TROY TEMPLETON

MANAGING PARTNER, TRIVEST, CORAL GABLES

Trivest, founded in 1981, is a private equity firm that focuses exclusively on founded-owned businesses in the consumer, business services, health care, value-added distribution and niche manufacturing sectors.

It has regional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Toronto. Templeton, who joined the firm in 1989, was raised in Miami, has a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Stetson and worked for six years for Southeast Bank in Miami. During his time at Trivest, he has led more than 50 acquisitions and exits and serves as chairman or board member of several Trivest companies, including Columbus Recycling, National Auto Care, Northfield Industries and Pelican Water Systems.

In 2019, the firm opened three new offices, placed more than $200 million across 46 transactions and raised two new funds. Templeton’s management style, he told the Smart Business Network, is teamwork-focused: “You have to know when to manage and when to leave people alone, and it’s critical. It starts with trust, and you have to give people the opportunity to succeed or fail, but the key is not letting them fail.”