Last Updated: October 30th, 2025 

Sterling Associates Group LLC (“Sterling Associates,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a market research and consulting firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. We are committed to protecting the privacy of individuals whose professional information we collect and use in the course of our business-to-business (B2B) activities. 

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under applicable data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and U.S. CAN-SPAM Act. 

1. Who We Are 

Sterling Associates Group LLC 

1400 W 10th Street, Suite 300 

Cleveland, OH 44113 

United States 

For questions or concerns about this policy, you may contact us at info@sterlingassociates.com.  

2. Information We Collect 

In the course of conducting professional research and outreach, we may collect publicly available or voluntarily provided business contact information, including: 

• Name 

• Job title and professional role 

• Company name and business affiliation 

• Business email address 

• Business phone number 

• LinkedIn or other professional profile URLs 

• Business location (e.g., city, state, or country, to determine time zone) 

We do not intentionally collect or process any sensitive personal data. 

3. How We Use Your Information 

We use business contact information for the following legitimate business purposes: 

• To conduct market research and professional outreach related to business opportunities, industry insights, or research studies. 

• To communicate with professionals regarding topics relevant to their business role or organization. 

• To maintain accurate project logs and internal records of our research and communications. 

• To comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations. 

Our lawful basis for processing under GDPR is Legitimate Interest (Article 6(1)(f)), meaning we process professional contact information for B2B communications that are relevant to the recipient’s role or organization. 

4. How We Store and Protect Information 

We store project-related data primarily in secure, access-controlled environments managed by Sterling Associates. This includes our Microsoft SharePoint and our internal server. 

In limited cases, personnel may maintain copies of project materials on their company-issued devices or in individual OneDrive folders for active project work. We strongly discourage local storage outside these approved systems. 

We may temporarily upload contact information to Constant Contact (our email platform) for the purpose of managing outreach campaigns. Constant Contact complies with relevant data protection standards and provides opt-out mechanisms in all communications. 

We retain project logs containing contact information for as long as necessary to fulfill our business and legal obligations. We may retain certain records indefinitely for documentation of project history. 

We apply reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect all stored information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. Access to data is limited to employees who require it for legitimate business purposes. 

5. Data Sharing and Transfers 

We do not sell personal data. 

We may share limited contact information with trusted third-party service providers (e.g., Constant Contact) solely for the purpose of conducting business outreach. 

We do not transfer data outside the United States. All data is stored on systems hosted within the U.S. 

6. Your Rights (Under GDPR) 

If you are located in the European Union, United Kingdom, or other jurisdiction with similar privacy laws, you have the right to: 

• Access: Request a copy of the information we hold about you. 

• Rectification: Request corrections to inaccurate information. 

• Erasure: Request deletion of your information where permitted by law. 

• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interest. 

• Restriction: Request limits on how your data is used. 

To exercise these rights, please contact info@sterlingassociates.com and include “Privacy Request” in the subject line. We will respond within applicable legal timeframes. 

7. Opt-Out of Communications 

All outreach emails sent via Constant Contact include an unsubscribe link. If you choose to unsubscribe, your contact information will be automatically excluded from future communications sent through our email platform.  

At this time, Sterling Associates manages opt-outs through Constant Contact’s built-in functionality. We do not maintain a separate company-wide opt out list outside this system. If you receive a message from us through another channel, you may disregard it or reply to indicate that you do not wish to be contacted, and we will take reasonable steps to prevent further outreach. 

8. Updates to This Policy 

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The latest version will always be available at the link provided in our communications. Continued engagement with our outreach signifies your acknowledgment of this policy. 

9. Contact Us 

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data protection practices, please contact: 

Sterling Associates Group LLC 

Attn: Scott Harper 

1400 W 10th Street, Suite 300 

Cleveland, OH 44113 

Email: info@sterlingassociates.com