At Oaklyn Crest, we are committed to preserving and advancing the legacy of American craftsmanship in the cabinetry & wood products industry.

We provide thoughtful, professional exit opportunities to owners of exemplary businesses, like yours.

The opportunity in cabinetry & wood product manufacturing

  • Large & Stable Market

    Every home and business has some form of cabinetry. Despite exposure to market cycles, residential kitchens and baths represent a $130B market; 10M kitchens are remodeled every year. Spending in commercial segments such as education and healthcare is also projected to grow despite construction headwinds.

  • 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 and wood manufacturing is a time-honored trade. These SMBs often have multi-decade track records with strong local reputations. Today’s businesses have survived major industry disruption over the past decade (e.g., global trade, low cost scaled entrants, advances in machinery & materials, etc.) and are resistant to AI disruption.

  • Barriers to Entry

    Although anyone with a saw can build cabinets, meaningful cabinetry 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

    Up to 1/3 of cabinetry and wood product manufacturing business owners are expected to retire in the next 5 years.

Our Process

1 - Discovery

Initial screening of recent financials and general fit with our criteria below. After learning about your goals we prepare and IOI to outline broad terms before moving forward with the opportunity. All confidential information is treated with the upmost discretion.

2 - Offer

We continue with industry diligence and take a harder look at company operations and projections. We perform a site visit and additional management calls. We prepare a detailed LOI outlining all the specifics of a potential deal. All offers are bespoke and pre-screened with capital providers. Unlike many other buyers, we are more diligent in these initial phases to ensure a smooth process later on.

3 - Closing

Once we've agreed on terms we will undertake a formal diligence process to review in detail all relevant matters pertaining to company performance. If everything checks out we will fund and close the deal, successfully de-risking your position as owner and providing liquidity to kickstart your hard-earned retirement.

4 - Transition

We work together to ensure a smooth handoff over the agreed timeframe of company operations to the next generation of skilled operators. We source leading operators from top companies, leverage qualified internal candidates, or jump in ourselves to provide the vision and guidance necessary to steward the enterprise through it’s next chapter.

Criteria

What we look for in potential acquisitions.

Please reach out if your business might be a good fit.

  • Residential & commercial custom cabinetry shops, domestic wood product manufacturing, millwork, and any relevant adjacencies.

  • Companies and sellers must have a sterling reputation for unwavering integrity among employees, management, customers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders.

  • Consistently generating $750K - $3M of annual discretionary cash flow or adjusted EBITDA, with margins >10%

  • A demonstrated history of consistent growth in revenue, even if slow and steady.

  • Legacy businesses with 15+ years of continuous operations

    Stable and repeat customer base

    Long-term employees

    Management in place

  • Strong preference for Mid-Atlantic and Southeast

  • Asset and stock sales considered. Majority and minority positions considered.

  • 2-4x SDE depending on fit with above criteria.

  • Strong preference to also acquire the business occupied real estate.

Team

David is a career strategist with 10+ years of experience delivering results and helping companies grow. Most recently he helped transform an iconic American manufacturer, but also has diverse experience managing interdisciplinary global teams, launching products, and coaching sales teams. He is a former management consultant with high standards of excellence.

David started his career rebuilding New York City after Hurricane Sandy, managing multi-million dollar commercial and institutional projects.

In his spare time he practices making custom moldings with his vintage Stanley 55 hand plane.

picture of founder with link to linkedin page

Testimonials

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

“David was fantastic to work with and has a strong knack for entrepreneurship, strategy and design...he lead by example on numerous occasions.”
“His patience helped me learn and grow”
“I always felt psychologically safe on his team”
“He was excellent at teaching us how to be effective”
“David provides tangible and actionable coaching”

Contact

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

Phone
(248) 909-2703

Location
Mid-Atlantic