Kohlberg & Company

Kohlberg developed a proprietary White Paper Program, an internal research function that identifies investment themes and specific target companies before they come to market. This pre-auction thesis development is intended to surface opportunities outside broad intermediary processes, allowing the firm to approach owners directly with a sector-specific operating plan.

Kohlberg structures transactions as control buyouts, including management buyouts, public-to-private conversions, growth equity investments, and recapitalizations. The firm does not indicate a minority or passive investment program; the White Paper model is built around securing control and driving operational transformation post-close.

Kohlberg operates as a generalist, having made investments across industrials, healthcare, and consumer products among other sectors through more than 95 platform companies. The White Paper Program drives sector selection, with research teams mapping sub-sectors where Kohlberg believes a thesis-driven approach can generate above-market returns.