C-Suite Operator, Investor & Board Leader of middle-market services businesses | Champion Go-To-Market Strategy & Execution for PE-Backed Companies | Transform, Scale & Position Organizations for Successful Exit
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on recent comments from Leslie Elliott, the CEO and Founder of Poolie. A few weeks ago, at our Unity U CXO Summit, Leslie led a discussion on growth through acquisitions. She made the point that her greatest competition is not a rival operating company or private equity acquirer; rather, it is the selling business owners themselves. In other words, sellers who have invested countless years building their businesses do not take the decision to sell lightly, and their motivations and priorities in selling their business can vary widely, often weighted more heavily than the financial outcome itself. Leslie, like the other great leaders we partner with at Unity Partners, understands that the acquisition of a business, especially in the lower middle market, can be a slow and nuanced process. Leslie and her team proactively build a relationship with the seller to understand their goals prior to presenting a financial offer and, where possible, offer guidance on how to think objectively about the prospect of exiting. As a seller engages in the process, Poolie leadership remains actively involved alongside the due diligence team through and beyond the close of the transaction to address any seller concerns. Poolie’s 120 service and repair technicians are working with 3,400 pool customers weekly throughout Texas, with growth achieved both organically and through 20 acquisitions. #poolcleaning #buildbettertogether #businessgrowth #privateequity
Albert Ramos Jr.
2mo
This is an excellent, and long-term successful approach Jim Sharpe
Molly Wheaton
3mo
Excellent insights from one of the best leaders out there - keep up the awesome work, Leslie Elliott! 💯
Global Director @ Cognizant | Executive Recruiting, Talent Acquisition, JD *Views are my own*
3moThere is definite market need in Texas and beyond for more providers and a higher level of service - congrats!