Sleeping Giant Capital is pioneering a new investment model that nurtures leadership, preserves legacies and strengthens communities. This vision came to life in Portland, Michigan, where our recent event showcased how our place-based approach to succession planning delivers economic and social returns.

A New Kind of Ownership Transition

Sleeping Giant Capital is a long-term, place-based succession alternative to traditional private equity. At the heart of our model is a commitment to keeping capital and control within communities. In Portland, Michigan, this meant empowering local leadership through the acquisition of Portland Products and Pro Stamp by Co-CEOs Rick Slater and Ben Greve—aspiring owner-operators trained and backed by Sleeping Giant Capital.

Their journey, recently recognized by Crain’s as the 2025 Manufacturing Deal of the Year, exemplifies how our model delivers continuity for sellers, opportunity for employees and competitive returns for investors.

"When investing is rooted in place and education is grounded in reality, both become transformative.”

Connecting Business to Education and Community

The Portland celebration brought together employees, investors, state and university leaders, and students from Western Michigan University’s Leadership and Business Strategy program. Portland High School students were also in attendance, reinforcing our belief that investing rooted in place and education grounded in reality can be transformative.

"Our model delivers continuity for sellers, opportunity for employees and competitive returns for investors—while also creating pathways of local entrepreneurship and advancing transformational education.”

Why It Matters

Sleeping Giant Capital is a place-based investment firm advancing a new model for majority buyouts. Focused on the generational transition of small businesses, we empower local ownership while delivering strong financial returns and measurable community impact.

For business owners considering succession, our Portland celebration demonstrated that choosing Sleeping Giant Capital is not only the best option for their legacy—it’s the best option for their community. 

“Place-based investing is not impact at the expense of returns—it is impact in service of returns.”

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