# Palm Beach Capital

Palm Beach Capital is a Bank / Wealth / Trust based in West Palm Beach, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Bank / Wealth / Trust
- **Headquarters:** West Palm Beach, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** West Palm Beach, FL, United States
- **Founded:** 2001
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.pbcap.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/palm-beach-capital

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 159611
- **SEC file number:** 801-73453
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159611

## About

Palm Beach Capital was founded in 2001 by Managing Partners Shaun McGruder and Nathan Ward. The firm operates from West Palm Beach, Florida, and has built its strategy around the capital needs of private, growth-oriented companies in the U.S. lower middle market. It does not disclose a wealth origin, functioning instead as a traditional private equity manager. The firm takes concentrated buyout and growth equity positions, targeting companies at an inflection point where additional operating resources and capital drive the next stage of expansion. Portfolio composition spans business services, transportation and logistics, consumer products, and engineering. Confirmed positions include Growve — a health and wellness platform that secured a majority equity investment led by Palm Beach Capital alongside G-Bar Ventures and NMP Capital — and engineering firms Pape-Dawson Engineers and Universal Engineering. The geographic footprint is domestic, rooted in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, with recent add-ons in Georgia and Texas. Senior management lists fifteen professionals, led by three managing partners: co-founders McGruder and Ward, plus Michael Schmickle. The operating partner role is held by Michael Chalhub. In May 2025, the firm announced the launch of an architecture-focused platform through an investment in MBI Companies, Inc., signaling a push into a new vertical adjacent to its existing engineering services practice. Palm Beach Capital was also named to Inc.'s 2024 list of Founder-Friendly Investors, reinforcing its posture toward partnering with operating founders rather than replacing them. Palm Beach Capital structures itself without a fund-of-funds or multi-family-office overlay — it is a direct investment manager. The structural differentiator is a dedicated operating partner function embedded in the senior team, supporting portfolio company management post-close. This lean operational model, combined with a deep regional network in the Southeastern U.S., shapes a sourcing engine that competes on founder alignment rather than financial engineering.

## Sectors

- Consumer Products
- Transportation & Logistics
- Business Services
- Engineering Services

## People

- Shaun McGruder — Managing Partner and Co-Founder
- Nathan Ward — Managing Partner and Co-Founder
- Michael Schmickle — Managing Partner

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Palm Beach Capital?

Investment decisions are made by a team of three Managing Partners — co-founders Shaun McGruder and Nathan Ward, alongside Michael Schmickle. The group is supported by an Operating Partner, Michael Chalhub, and a deal team of directors and associates, as listed on the firm's website.

### How does Palm Beach Capital source proprietary deal flow?

The firm sources deals in the U.S. lower middle market, a segment where relationships with founders, regional intermediaries, and operating executives often generate opportunities that do not reach broad auction processes. Its base in West Palm Beach anchors a network concentrated in the Southeastern United States, reflected in portfolio investments across Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

### Does Palm Beach Capital participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

Palm Beach Capital makes direct control and minority investments. The firm does not publicly market a fund-of-funds program or indicate participation in external fund commitments. Its disclosed activities involve leading equity rounds and building platform companies through add-on acquisitions.

### What investment stages does Palm Beach Capital target?

The firm targets buyouts and growth equity investments in private, growth-oriented companies. In practice, this means writing checks into established businesses — not seed or venture — where a capital infusion and operational support can accelerate expansion. The recent Growve majority investment and the MBI Companies platform launch are representative of that stage focus.

## Related profiles

- [Palm Bay Police & Firefighters' Pension Fund](https://altss.com/profile/palm-bay-police-firefighters-pension-fund)
- [Palm Drive Capital](https://altss.com/profile/palm-drive-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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