HighGrove Companies Leads Acquisition of All Star Driver Education (Michigan based Driving School)
Birmingham, MI – December 11, 2019
HighGrove Companies (“HighGrove”) is pleased to announce its first platform investment with the acquisition of All Star Driver Education (“All Star” or the “Company”).
Founded in 1997 and based in Ann Arbor, MI, All Star is one of the largest and most comprehensive providers of driver education services in the country. All Star operates 97 locations, offers services across 16 states in classrooms and online, and has provided driver education to over 200,000 students in its history.
“This is an ideal first investment for HighGrove,” said Sean Roberts, founder and Managing Partner of HighGrove. “All Star is a great lower middle-market company with lots of opportunity. The Company fits squarely in HighGrove’s investment criteria, and we’re in close proximity to each other, which will help us leverage HighGrove’s experience in multi-site consumer services to build the business and drive continued expansion.” Roberts added, “All Star has a great foundation as a leader in the driver education market. It has a level of scale and sophistication that provides a competitive advantage to offer a superior experience to both students and parents. We’re extremely excited about partnering with the All Star team to accelerate growth of existing locations, expand our footprint with new locations, and further develop our presence online.”
“I’m proud of the business and the brand we’ve built at All Star and I’m confident HighGrove is the right partner to help us continue our growth,” said Brent Wall, President & CEO. “We look forward to working with HighGrove as we expand into new markets to help improve the safety of additional generations of drivers.”HighGrove was supported in the transaction with financing from First Financial Bank and Charter Growth Capital, which also made an equity co-investment in the transaction.
About All Star Driver Education
With over 50 years of teaching experience, 200,000+ safe drivers, and certification in 16 states, All Star is the leader in driver education. The company has developed a set of proprietary, state certified curricula, training materials, and methods for teaching driver safety to teens, adults and seniors. All Star offers fun and innovative classroom and online programs with its engaging curriculum and state-of-the art training vehicles along with instructors exceeding state minimum requirements. To learn more, visit www.allstardrivereducation.com.
About HighGrove Companies
HighGrove Companies is a private investment firm building a targeted portfolio of lower-middle market companies, combining strategic capital and expertise to build value for investors and management partners. HighGrove leverages its experience and professional network to become an extension of management in order to help its portfolio companies realize their full potential. Targeted industries include consumer products, consumer services, and business services. To learn more, visit www.highgrovecompanies.com.
All Star Driving School – “Customers First”
