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Peer Fund / Dealmaker·Building Products

Tom Koos

CEO at PrimeSource Brands

Irving, Texas, USA

TK
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Why they matter

As CEO, Koos has personally driven 11 straight bolt-on acquisitions for Clearlake's PrimeSource Brands platform, making him the key relationship for any building-products roll-up or add-on conversation.

Background

Tom Koos is CEO of PrimeSource Brands, the Clearlake Capital-backed platform of specialty branded building products formed from the consolidation of PrimeSource Building Products, Wolf Home Products, and Dimora Brands. He joined as President and CEO of PrimeSource Building Products in April 2018 after previously serving as CEO of Weber-Stephen Products, President and CEO of Jacuzzi Brands, and Group President for Consumer Products Worldwide at Black & Decker.

Notable deals

  • 2026
    Led PrimeSource Brands' acquisition of Advantage Industries, a gate and fence hardware maker, its 10th deal since partnering with Clearlake Capital
  • 2026
    Led PrimeSource Brands' acquisition of Starborn Industries, a branded fastening/installation systems maker, its 11th deal under Clearlake ownership
  • 2024
    Led PrimeSource Brands' acquisition of CityPost cable railing systems, expanding its outdoor living/railing portfolio
  • 2018
    Named President and CEO of PrimeSource Building Products, then owned by Platinum Equity

Call-prep brief

Background

  • CEO of PrimeSource Brands (Clearlake Capital-backed), formed via consolidation of PrimeSource Building Products, Wolf Home Products, and Dimora Brands
  • Joined PrimeSource in April 2018; previously CEO of Weber-Stephen Products, President/CEO of Jacuzzi Brands, and Group President at Black & Decker and Newell Rubbermaid
  • Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (PrimeSource HQ: Irving, TX)

Current focus

  • Executing an aggressive buy-and-build strategy under Clearlake ownership — 11 acquisitions since December 2020, most recently Starborn Industries (Aug 2026) and Advantage Industries (Jan 2026)
  • Building out an "outdoor living" category (railing, fencing, gate hardware, decking fasteners) alongside PrimeSource's core fastener/building products distribution business

What he cares about

  • Category leadership and cross-sell synergies across acquired brands (RailFX, Ultra-Tec, Fortress Railing, CityPost, Keylink, Cobra Anchors, Starborn)
  • Operational scale and national distribution reach (56,000+ customer locations, 64 sites)
  • Philanthropy: 2024 City of Hope Spirit of Life honoree, active with International Justice Mission

Potential sensitivities

  • Deal terms on PrimeSource acquisitions are consistently undisclosed — expect discretion on valuation/multiples
  • As a sitting portfolio-company CEO under Clearlake, he may be limited in discussing exit timing or sponsor strategy
  • Recently ceded the PrimeSource Building Products CEO title to Drew Meng while retaining the parent PrimeSource Brands CEO role — worth clarifying current scope

Questions to ask

  1. What's the playbook for sourcing and integrating bolt-ons — how much is proprietary deal flow vs. banker-run processes?
  2. How is the outdoor living segment performing relative to core distribution, and where does white space remain?
  3. With the Building Products CEO title now held by Drew Meng, how is he splitting time across the platform's segments going forward?

Outreach draft

Subject
Question on PrimeSource's outdoor living roll-up
Hi Tom, I've been following PrimeSource Brands' acquisition pace under Clearlake — Starborn and Advantage Industries were sharp additions to the outdoor living portfolio. We're doing some work on consolidation dynamics in building products distribution and would value your perspective on where the category still has room to run. Would you be open to a brief call in the next few weeks? Happy to work around your schedule, and glad to share what we're seeing across the space in return. Best, [Your Name]

Linked companies

Sources