Client background

• Founder‑owned commercial facilities maintenance provider serving multi‑site industrial and commercial customers across several U.S. regions, with recurring contracts and emergency response work.​
• Revenue in the lower middle market range with >20% EBITDA margins, driven by long‑term relationships, self‑performing techs, and a 24/7 dispatch model.​
• Owner had operated the business for more than a decade and wanted liquidity, diversification of personal wealth, and a buyer that would retain employees and brand identity.​

Market preparation

Lavia Partners began with a structured readiness review, including quality of earnings analysis, normalizing owner add‑backs, customer and contract analysis, and KPI dashboards focused on recurring revenue, contract renewal rates, and technician productivity. Weaknesses in documentation (scattered SOPs, limited reporting, and informal pricing policies) were addressed before launch, reducing diligence risk and strengthening the valuation narrative.​

Key preparation steps included:

• Developing a cohesive equity story around mission‑critical, non‑discretionary services, high contract stickiness, and exposure to blue‑ and green‑economy infrastructure.​
• Building a confidential information memorandum (CIM), a detailed data room index, and a management presentation focused on scalability, technology, and cross‑sell opportunities.​
• Coaching the owner and leadership team on investor‑grade answers to questions about margin stability, pricing power, and growth levers (geographic expansion, add‑on services, and tuck‑in acquisitions).

Target buyer list and outreach

Lavia Partners constructed a multi‑tiered target buyer universe designed to create competitive tension while filtering out poor fits. The list balanced strategic acquirers and private equity platforms already active in facilities services.​

The buyer list included:

• Strategic buyers: regional and national facility services consolidators, environmental services providers, HVAC/plumbing and building systems groups looking to expand into mission‑critical maintenance and service‑line adjacencies.​
• Private equity: platforms executing buy‑and‑build in facility services and related outsourced B2B services, with a focus on recurring revenue, route density, and cross‑sell potential.​

For each priority buyer, Lavia Partners documented: strategic rationale, potential synergies (dispatch technology, regional density, crew utilization), and likely deal structures (all‑cash vs. rollover equity, earn‑outs, and seller notes). A staged, tightly managed outreach process preserved confidentiality while quickly converting interest into NDAs and introductory calls.

Managing offers, diligence, and closing

Once multiple IOIs (Indications of Interest) were received, Lavia Partners led the owner through side‑by‑side comparisons of valuation, structure, cultural fit, and post‑close plans for employees. A short‑listed group was invited to management meetings, where Lavia Partners moderated discussions, guarded sensitive information, and steered buyers toward a letter of intent (LOI) that balanced price with strong terms.​

During confirmatory diligence, Lavia Partners:

• Project‑managed responses to financial, operational, legal, and HR requests, allowing management to stay focused on running the business.​
• Coordinated with the seller’s CPA, attorneys, and wealth advisor to navigate working capital mechanisms, tax‑efficient structures, and indemnity caps and baskets.​
• Anticipated common facilities‑services issues (contract assignment clauses, union or non‑union labor, licensing, and safety metrics) and pre‑emptively packaged supporting documentation.​

The transaction closed with a strategic buyer at an attractive EBITDA multiple, a meaningful cash component at closing, and a rollover equity stake that allowed the owner to participate in future upside as the buyer pursued additional acquisitions.

Post‑closing support and outcome

Post‑closing, Lavia Partners remained involved to ensure a smooth transition and protect the economics negotiated in the deal. Support focused on:​

• Working capital and earn‑out: Helping reconcile closing working capital and setting clear performance measurement for any earn‑out or contingent consideration, minimizing disputes.​
• Communication and integration: Coaching the owner on messaging to employees and key customers, aligning with the buyer’s integration plan while preserving the company’s culture and service standards.​
• Personal planning: Setting up and communicating with the seller’s advisory team including wealth management, estate planning, and tax advisory.

Within the first year after closing, the company benefited from the buyer’s capital, technology, and cross‑selling channels, accelerating growth while preserving the local brand and operations that made it attractive. The owner achieved liquidity, reduced concentration of personal net worth in the business, and secured a partner to carry the company into its next stage, fulfilling the core objectives set at the start of the engagement.