Equity Group Investments Named to Inc.’s 2024 Founder-Friendly Investors List

Firm recognized in private equity category for its long-standing commitment to partnering with founders to scale their businesses

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Equity Group Investments, (“EGI”), the private investment firm founded by Sam Zell, today announced it has been named to Inc.’s annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, which recognizes private investment firms with strong track records of supporting and scaling founder-owned businesses.

Following conversations with several EGI portfolio company founders, Inc. recognized EGI as a firm that effectively partners with founder- and family-owned businesses to navigate growth opportunities and create value, by providing both financial capital and strong operational capabilities.

“At our core, we are a family- and founder-owned business. We believe fundamentally in the power of promoting a collaborative culture built on mentorship and continual improvement,” said Mark Sotir, President of EGI. “This recognition by Inc. is a testament to our own founder mentality and how we leverage our breadth of operating and investment experience to partner with like-minded portfolio company CEOs to grow their businesses.”

Steve Lanter, Founder and CEO of Lanter Delivery Systems, a leader in critical overnight delivery services and EGI portfolio company, commented, “We were on a solid growth trajectory leading up to EGI’s investment, and after, we immediately noticed that this partnership was going to allow us to scale the business tremendously. In particular, EGI’s operational expertise played an instrumental role in strengthening Lanter’s recession-resistant model and positioning the company for long-term, sustainable growth.”

Today, EGI is focused on continuing Sam Zell’s investment principles and leveraging its flexible investment mandate to identify unique opportunities. Specifically, the firm targets majority investment opportunities across industries, including healthcare, industrials, transportation and logistics, agribusiness, and manufacturing.

To see the complete Inc. 2024 Founder-Friendly List, go to https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2024.

About Equity Group Investments

Equity Group Investments (EGI) is a private investment firm founded by Sam Zell in 1968. Backed by private capital, EGI is flexible and opportunistic with a primary focus on direct private investment opportunities but has the in-house expertise to invest across the capital structure. As a long-term investor, EGI actively partners with portfolio company executives to execute strategic planning, implement operational efficiencies, and scale businesses. EGI has grown companies across numerous industries into multi-billion-dollar businesses throughout economic cycles. EGI’s current portfolio includes investments in healthcare, transportation and logistics, infrastructure, energy, consumer, industrial, manufacturing, agri-business, and real estate. For more information, visit www.egizell.com.