Management Team
Gary L. Stark, CFA
Gary is the Managing Partner and founder of Iron Range Capital Partners, LLC (IRC). IRC is an independent private equity firm focused on making investments in the lower middle market across a wide range of industries. Gary’s responsibilities include transaction origination and execution, due diligence, deal structuring and negotiation, and managing investments post-close. Prior to founding IRC, Gary was a Managing Director and Partner at Generation Growth Capital (GGC). While at GGC, Gary focused on buyouts and recapitalizations in manufacturing, distribution, consumer-related companies, business services and other industries as well as fund raising and market development activities.
Prior to joining GGC, Gary was a Partner with Alpha Capital Partners. Gary has substantial portfolio management experience and was an integral director on several Alpha Capital portfolio company boards. Alpha Capital is a Chicago-based private equity fund focused on lower middle market investing across a wide range of industries. In addition to his Alpha Capital responsibilities, Gary has served as Managing Director - North American M&A for NMGG (a sister entity to Alpha Capital). In this part-time role, he was responsible for originating, structuring, and closing new platform and follow-on investments for NMGG.
Prior to joining Alpha Capital in 1999, Gary worked in the investment-banking group of CIBC Oppenheimer in Chicago. Before CIBC Oppenheimer, he worked in the Financial Advisory Services Group of Ernst & Young LLP in Chicago. He received a BBA summa cum laude in finance from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from the University of Illinois. Gary also has earned the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation.
Gary, his wife and daughter live in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. In addition to his responsibilities at IRC, Gary has a very active civic role. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for North Lawndale College Preparatory, a charter school for high school students. In addition, Gary is the Chairman of the Finance Council for St. Benedict Parish and is on the Advisory Board for UCAN, a non-profit organization helping youths who have suffered trauma. Gary is also a member of The Economic Club of Chicago.
Gary L. Stark, CFA
Managing Partner
garystark@ironrangecapital.com
312/496-6581 Cell
Greg Lasonde
Greg has over 25 years of experience managing and improving global manufacturing & distribution businesses in the automotive (OEM and aftermarket), aerospace, medical device and heavy truck & trailer markets. He has worked with two privately owned, $1+ billion, growth-driven companies and has managed individual businesses from $10 - $80 million in revenue and groups that totaled $150 million producing highly engineered, application specific products utilizing a broad range of metal forming, molding and machining processes. Greg’s specialty is evaluating and transforming acquired and underperforming businesses from the ground-up, where attention to detail, execution and innovation are critical. He is a hands-on leader with an integrated set of technical, financial, commercial, and general management skills and experience that are well suited to identify latent value within a business and develop the management teams, systems, and plans to effectively capitalize on it including the development and market introduction of patented and proprietary products and the implementation of ERP and product costing systems.
Greg joined IRC in 2015 as an operating advisor. Most recently, Greg was the CEO of Mayco Manufacturing, a P/E backed foundry and manufacturer of a broad array of cast, rolled, fabricated, and machined products made from lead (Pb) with multiple, U.S. manufacturing plants and regional distributions centers. Prior to Mayco, Greg was President at Triax Turbine Components (TTC), a P/E backed producer of investment cast and machined blades, vanes and other components for Aerospace and Industrial Gas Turbines. Prior to TTC, Greg held a corporate position working for the President/COO of MAT Holdings, a privately held, diversified $1.3 billion global manufacturing, marketing and distribution company serving the hardware and fencing, automotive and power equipment industries. In his role, Greg focused on acquisitions (U.S. and Europe), improvement of targeted MAT companies and providing oversight for select Joint Venture and Private Equity investments. Prior to joining MAT, Greg spent 22 years in strategic senior management positions with MacLean-Fogg Company while growing from $200 million to over $1.0 billion in revenue. MacLean-Fogg is a privately held, diversified manufacturer of engineered products for the automotive, aerospace, medical, industrial, and electric power transmission & distribution markets. Greg currently serves on the board of Reyco Granning LLC, a manufacturer of suspension systems for commercial vehicles.
Greg earned BA and ME degrees in Engineering from Dartmouth College and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Greg Lasonde
Managing Director
greglasonde@ironrangecapital.com
312/848-9974 Cell
Jim McNair
Since 2017, Jim has been part of Iron Range Capital Partners’ investment process with an emphasis on the manufacturing and value-added distribution industries. From 2006 to 2016, Jim was a Senior Managing Director and an Investment Committee Member at Corinthian Capital Group, a lower middle market private equity firm. At Corinthian Capital Group, Jim was Chairman of six companies in the manufacturing and logistics industries, and he was deeply involved with the firm’s investment and fundraising processes. From 2000 to 2005, Jim was a Managing Director at Lincolnshire Management, a lower middle market private equity firm. At Lincolnshire Management, Jim was a Board Member for four companies in the manufacturing, recycling, and logistics industries, and he was very involved with the firm’s investment and fundraising processes. Before Lincolnshire Management, and for well over eight years, Jim was at Jordan Industries, a lower middle market private equity firm and an affiliate of The Jordan Company. At Jordan Industries, Jim was Senior Vice President, Vice President, Head of Business Development, and a Board Member for both the main holding company and many portfolio investments in the manufacturing, value-added distribution, retail, and publishing industries. Jim was very involved with Jordan Industries’ investment sourcing and execution processes.
Jim earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Jim McNair
Managing Director
312/899-9988 Direct
312/330-3369 Cell
