Key Takeaways
- • Kainos Capital acquired Super-Sod from Heartwood Partners, with Partners Capital serving as lead co-investor in the transaction, marking a transition in ownership for the vertically integrated turfgrass and landscaping supplier serving the southeastern United States.
- • Super-Sod operates a diversified omnichannel platform comprising ten sod farms, 25 retail locations, and e-commerce capabilities, distributing sod varieties (TifTuf Bermuda, Zeon Zoysia, TifBlair Centipede), proprietary Soil3 organic compost, grass seed, fertilizers, and pest control products to professional landscapers and residential customers.
- • Heartwood Partners held Super-Sod for approximately six years (September 2020 through June 2026), during which the company completed five add-on acquisitions across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas while advancing automation, production capacity, enterprise software, digital marketing, and e-commerce infrastructure.
- • Kainos Capital, managing its third fund with over $1 billion in commitments (closed February 2023), targets family- and founder-owned food and consumer products businesses with EBITDA of $10 million to $80 million; the firm plans to expand Super-Sod through organic growth, complementary acquisitions, product innovation, and geographic expansion.
- • Partners Capital, the London-headquartered co-investor with $75 billion in assets under management, closed its Merlin Co-Investment Fund IV in February 2026 with over $1 billion in commitments and has deployed more than $2 billion across 60+ transactions since launching its co-investment strategy in 2019.
Summary
Kainos Capital has completed the acquisition of Super-Sod from Heartwood Partners, with Partners Capital participating as lead co-investor. The transaction represents a succession of ownership for the Charleston, South Carolina-based turfgrass and landscaping products company, which traces its heritage to a general store founded by Robert Patten in Georgia during the 1890s. The Super-Sod brand was formally established in 1980 and is currently led by CEO Ben Copeland.
Super-Sod operates a fully integrated business model spanning production, distribution, and retail. The company manages ten proprietary sod farms and maintains 25 retail store locations across the Southeast, complemented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform. Its product portfolio includes multiple sod varieties—TifTuf Bermuda, Zeon Zoysia, and TifBlair Centipede—alongside a proprietary Soil3 organic humus compost marketed in cubic-yard BigYellowBag units. The company also distributes grass seed, fertilizers, pest control products, and lawn maintenance supplies through both retail and online channels, serving professional landscapers and residential customers.
Heartwood Partners invested in Patten Seed Company in September 2020 through its third fund and executed a growth-oriented strategy during its approximately six-year hold period. Under Heartwood's ownership, Super-Sod completed five add-on acquisitions: Frog Pond Turf (Alabama) in 2021, Mid Tenn Turf (Tennessee) and All Green Outdoor Center (Georgia) in 2023, and Tri-Tex Grass (Texas) in 2025. Beyond M&A activity, Heartwood invested in technological advancement, including automation systems, production capacity expansion, enterprise software implementation, digital marketing infrastructure, and e-commerce platform development.
Kainos Capital, headquartered in Dallas and managing its third fund with more than $1 billion in commitments (closed February 2023), invests $50 million to $200 million of equity in North American food and consumer products and services businesses with EBITDA ranging from $10 million to $80 million. Jeff Moredock, a partner at Kainos, characterized Super-Sod's management team as having built a differentiated platform in the landscaping solutions industry, emphasizing Kainos' intention to leverage industry relationships and operating capabilities to drive expansion through additional acquisitions, product innovation, geographic expansion, and retail distribution growth. Partners Capital, the London-based co-investor with more than $75 billion in assets under management, closed Merlin Co-Investment Fund IV in February 2026 with over $1 billion in commitments and has deployed more than $2 billion across more than 60 transactions since launching its Merlin co-investment platform in 2019.
Super-Sod operates a fully integrated business model spanning production, distribution, and retail. The company manages ten proprietary sod farms and maintains 25 retail store locations across the Southeast, complemented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform. Its product portfolio includes multiple sod varieties—TifTuf Bermuda, Zeon Zoysia, and TifBlair Centipede—alongside a proprietary Soil3 organic humus compost marketed in cubic-yard BigYellowBag units. The company also distributes grass seed, fertilizers, pest control products, and lawn maintenance supplies through both retail and online channels, serving professional landscapers and residential customers.
Heartwood Partners invested in Patten Seed Company in September 2020 through its third fund and executed a growth-oriented strategy during its approximately six-year hold period. Under Heartwood's ownership, Super-Sod completed five add-on acquisitions: Frog Pond Turf (Alabama) in 2021, Mid Tenn Turf (Tennessee) and All Green Outdoor Center (Georgia) in 2023, and Tri-Tex Grass (Texas) in 2025. Beyond M&A activity, Heartwood invested in technological advancement, including automation systems, production capacity expansion, enterprise software implementation, digital marketing infrastructure, and e-commerce platform development.
Kainos Capital, headquartered in Dallas and managing its third fund with more than $1 billion in commitments (closed February 2023), invests $50 million to $200 million of equity in North American food and consumer products and services businesses with EBITDA ranging from $10 million to $80 million. Jeff Moredock, a partner at Kainos, characterized Super-Sod's management team as having built a differentiated platform in the landscaping solutions industry, emphasizing Kainos' intention to leverage industry relationships and operating capabilities to drive expansion through additional acquisitions, product innovation, geographic expansion, and retail distribution growth. Partners Capital, the London-based co-investor with more than $75 billion in assets under management, closed Merlin Co-Investment Fund IV in February 2026 with over $1 billion in commitments and has deployed more than $2 billion across more than 60 transactions since launching its Merlin co-investment platform in 2019.
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