Hillcrest Holdings

Hillcrest Holdings

Hillcrest Holdings was established in 2012 by the Smith family to manage proceeds from CRST International, the Cedar Rapids trucking firm founded in 1955. John Smith serves as chairman while family members Ian Smith and Dyan Smith hold operating and board roles. Jonathan Howgate, son-in-law of John Smith, directs new business development. The office executes buyouts and management buyouts through direct co-investments and SPVs. It targets controlling positions in middle-market companies and retains ownership rather than exiting on short cycles. Confirmed holdings include SouthGate Companies mixed-use assets in Iowa City and Coralville plus CRST facilities in Cedar Rapids and across North America. A further position is the 9350 Yonge Street development in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Geographic reach remains limited to North America. Team size and total deployment figures are not published. Adjacent vehicles include the John and Dyan Smith Family Foundation and the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University, which the family founded and continues to support. Amy Lynch serves as chief of staff for Hillcrest and CEO of K&S LLC, the family-office entity. The architecture keeps investment decisions inside the family and its operating-company relationships, with no external fund commitments or third-party limited-partner vehicles disclosed.