Vasco grows Southeast sports surfacing footprint with two acquisitions
What's the deal? The Vasco Group, a nationwide sports surfacing company, has acquired two regional firms — Howard B. Jones & Son of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and Court Surfaces of Florida of Jacksonville, Florida. The deals expand Vasco's presence across the Southeast, adding clay court expertise, pickleball installation capabilities, and municipal project density.
Vasco is majority-owned by Monogram Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, with backing from Miami-based Halmos Capital Partners.
"These acquisitions are the result of deliberate work, scouting the country for well-established businesses that strengthen our existing footprint while opening doors in new markets," said Matt Savage, Vasco's chief executive officer.
Why now? Both targets are founder-led businesses with decades of history — Howard B. Jones has operated for over 50 years, Court Surfaces of Florida for more than 30. Vasco said the deals build on momentum from 2025 as it pursues a roll-up strategy in what it describes as a fragmented industry.
The pickleball boom is a clear tailwind. Court Surfaces of Florida specialises in pickleball court installation and conversions, while Howard B. Jones brings deep expertise in Har-Tru and Hydro Court clay systems across the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia.
What could go wrong? Roll-up strategies in fragmented service industries depend on smooth integration and retaining the local relationships that made targets attractive in the first place. Vasco noted that Frank Larkin, owner of Howard B. Jones and a former Clemson University tennis player, will stay on post-transaction — a sign it wants continuity.
Scaling a hands-on construction and maintenance business across multiple states also carries execution risk, particularly if demand from the pickleball trend plateaus.
The signal: Private equity continues to find opportunity in niche service businesses that serve growing recreational markets. The sports surfacing sector sits at the intersection of two trends: surging demand for pickleball infrastructure and ageing tennis facilities that need resurfacing. Vasco's acquisitive approach mirrors PE playbooks seen in landscaping, pest control, and other fragmented trades — buy regional leaders, consolidate, and build density before competitors can do the same.
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