For Management Teams and Executives
You Run the Business. You Should Have a Shot at Owning It.
If you’re the leader an owner counts on, we can help you and your team become owners. We bring the capital and the process. You bring what no outside buyer can: you know the people, the customers and what this company could become.
IS THIS YOU?
We Partner With Leaders Who Are Ready to Own.
Most leaders in that seat face the same three problems. You don’t have the money. You’ve never done a deal. And the owner is counting on you to help get the best price. That’s exactly where we come in.
A president, general manager or operations leader whose owner is getting close to retirement
A management team that wants to buy the company you helped build
A minority partner looking to buy out a co-owner
An experienced executive who knows a company in your industry that needs new leadership
A leader with a growth plan the current owner isn’t willing to fund
A Real Partnership.
You Bring
A track record running this business, or one like it
Relationships with the customers, employees and vendors
An honest view of what’s working and what isn’t
A vision for where the company can go next
We Bring
The equity capital, including our own family office’s money in every deal
Relationships with co-investors and lenders who back strong leaders
A process for valuation, structure, legal work and due diligence, so you can keep running the business
Credibility with the owner and the owner’s advisors
A board partner who’s in your corner after closing
Start With a Blank Sheet
We Don’t Show Up With a Plan. We Start With Two Questions.
1
What are you doing today that you don’t think helps the company?
2
What would you do if someone was finally willing to back you?
Your answers shape the deal: how much capital it needs, which partners fit and how it’s structured. Your vision becomes the plan.
Learn More About Us
How It Works
Five Steps From Manager to Owner.
01
A Confidential Conversation
We meet, usually over coffee. Nothing you tell us goes back to your owner.
02
Respect the Owner’s Timing
We’ll never ask you to go around your owner. When the owner starts talking about retirement or a sale, that’s the opening, and we’ll help you think through how to respond.
03
Build the Plan Together
Your vision becomes the plan we take to capital partners. They’re backing you as much as the business.
04
Make a Fair Offer
We put a competitive offer in front of the owner, with you named as the leader going forward. Many owners value a deal that keeps the company with the people who helped build it.
05
Close and Own It
You invest alongside us, own a real piece of the company and can earn more as the business hits its goals. You run it. We support you from the board.
Your Ownership, in Plain English
A Little Equity Can Go a Long Way.
Think of it like buying a building with some investors for $500,000, with a $400,000 mortgage and $100,000 down. If you put in $25,000 of the down payment, you don’t own 5% of the building. You own 25% of the equity. As the mortgage gets paid down and the building grows in value, your slice grows with it.
A company works the same way. On top of what you invest, leaders typically earn additional ownership tied to how the business performs.
Illustration only. Every deal is different, and we’ll walk through your terms openly before anything is signed.
The Building Example
Building price$500,000
Mortgage$400,000
Down payment (the equity)$100,000
Your share of the down payment$25,000
Your ownership of the equity25%
Questions Leaders Ask Us
Straight Answers.
Who is this for?
Presidents, general managers and operations leaders whose owner is nearing retirement. Management teams that want to buy the company they helped build. Minority partners buying out a co-owner. Experienced executives who know a company that needs new leadership. And leaders with a growth plan the current owner isn’t ready to fund.
Do I need to put in my own money?
Usually some, yes. Having skin in the game matters to you and to the investors backing you. It doesn’t need to be large compared to the size of the deal, but it should be meaningful to you. We’ll help you think it through.
Will my owner find out we talked?
Not from us. Our conversations are confidential, and we won’t contact your owner without your OK.
What if the owner wants to sell to someone else?
That’s the owner’s decision, and we respect it. What we can do is make sure the owner sees a strong, fair option that keeps the company with its team. If a sale process starts, we’d like to be part of it with you.
I’m not with a company right now. Can we still talk?
Yes. If you’re an experienced executive who knows of a company that needs new leadership, or you’d like to find one, let’s talk. Some of the best deals start with the right leader.
What size company are you looking for?
Typically $1.5M to $7M in annual operating profit (EBITDA) and $10M or more in revenue.
Does the company have to be in Northeast Ohio?
Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania are home, and that’s where we’re most active. For the right leader and the right company, we’ll look beyond the region.
What happens if things don’t go to plan?
Every business hits bumps. We’d rather talk early and solve problems together than surprise each other. That’s what a board partner is for.
Confidential
Let’s Grab Coffee.
If you’ve thought about owning the business you help run, the first step is a confidential conversation. Do you have time in the next couple of weeks for coffee or lunch?
Insights for Owners and Leaders
Notes from our Journal
