Arizona's M&A advisory for owner-led businesses

You built the business.
We help you exit it well.

Sell-side M&A advisory for owner-led service businesses, $15M–$50M. Founded by operators who sold their own companies and saw what most advisors get wrong.

Schedule a Confidential Call How We Work →

We sold our own companies.

All three of us have been on your side of the table. We built the firm we wished we'd hired.

Every buyer, not just our friends.

Most advisors sell through their Rolodex. We map every buyer in the market for your category, then score and test them discreetly.

Your name stays yours.

Buyers see a blind teaser first. Your employees, customers, and competitors hear nothing until you decide otherwise.

Industries

Where we focus

Owner-led service businesses, $15M–$50M in revenue, concentrated in the trades and adjacent property services. We picked this lane on purpose. It's where we've operated, and where the buyer universe is deepest right now.

Mechanical & Building Systems

HVAC Plumbing Electrical Fire & Life Safety Security

Highest PE penetration of any trade category. Multiple platforms actively looking for add-ons at 4-7x EBITDA.

Roofing & Exterior Envelope

Roofing Siding Windows & Doors Gutters Insulation Garage Doors

Strong recurring demand from insurance and aging housing stock. Active rollup activity from regional platforms.

Interior & Finish Trades

Drywall Painting Flooring Tile & Stone Cabinetry Concrete

Fragmented market. Well-run operators with recurring commercial accounts attract strong interest from strategics.

Outdoor & Property Services

Landscaping Tree Services Irrigation Snow Removal Paving Pool Services

High recurring revenue, route density, and contract value make these attractive to PE and strategics alike.

Recurring & Specialty Services

Pest Control Cleaning Restoration & Mold Foundation Waste Hauling

Subscription-model businesses with low churn command premium multiples. Pest control especially active.

Automotive Services

Auto Glass Collision Repair Car Wash Chains

Multi-location operators with recurring insurance relationships attract interest from national platforms.

Process

How an exit actually works

Most owners have heard the broad outline but never seen what each phase actually requires. We share this openly because the process is the product.

01

Discovery & Valuation

A conversation, not a pitch. We sign an NDA, learn what you've built and what you want out of an exit, and give you an honest valuation range, not an optimistic one. If now isn't the right time, we'll tell you what to fix and stay in touch until it is. No engagement letter in the early meetings.

You provide

Three years of financials and an honest picture of your goals

We deliver

A read on fit, timing, and a fair-market valuation range

Timeline

2-5 weeks

02

Engagement & Prep

We sign an engagement letter, then build the deal room: CIM, financials model, buyer target list, and the narrative that frames your business at its best. This is where most advisors cut corners. We don't.

You provide

Access to records, key employees, and operating details

We deliver

CIM, financial model, and a ranked buyer universe

Timeline

4-8 weeks

03

Buyer Outreach

We approach a curated set of buyers (strategic acquirers, PE platforms, and family offices) through direct relationships, not blast emails. Blind teaser first. NDA before anything identifying is shared.

You provide

Approval on the target list before outreach begins

We deliver

Signed NDAs, management meeting requests, IOIs

Timeline

4-6 weeks

04

Management Meetings & Offers

A structured process with a hard deadline: IOIs first, then LOIs, then finalist meetings. We evaluate each offer on price, terms, retained equity, earnout structure, and cultural fit, then negotiate the final and best on your behalf.

You provide

Time for finalist meetings and decision-making

We deliver

Competitive bidding dynamics and direct negotiation

Timeline

6-10 weeks

05

Diligence & Close

We quarterback the deal team: your attorney, your CPA, the buyer's diligence team, the lenders. Because we did the prep in Step 2, fewer surprises surface and the window to close is shorter.

You provide

Responsiveness on diligence requests

We deliver

Day-to-day deal management and a coordinated path to signing

Timeline

8-12 weeks

06

Transition & Beyond

Your employees, customers, and vendors need a steady hand through the handover. We help build the transition plan, communicate it the right way, and stay on after close for financial guidance, retained-equity matters, and whatever comes next.

You provide

Continuity and the agreed transition period with the buyer

We deliver

A transition plan that protects the value the buyer just paid for

Timeline

6-24 months post-close

Team

Operators first, advisors second.

We've built, scaled, and exited businesses ourselves. That's the seat we sit in when we represent you.

Ewing Gillaspy

Co-Founder

Ewing Gillaspy

Ewing's background spans operating, scaling, capital formation, and transaction execution, giving him a ground-level view of what actually drives enterprise value. He works at the intersection of sell-side representation, off market deal sourcing, and capital partner alignment, with a focus on cash-flowing lower-middle-market companies.

Known for translating complexity into clarity, he helps owners turn years of hard work into clean narratives, credible numbers, and competitive processes that survive diligence and lead to outcomes on their terms.

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Mark DeChant

Co-Founder

Mark DeChant

Over the past two decades, Mark has founded, scaled, and exited companies across sales, talent, and technology-enabled services, working closely with founders navigating pivotal inflection points. His experience spans both buyside and sell-side transactions, with a focus on preparing businesses for credible outcomes that hold up through diligence.

Mark brings a pragmatic, people-first approach to M&A, helping owners clarify their goals, sharpen their story, and negotiate deals that respect legacy, culture, and long-term value creation.

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Chris Rex

Co-Founder

Chris Rex

With a background spanning scientific research, venture-backed startups, and technology-enabled growth platforms, Chris brings a rare blend of technical depth and strategic execution. At Next Chapter, he supports founders and capital partners by assessing operational risk, technology leverage, and scalability throughout the transaction lifecycle.

His work focuses on aligning systems, data, and people to support sustainable growth post-deal. Chris is known for deploying practical, at-risk solutions that translate innovation into measurable business outcomes.

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Fees

How we're paid

Sell-side, success-based. You pay us at close, as a percentage of transaction value, and only if we close a deal you accept. Discovery, valuation, and the early conversations are on us.

Standard structure for our side of the industry. We mention it because owners ask, and because the alignment matters:

Our payday depends on you having one.

Contact

Start a confidential conversation

Tell us a little about your business and your timing. We'll come back within one business day to set up a 30-minute call.

What to expect

  • 30 minutes
  • Confidential, we sign an NDA before the call
  • No engagement letter
  • We listen to what you've built and your goals
  • Honest read on fit and likely outcomes
  • If we're not the right fit, we'll point you to someone who is