Purpose-driven M&A for wood product craftspeople

We acquire founder-owned millwork, cabinetry, and furniture businesses via non-traditional M&A that ensures your legacy is Built to Last.

Our Process

Traditional M&A meets ESOP. One-of-a-kind platform purpose-built to transfer ownership to employees.

1

Buy Quality Shops

We’ll buy a majority position in your profitable, legacy manufacturing business. Our structure provides both immediate liquidity and significant upside.

2

Preserve & Improve

You continue to operate independently under your existing brand. We’ll work together on operational improvements such as purchasing, technology, and growth.

3

Diversify Platform

Over 3-5 years, we build a diversified platform independent businesses that together are more stable than any single operation alone.

4

Sell Back to Employees

We sell the entire platform back to employees at no cost to them via an ESOP. This firmly protects your legacy while rewarding your dedicated employees.

Why it works

It’s not charity, it’s strategy. A simple solution for real problems faced by sellers, employees, and investors.

A Win for Sellers

✔ Real solutions for legacy preservation that no other form of traditional M&A can provide

✔ Protects your brand and rewards the hardworking men and women who helped make it great

✔ Platform structure creates opportunity for shared services and best practices so you can focus on what you do best

✔ Faster access to liquidity; close the majority sale in 90 days vs ~6 months if you sold to an ESOP alone

A Win for Employees

✔ Jobs protected, not eliminated like they would be in a sale to traditional private equity

✔ True ownership in the business they themselves helped build; all at no cost to them

✔ Ownership in a more stable and diversified platform reduces the concentration risk common in traditional single entity ESOPs

A Win for Investors

✔ Competitive returns comparable with any other quality SMB deal

✔ Access to the highest quality, legacy-minded sellers of great businesses

✔ We control the timing of the ESOP exit and guarantee a price at fair market value

✔ Participate in purpose-driven M&A to diversify and differentiate your portfolio

The opportunity in wood product manufacturing

A fragmented, durable industry with thousands of legacy-minded owners approaching retirement

  • Large & Stable Market

    Every home and business has some form of wood products (e.g., cabinetry, furniture, millwork). It’s no wonder that cabinet and millwork manufacturing alone is a $50B market.

  • Highly Fragmented

    Despite large scaled players the market remains highly fragmented with ~21,000 cabinet, vanity, millwork, and wood product manufacturers in the US.

  • Enduring Businesses

    Cabinetry, woodworking, and furniture making are time-honored American trades. These SMBs often have multi-decade track records with strong local reputations. Today’s businesses have survived major industry disruption over the past decade and are resistant to AI disruption.

  • Barriers to Entry

    Although anyone with a saw can build cabinets and furniture, meaningful businesses require 6 -7 figure investments in capital equipment and building improvements, plus significant engineering and craftmanship skill.

  • Economic Benefit

    Supports domestic manufacturing and skilled trades jobs creation.

  • Management Layer

    Cabinet and wood product shops are frequently built and led by successful craftspeople who may benefit from partnering with professional management teams & investors.

  • Legacy Preservation

    Because up to 1/3 of SMB owners are planning to retire in the next 5 years; thousands of owners in this industry are seeking transition.

Leadership

David brings strategic and operational experience from top firms, combined with a passion for mission-driven businesses from his early career in environmental sustainability & disaster recovery.

  • BCG: Growth strategy for Fortune 500 companies

  • Hershey: Enterprise & supply chain transformation at iconic manufacturer

  • NYC Reconstruction: $100M+ public infrastructure projects

  • MBA + Master's in Sustainability

  • Passion for woodworking, analytics, and SMB investing

picture of founder with link to linkedin page

Anonymous feedback from a career leading diverse teams across high-impact projects

“David was fantastic to work...he led by example on numerous occasions”

“His patience helped me learn and grow”

“David provides tangible and actionable coaching”

“He was excellent at teaching us how to be effective”

“I always felt psychologically safe on his team”

Criteria

Our criteria for assessing potential acquisitions. Character and culture matter as much as cash flow.

  • ✔ Cabinet, millwork, and furniture manufacturers with a 20+ year track record

    ✔ Owners ~3-5 years from retirement

    ✔ Sterling reputation for integrity among all stakeholders

    ✔ $500k - $3M annual cash flow

    ✔ Stable top line & margins

    ✔ Repeat customers

    ✔ Outstanding products or service

    ✔ Strong culture & management team

    ✔ Limited customer concentration

    ✔ Limited exposure to new construction

  • ✔ Geographic preference for East Coast and Mid-Atlantic

    ✔ Stock sales

    ✔ ~3x EBITDA depending on fit

    ✔ Option to acquire business real estate

Contact

Email me directly if you’d like to invest or apply for a leadership role at a portfolio company

Phone
(301) 664 4191

Location
Mid-Atlantic