A deal execution firm
built on verifiable transactions.
New York-based. Operating across energy, fertilizers, and agricultural commodities — with counterparty verification and compliance built into every transaction.
2009
Founded
NYC
Incorporated
4
Commodity sectors
OFAC · EU · UN
Sanctions compliance
About Sterling Capital Growth
Sterling Capital Growth LLC is a New York-registered commodity trading and deal execution company. We structure and execute physical commodity transactions across energy products, nitrogen fertilizers, and agricultural commodities — working with buyers, sellers, and intermediaries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Our operating model is transaction-led. We engage on specific deals, coordinate counterparty alignment, manage documentation flow, and support banking coordination through to delivery. Every transaction is supported by internal compliance and verification processes before any commercial commitment is made.
We do not engage with speculative supply, unverified counterparties, or undocumented transactions. Deal integrity is not a feature — it is the basis on which we operate.
How we operate.
Verification Before Commitment
No transaction proceeds without completed counterparty verification, documentation review, and sanctions clearance. This applies regardless of deal size or relationship.
Documentation-Led Process
Every engagement is anchored in documentation. LOIs, SCOs, SPAs, and trade instruments are required before commercial progress is made.
Execution-Focused
We are not a brokerage or advisory firm. We are engaged in the execution of real commodity transactions with defined counterparties, verified product, and structured delivery.
Counterparty Accountability
We take responsibility for the counterparties we bring to a transaction. Due diligence and screening are applied before any introduction is made.
Risk Transparency
Geopolitical risk, sanctions exposure, and jurisdictional complications are assessed and disclosed at each stage of a deal — not managed quietly.
No Speculation
We do not engage with soft offers, unconfirmed supply, or deals without a traceable origin. If documentation is not available, we do not proceed.
Management team.
Robert M. Murphy
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Robert M. Murphy brings institutional credibility drawn from the highest levels of US financial markets. A former Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the New York Stock Exchange, he began his career on the NYSE floor in 1976, became a specialist partner of M.J. Meehan & Co. in 1982, and served on the Quality of Markets, Market Performance, Technology Planning, and Corporate Accountability committees. He subsequently served as Chief Executive Officer of LaBranche & Co. LLC — the largest specialist trading firm on the NYSE floor — and as President and CEO of Robb, Peck, McCooey Specialist Corporation. He also served on the Board of the Securities Industry Association.
Alexey C. Taylor
Co-Founder & Compliance and Acquisitions Director
Alexey C. Taylor co-founded Sterling Quantum and serves as Compliance and Acquisitions Director at Sterling Capital Growth. In this role, he oversees transaction integrity, counterparty due diligence, and acquisition strategy — ensuring that every deal meets internal compliance standards before commercial execution proceeds. His forensic expertise in financial contract management and regulatory compliance is integrated directly into the trading operation, providing deal credibility and structured risk oversight across all jurisdictions.
Anthony M. Corso
Senior Managing Partner
Anthony M. Corso brings over 22 years of trading experience from LaBranche & Co., where he served as Head of Floor Operations and Risk Management, overseeing 80+ traders and $600M+ in cash equity positions. A former NYSE market maker in AT&T, Lucent, and GlaxoSmithKline, he has managed teams generating over $1.5B in cumulative trading revenues.
George N. Kontorousis
Director & Co-Founder, SterlingXchange
George N. Kontorousis co-founded SterlingXchange, a multi-asset trading platform offering crypto, FX, equities, commodities, and fixed income securities trading, and serves as a director of Sterling Capital Growth. He has extensive proprietary trading and institutional market experience, having been registered with the NFA–CFTC as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA), Commodity Pool Operator (CPO), and Guaranteed Introducing Broker.
Dr. Napoleon Kotey
Senior Adviser — Environmental & Scientific Affairs
DVM · MA Biology & Toxicology. Former Senior Scientist with the US Environmental Protection Agency (Region 4, Atlanta), overseeing water pollution control under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Dual US-Ghanaian citizen. Joined Sterling in 2013 to strengthen environmental due diligence and scientific risk assessment capabilities.
Nathaniel Garner
Director of Project Management
Oversees project management for Sterling Capital Growth's real asset and infrastructure initiatives. Responsibilities span investment analysis, property repositioning and development, commercial mortgage underwriting, and executive summary preparation for structured finance transactions. Brings expertise in due diligence, project consultant selection, and the brokering of commercial mortgage and business loans.
George S. Arslanian, Jr.
Company Attorney & Secretary
Counsel, Secretary, and Co-Founder of Sterling Capital Growth (since 2009). Holds a JD from Albany Law School and a BA from Syracuse University. Brings over 50 years of legal experience across New York and New Jersey, including more than a decade focused on petroleum and commodity transactions. Previously served as Assistant Counsel at Chemical Bank and at the Wall Street firm Soon & Sons. Designated Agent with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for an Italian tyre manufacturing entity.
Have a transaction to discuss?
Submit deal details to our commercial desk for assessment.