Tinicum Inc. vs Brookfield

I work at one of them and know someone at the other.  A few considerations:

• Size: Brookfield on average will write larger checks although we occasionally find ourselves in the same processes (there's overlap).  Brookfield PE is part of a large Canadian public company whereas Tinicum is a private PE firm with ~30 professionals and thus will be less bureaucratic all else equal.  Tinicum's checks are concentrated so relative to firms in its AUM range, the average check size/deal process will feel more comparable to Brookfield or other UMM vs say an Arsenal that's doing lots of true MM deals all the time
• Style: Brookfield tends to look at more "value" assets - lower margin / more commoditized product for a lower entry multiple (though not turnarounds by any means; a comp would be more Lone Star than KPS); Tinicum's focus is more on highly engineered components and is willing to pay up (relatively speaking) for quality / higher margin / higher growth businesses (closer to a TJC although not as extreme as say Arcline).  Both have some excellent investors, just different flavors.
• Industry focus: Brookfield will be broader by virtue of size, also the style dictates to some extent what they invest in on the industrials side (more mature industrial products); Tinicum mainly focuses on companies serving high growth end markets like A&D, semiconductor, medical
• Pay: Brookfield pays higher (I think, although probably smaller delta than say comparing to a private US UMM fund given Canadian public)
• Operational focus: While both are operationally involved, since Brookfield will on average be buying larger companies, you're less likely to have low level financial reporting work you might encounter as an associate staffed on a smaller portco at Tinicum
• Promotion option: Tinicum tends to promote more people from what I've seen although crowded relative to fund size so you'd need to underwrite fund growth for a long-term career viability
• Returns: They've both been decent for the niches they're in
• Hours: Brookfield has a reputation for being sweaty and since it's a big fund there's less down time; Tinicum can be very intense (all nighters) during deal sprints as well but during lulls is probably fewer hours
• Business school: Both place well if that's what you want
• Culture: Brookfield is famously buttoned up; Tinicum, by virtue of being smaller and originally a family office, is more laid back when it comes to dress code and attendance policy (although still intense small teams).  In office policy is a double edged sword; as you climb the ranks you appreciate some of the informal touch points you get when in the office whereas when you're an associate it can be a big relief to be able to be home Th/Fri and just grind.  Just depends on the person

Final thoughts: If you aren't sure what you want to do long term, Brookfield probably makes more sense; you'll likely get cranked but you'll get a bigger brand, get paid more, and (most likely) work on larger deals.  If you know you want a long-term career in private equity with a better shot at promotion, you like the "industrial technology" focus and/or you want more of a small fund culture, Tinicum may be the way to go, although is riskier than say a TJC which is a more established / diversified platform.