GulfStar Group Celebrates 35 Years of Advising Middle Market Business Owners
HOUSTON, February 18, 2026 – GulfStar Group (“GulfStar”) is celebrating 35 years as a leading middle market investment banking firm, marking nearly four decades of delivering trusted advice and exceptional results for business owners. This milestone highlights GulfStar’s enduring commitment, expertise, and transactional leadership in the middle market. Founded in 1990 to initially serve entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses in the Southwest, GulfStar has grown into a nationally recognized firm, having closed transactions for business owners in nearly 40 states.
“GulfStar continues to be guided by the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders and a deep commitment to our clients’ success,” said Kent Kahle, co-founder and managing director of GulfStar. “Tom Hargrove, my co-founder, along with our other partners, are incredibly proud of the relationships we’ve built and deeply grateful to our clients, employees and friends of the firm. They have placed their trust in us over the past 35 years and helped shape GulfStar into what it is today.”
GulfStar’s origins trace back to the acquisition of the regional investment banking business of Rotan Mosle, the middle market subsidiary of PaineWebber, by the firm’s founding partners. Since its inception, GulfStar has advised on more than 760 transactions, closed deals in 38 states and 18 foreign countries, and helped business owners secure over $20 billion in capital for personal liquidity and long-term corporate growth.
While the M&A landscape has evolved significantly, one constant has remained: the value of trusted advice during pivotal moments for business owners.
“Approximately 75% of our clients are first-, second-, third- or even fourth-generation entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses. We have spent the better part of the last four decades representing and advocating for these owners, and we greatly value the relationships we develop with them,” said Colt Luedde, managing director of GulfStar. “Our focus has always been on fully understanding our clients’ goals and delivering superior results. We take tremendous pride in guiding business owners through what is often the most transformational and financially significant decision of their lives.”
GulfStar’s core industry focus includes energy, power and infrastructure; industrial services and manufacturing; and consumer products and services, which together represent approximately 85% of the firm’s deal activity. While the firm’s Houston roots naturally connect it to the energy sector and Southwest, GulfStar’s broad reach and deep expertise today extend well beyond a single industry and geographic region.
“As the firm marks its 35th anniversary, it does so amid one of the most compelling environments for middle market M&A in decades. A significant generational transfer of wealth is underway, with many business owners exploring liquidity and succession options for the first time,” added Luedde. “This generational wealth transfer will continue to drive transaction activity for years to come, and GulfStar is well positioned to guide business owners through this next chapter. The current transactional environment is buoyed by ongoing strength in the private debt capital markets and by the fact that both private equity firms and strategic buyers are awash with liquidity and actively seeking acquisitions.”
About GulfStar Group
GulfStar is one of the leading middle market investment banking firms in the United States, with a proven track record of delivering exceptional results in mergers and acquisitions, private placements, and strategic advisory services. We advise private business owners and corporate clients with revenues ranging from $25 million to $350+ million across a variety of key industry sectors. Founded in 1990, GulfStar has completed more than 760 transactions in 38 states and 18 foreign countries.