity, seeking out the challenging situations where it can apply its proven model to build stronger, more valuable manufacturing enterprises.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Speyside Equity had acquired Plastic Components, Inc., Sweetener Supply Corporation, and AdvantaPure. The text has been updated to reflect that these businesses were not acquired by the firm.