GulfStar Group Earns Four Wins at ACG Houston Deal of the Year Awards

HOUSTON, April 30, 2026 – The Association for Corporate Growth (“ACG”) Houston recognized GulfStar Group (“GulfStar”) as a top honoree at the 9th Annual Deal of the Year Awards Ceremony, held Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Houston Country Club. GulfStar was awarded Consumer Deal of the Year, Energy & Oilfield Services Deal of the Year, Houston Investment Bank Deal of the Year (Corporate/Strategic Acquisition) and the Houston Impact Deal of the Year.

Consumer Deal of the Year: The acquisition of Alpha Foods Co. by MBC Companies, a portfolio company of e2p, led by Managing Directors Scott Winship, Colt Luedde and Ben Stanton, was recognized as Consumer Deal of the Year. Founded in 1984 and based in Waller, Texas, Alpha Foods is a second-generation, family-owned frozen foods manufacturer serving a broad customer base, including K-12 schools, leading grocery retailers, and well-recognized packaged foods brands. The transaction positions Alpha Foods for accelerated growth while preserving the Sarandos family legacy.

Energy & Oilfield Services Deal of the Year: The acquisition of Adams Resources & Energy by an affiliate of Tres Energy, led by Managing Directors Kent Kahle and Charles Craig, was recognized as Energy & Oilfield Services Deal of the Year. The transaction represents the take-private of Adams Resources & Energy, previously listed on the NYSE American under the symbol AE. Adams Resources & Energy is a Houston-based energy logistics company engaged in crude oil marketing, transportation, terminalling and storage tank truck transportation of liquid chemicals and dry bulk.

Houston Investment Bank Deal of the Year (Corporate/Strategic Acquisition): The acquisition of Basler Electric by Littelfuse, led by Managing Directors Brian Lobo, Colt Luedde and Ben Stanton, was recognized as Houston Investment Bank Deal of the Year (Corporate/Strategic Acquisition). Basler is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of electrical components that control, regulate and protect mission-critical equipment in the utility and data center markets. This $350 million all-cash transaction combines Basler’s 80-year legacy in electrical control solutions with Littelfuse’s global scale.

Houston Impact Deal of the Year: The divestiture and acquisition of BWFS Industries by JHBDMB Holdings, Inc., Employee Stock Ownership Trust, led by Managing Directors Cliff Atherton and Tom Hargrove, was recognized with the Houston Impact Deal of the Year award. The transaction resulted in BWFS Industries becoming a 100% employee-owned company, preserving its legacy and long-term presence in the Greater Houston area. BWFS Industries is a full service, ASME-certified fabricator of large, complex pressure vessels with in-house capabilities to engineer, draft, fabricate, stress relieve, sandblast and coat large pressure vessels.

“We are truly honored to be recognized by ACG Houston and our industry peers across multiple award categories,” said Colt Luedde, managing director of GulfStar. “These transactions, spanning the consumer, energy and industrial sectors, reflect the strength of our clients and continued momentum across the middle market. We would like to congratulate our clients on this recognition and acknowledge their significant impact on the Greater Houston area. We also want to thank our fellow deal participants whose collaboration helped drive the success of these transactions.”

In addition, the acquisition of Steger Bizzell by CHA Consulting, led by Managing Directors Charles Craig and Colt Luedde, was named a finalist for Business Services Deal of the Year. The acquisition of Fencecrete America by Lake State Partners and WoodLake Group, led by Managing Director Bryan Frederickson, was also recognized as a finalist for Manufacturing & Fabrication Deal of the Year.

ACG Houston’s event celebrated the strength of the city’s middle-market deal community, recognizing the transactions and dealmakers driving growth across the region. The awards reflect contributions to job creation, capital formation and the development of meaningful business relationships throughout the Houston business community. Finalists were evaluated by an independent panel of distinguished business leaders and educators.

To view a list of ACG Houston’s 9th Annual Deal of the Year Award winners, please click here.

About ACG Houston
ACG Houston is the region’s premier association focused on middle market corporate growth. Our goal is to help business professionals in the M&A community do more business with the right partners. ACG Houston hosts a variety of events throughout the year to provide our local business leaders an opportunity to gain visibility and connect with people and ideas to strategically grow companies. To learn more or become a member, visit www.acg.org/houston.

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.