Corporate Acquirer in Chicago Looking to Buyout Building, Construction and Maintenance and HVAC Equipment Businesses Upto USD 4 million

Our CEO is an accomplished entrepreneur and operator with a proven track record of building high-performing service-based businesses. As the founder and CEO of a cannabis consulting firm, he scaled the company from modest beginnings in 2015 into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, generating more than USD 10.1 million in gross profit and USD 5.17 million in cumulative net income over nine years. His disciplined approach to expense management, strategic reinvestment, and market expansion consistently delivered net margins of over 50%, far surpassing industry standards. His leadership mirrors the operational demands of a home service company, from managing complex project workflows and coordinating multiple teams to ensuring consistent service quality and client satisfaction across diverse markets. He has overseen substantial payroll operations, maintained lean and efficient budgets, and navigated intricate regulatory environments with precision. His ability to grow a high-margin, service-driven organisation demonstrates the same operational discipline, financial acumen, and customer-focused strategies that drive success in the home service industry. He knows what it’s like to build something from the ground up, literally. He spent seven years as a stone mason, starting as a grunt and working his way up to foreman and then owner. He began in his senior year of high school, carried it through college, and worked 40-hour workweeks while taking 12–14 credits a semester. Not a private equity guy who’s had everything handed to him. His parents are both over 70 and still working. His mom is a nurse, and his dad is a builder turned truck driver. Construction and building run in his bloodline. His professional journey started in graphic design, learning how to market a business, tell its story, and build a brand that customers remember. He worked for a marketing company focused on door-to-door sales, so he understands the grind and what it takes to earn trust face-to-face. He went on to CareerBuilder, starting in the basement, making cold calls and working his way into enterprise sales in just three years, one of the youngest in the division.
From there, he spent four years with a leading change management project for medium and large companies. He learned how to implement technology, track performance, and improve operations using key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter. In 2009, he took everything he earned and bet big on the cannabis industry, well before it was safe or easy. He built multiple startups that successfully exited, including projects in Colorado, Illinois, and Michigan. He learned how to raise capital, bring in the right partners, grow enterprise value, and position a company for sale. He has been part of exits of over USD 20 million. Now, he is returning to his roots in the trades. He believes home services, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical are the future, especially as AI disrupts other industries. He knows how to protect a legacy business, grow it, and sell it at a premium. Our goal is to partner with owners who want to see their name and reputation carried forward, not stripped away by some faceless investment group.

Acquiring / Buying a Business, Buying Business Assets

We are looking for companies to acquire within the home services space that fit well within our deal box outlined below:
1. Geographic focus:
- Target markets: Chicago suburbs with strong schools & family-friendly communities.
- Elmhurst.
- Glenview.
- Glencoe.
- Lake Forest.
- Rationale: These areas provide proximity to affluent homeowners (strong service demand), excellent school districts for Val & Vivi, and a lifestyle. (No more than 30 miles outside of downtown)
2. Industry focus:
- Residential plumbing, HVAC, electrical (core verticals).
- Open to: Combination shops (multi-trade home services).
- Avoid: Purely commercial/industrial-only service businesses (longer sales cycles, less recurring revenue).
3. Financial parameters:
- Revenue range (per acquisition): USD 1 to 5 million.
- EBITDA margin target: 7-15% (with room for margin improvement via systems).
- Purchase price (EV): USD 1.5 to 4 million.
- Valuation multiple: 3-5× EBITDA (depending on size, recurring contracts, systems).
4. Capital structure:
- Immediate cash investable: USD 200 to 400 thousand (equity injection).
- Follow-on capital: Up to USD 400 thousand available for post-close operations, tech upgrades, and marketing.
- Deal structure preference:
- Seller financing (20-40% of deal value).
- SBA 7 (a) loan (with your equity + seller note covering down payment requirements).
- Earnouts if the seller stays on for the transition.

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