SLINGMAX GROUP acquired by STERLING GROUP

The Sterling Group acquired Slingmax Group, the Aston, Pennsylvania-based lifting and rigging supplier, from River Associates, in a transaction that closed on 30 September 2026. It was the fourth exit of the year for the Chattanooga firm, which had put the company up for sale a year earlier through an auction run by Piper Sandler. At the time of the deal, Slingmax generated an EBITDA of $5–25M. Sterling set out to work with the management team, led by chief executive Chris Chrisafides, to build a national lifting and rigging services platform. River Associates had assembled that platform from three businesses, held through its seventh fund. It bought Yale Cordage, a Saco, Maine manufacturer of high-performance synthetic rope, in July 2020, then added I&I Sling and Slingmax in March 2023, the first bringing fabrication and service capabilities and the second its engineered lifting products and its international network of licensed manufacturers. The combined operations were rebranded under the Slingmax name, and the purchase of Wisconsin Lifting Specialists in June 2026 extended the group into the Upper Midwest with fabrication, inspection and certification capabilities. Piper Sandler acted as lead financial adviser to River Associates and Slingmax, with Holland & Knight as legal counsel, while Latham & Watkins advised The Sterling Group.