A FOCUS ON YOUR PASSION

Based in Evanston, Illinois, IOP was founded in 2005 by a group of like-minded finance and operations executives who came together to build a private equity firm centered on a shared passion for the companies that are the backbone of our economy — middle-market manufacturing and distribution businesses.

We use a collaborative model for investing in and working with these companies to create value for all constituencies — employees, communities, customers, suppliers and investors.

Within IOP, we bring together experienced investing professionals with our exclusive and full-time Operating Principals. We utilize the Operating Principals to partner with management at each platform company to create value throughout our investment period — from investment diligence and strategic planning to operational execution and realization.

To date, IOP has raised $1.5 billion in committed capital from a base of institutional investors including endowments, pension funds and foundations. We have invested in 25+ platform companies over our history.

  • IOP About Our Approach 1
  • IOP About Our Approach 2
  • IOP About Our Approach 3
  • IOP About Our Approach 4

WE OFFER A BOOTS-ON-THE-GROUND APPROACH TO SUPPORT MANAGEMENT

Companies can evolve and gain value from different approaches — upgrading operations, optimizing costs, nurturing growth opportunities — but whatever the strategy, we are on the shop floor right beside our platform-company colleagues. In our partnership-based approach, we take pride in their success.

We believe in offering our platform companies the kind of expertise that has been earned, the kind you get with decades of experience. Our operating, investment and administrative teams consist of seasoned professionals with deep backgrounds in manufacturing operations, management and finance.

While our investments are always rooted in an operational partnership, our working model is not one-size-fits-all. Each platform company joins us at a different stage of its corporate life. In some cases, we assist heavily with organizational design and identifying resources to add to the team. In others, our platform company management teams carry on with strategic guidance from our Operating Principals in executing on major operational initiatives.

GET TO KNOW US