Selling to a PE Firm as Part of a Roll-up

About the Episode

Industry roll-ups: What are they? How do they work? What’s in it for you, the business owner? Brandon Blewett, Head of M&A at Pave America, discusses what you can expect when selling your businesses to a PE firm as a part of a roll-up.

“The seller’s lawyer can make or break the deal. Make sure they have experience selling businesses.”

Brandon Blewett

What You’ll Learn

  • How Roll-Ups Work: The benefits and strategy behind private equity-backed roll-ups and the advantages of selling to a PE firm doing a roll-up.
  • Mechanics of a Roll-Up: How to structure deals and consider key terms like earnouts, equity rollovers, and net working capital.
  • What Not To Do: Common mistakes sellers make during the due diligence and sale process and how to avoid them.
  • How To Make It Work: Tips for preparing your business for a successful sale to a roll-up platform.

“There are so many deals that I want to do, but there’s just not enough time.”

Brandon Blewett

Topics Covered

What exactly is a roll-up? [2:30]
What are the advantages for an owner to sell to a PE firm doing a roll-up? [9:58]
What deal structure can owners expect when selling to a PE-backed platform company? [14:35] 
How is the purchase price paid? [25:01] 
Net working capital – how is this defined? What problems can come up regarding NWC? [35:18]

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Meet Our Guest

Brandon Blewett

Brandon Blewett

Head of M&A, Pave America | DC Metropolitan Area

Brandon Blewett is the Head of M&A for the largest private equity-backed paving roll-up in the United States. Over his fifteen-year career, he’s racked up $210 billion in deal volume. His experience includes everything from advising on multi-national, cross-border transactions for Fortune 500 enterprises to acquiring founder-owner businesses in the lower and middle markets. Brandon is the author of the book “How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes,” a sharp-witted take on the humor and humanity behind his no-BS approach to business, work, travel, and life.

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