Sterling - M&A Summary, Ownership, and Business Overview

Business ServicesCompany

Sterling M&A Summary

Sterling has acquired 12 companies of its own, including 3 in the last 5 years. A total of 1 acquisition came from private equity firms.

Sterling has acquired in 9 different US states, and 4 countries. The Company’s most targeted sectors include business services (34%) and internet software and services (34%).

Sterling Ownership

Who owns Sterling?

Sterling is owned by First Advantage. It was acquired on October 31, 2024.

Was Sterling formerly PE-backed?

Yes. Sterling was formerly owned by 4 private investors.

Sterling Business Overview

Where is Sterling headquartered?

Sterling is headquartered in Independence, Ohio.

What is Sterling’s revenue?

Sterling disclosed revenue of 719M USD for 2023 and 766M USD for 2022.

How many employees does Sterling have?

Sterling has 5,700 employees.

What sector is Sterling in?

Sterling is a business services company.

When was Sterling founded?

Sterling was founded in 1975.

M&A Summary

  • M&A Total Activity12
    • M&A Buy Activity12
  • Total Sectors Invested 4
  • Total Countries Invested 4
  • M&A Buy/Sell Connections 3
  • M&A Advisors 1

Sterling

Sterling Check

6150 Oak Tree Boulevard, Suite 490,
Independence, Ohio 44131
United States,
(800) 899-2272
www.sterlingcheck.com

Sterling is a provider of criminal background checks, employment and education verification, drug testing and other pre-employment related screening services. Sterling was founded in 1975 and is based in Independence, Ohio.


M&A Summary

Buy vs Sell

Year ≤ '20 '21 '22 '23 '24 '25 T
Buy (0.6/yr) # 9 1 - 1 1 - 12
Sell (0.0/yr) # - - - - - - 0
  12

Most Recent M&A

Company Date Value Type
Vault Workforce Screening 2024-01-02 - Add-on Acquisition
Coral Gables, Florida · www.vaulthealth.com
Socrates Ltd. 2023-01-04 - Add-on Acquisition
Oxford, United Kingdom · www.socratessa.com
Employment Background Investigations, Inc. 2021-12-01 - Add-on Acquisition
Owings Mills, Maryland · www.ebiinc.com
National Crime Check Pty Ltd. 2018-11-26 - Add-on Acquisition
Adelaide, Australia · www.nationalcrimecheck.com.au
SureID - Commercial Segment Business 2017-10-19 - Divestiture
Hillsboro, Oregon
Verified Person, Inc. 2016-09-07 - Add-on Acquisition
Memphis, Tennessee · www.verifiedperson.com
RISQ Group 2016-06-06 - Add-on Acquisition
Beijing, China · www.risqgroup.com
TalentWise, Inc. 2016-01-06 - Merger
Bothell, Washington · corp.talentwise.com
EmployeeScreenIQ, Inc. 2015-11-03 - Add-on Acquisition
Beachwood, Ohio · www.employeescreen.com
Gallery Associates, Inc. (dba HR Plus) 2013-11-07 - Add-on Acquisition
Chicago, Illinois · www.hrplus.com
View All >>

M&A by Sector

Sector Buy # Value Sell # Value
Business Services 4 (33%) - - -
Internet Software and Services 4 (33%) - - -
Staffing 3 (25%) - - -
Information Services 1 (8%) - - -
Total 12 - - -

By Geo

State/Country Buy Value Sell Value
United States 9 - - -
  Washington 1 - - -
  Tennessee 1 - - -
  Oregon 1 - - -
  Ohio 1 - - -
  Maryland 1 - - -
  Illinois 1 - - -
  Florida 1 - - -
  California 1 - - -
Australia 1 - - -
China 1 - - -
United Kingdom 1 - - -
Domestic 9 (75%) - - -
Cross-border 3 (25%) - - -
Total 12 - - -

Top M&A Advisors

Legal Deals
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson
1

M&A Connections

Deals
Acquired from
Investor(s)
8%
1 (8%)
Strategic(s)
17%
2 (17%)

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