PROtect, LLC, a leader in safety, reliability, and compliance services, announced that Sterling Investment Partners has acquired a controlling equity interest in the company.

PROtect’s management and employees will retain significant minority ownership, ensuring the continuity of its strong, customer-focused culture and mission.

Founded in 2007 in Wichita, KS, PROtect has been dedicated to reducing operational safety, reliability, and compliance risks across all industries. With a focus on minimizing potential impacts such as employee injury, property damage, liability, unplanned downtime, and regulatory non-compliance, PROtect supports industries critical to the U.S. economy, including chemical, food and beverage, midstream energy, pharmaceutical, power generation, refining, and renewables. Led by CEO Nathan VanderGriend, PROtect has grown significantly organically and via strategic acquisitions, expanding its reach, and fostering a team of over 550 skilled professionals nationwide. PROtect offers a full suite of services to help safeguard people, equipment, communities, and the environment, while achieving compliance and maintaining operational reliability. PROtect, with a strong focus on customer-centered service, is also widely recognized for its proprietary software solutions, designed by industry experts to manage data, track deadlines, and streamline corrective actions—ensuring dependable, high-quality support making them noticeably different.

Joe Gault and Mike Barr, Partners at Sterling Investment Partners, shared their excitement about the new partnership with PROtect: “Safety, reliability, and compliance are essential to PROtect’s customers, and the company has consistently proven itself as a leading enterprise-level risk management partner. With a strong culture, unique service delivery model, and impressive growth potential, we look forward to working with Nathan and the PROtect team to deliver lasting value to customers, employees, and stakeholders alike.”

Reflecting on the transition, Nathan VanderGriend, Founder and CEO of PROtect, expressed enthusiasm for the new partnership. “Over the past six years, Spire Capital Partners has been an outstanding partner, supporting our growth and helping us reach where we are today. We’re looking forward to this next chapter with Sterling, whose successful track record in guiding service companies like ours brings a strategic advantage. From our first meeting, the Sterling team and I recognized a mutual interest and cultural fit, and we are confident this partnership will be highly beneficial for our customers, team members, and shareholders.”