CSG Expands Footprint in Texas and Illinois

CSG Partners, the 2025 ESOP Investment Bank of the Year (The M&A Atlas Awards), has added experienced directors in Texas and Illinois to help more middle-market businesses reap the benefits of employee ownership. 

Nate Grow has joined CSG in Chicago, while Tommy Wainscott will help enhance the firm’s presence in Dallas. The hires come on the heels of a record-breaking year, both in terms of CSG’s transaction volume and leveraged ESOP activity in the United States.

"Employee ownership is on the rise," remarked Lawrence Kaplan, Founder and Managing Partner of CSG Partners. "That’s especially true in the Midwest, which boasts the nation’s highest share ofemployee-owned companies, and in Texas, where we’ve witnessed a significant wave of retiring Baby Boomers seeking business transitions and exit strategies."

"We’ve worked with many exceptional companies and advisors in both markets throughout our 27-year history, and we’re excited to expand our services in both communities with 'boots on the ground.'"

CSG’s new market leaders bring deep local roots, strong business advisory track records, and demonstrated technical expertise to their roles.

Nate Grow, Director – Chicago, Illinois

Nate Grow joins CSG after building and leading Capstone Partners' ESOP advisory practice from theground up. He has structured, financed, and negotiated employee ownership transactions for companies across a range of industries, including transportation, logistics, building products, and professional services. A broadly experienced investment banking professional, Grow spent nearly a decade at Houlihan Lokey and Lincoln International, where he advised consumer, retail, and food-and-beverage clients on complex mergers and acquisitions.

A native of Rockford, Illinois, and a life-long Midwesterner, Grow currently resides in Chicago. Grow is also an instructor in the University of Notre Dame's undergraduate business honors program and a published author in scholarly journals.

Tommy Wainscott, Director – Dallas, Texas

In over two decades at leading tax and transaction advisory firms, including EY, RSM, Riveron, and Embark, Tommy Wainscott
has established himself as a trusted partner to founder-led companies. Combining a background in accounting with a relationship-focused approach, Wainscott has guided strategic growth engagements, buy-side and sell-side diligence, and operational analysis for middle-market clients nationwide.

A Dallas native with an MBA from Southern Methodist University, he is also a former walk-on basketball player at the University of Georgia. An active community volunteer, board member, and youth athletics coach, Wainscott’s ability to connect diverse audiences and distill complex concepts will be an asset as he broadens ESOP opportunities in Texas and across the Southern US.

Illinois and Texas are both among the top 5 states for ESOPs nationwide and are home to a combined 1.5 million employee owners. Nationally, employee ownership has proven to be a winner for localcommunities. The US's 6,400+ ESOP-owned companies consistently outperform their peers in terms of performance, sustainability, and broad-based wealth building.

"At CSG, we believe that employee ownership is not just an M&A alternative strategy - it’s a catalyst for sustainable growth, community stability, and long-term wealth creation. We're excited to help morecompanies preserve their legacies and keep their businesses rooted in the communities they’ve built." 

 

—Lawrence Kaplan, CSG's Founder and Managing Partner

"As CSG expands its presence in Texas and Illinois, we reaffirm our commitment to empowering business leaders and advisors with the resources and expertise they need for sustainable and broadly beneficial employee ownership transitions," added Kaplan. "Nate Grow and Tommy Wainscott bring invaluable local knowledge and deep advisory experience, ensuring that middle-market businesses in these regions will have trusted partners in their backyards."