Download Podcasts as MP3
Search for a podcast, browse episodes, and download MP3 files directly from the publisher's website. Transcripts included when available.
Episodes from Buyers and Builders
How We Bought 14 Businesses and Built a $120M HoldCo | Andrea Allegrini of Lindbergh
Andrea Allegrini is one of the key operators behind one of Europe’s most fascinating small-cap acquisition stories.Lindbergh is building what could become the country’s first national HVAC maintenance platform through a disciplined roll-up strategy focused on fragmented, family-owned businesses.In this conversation, Andrea explains how Lindbergh evolved from a logistics operator into a serial acquirer, why Italy’s HVAC market is such an attractive hunting ground, how the company structures acquisitions, and why technician retention matters more than financial engineering.Timestamps:0:00 Lindbergh’s evolution from logistics to HVAC roll-up2:51...
How We Bought 160 Businesses and Built a $1.5B HoldCo at 33 and 35 | Ramsey Sahyoun of Evergreen
Ramsey Sahyoun shares how Evergreen grew from a Berkshire-inspired idea into a $1.5B revenue, $250M EBITDA HoldCo with 160 acquisitions.We discuss proprietary sourcing, decentralization, talent, value creation, MSPs, and the lessons behind building one of America’s most interesting acquisition machines.Timestamps:0:00 Evergreen’s scale and long-term hold model2:06 Discovering private equity and buying private companies4:14 Meeting Jeff Totten at Alpine Investors5:53 Evergreen’s first acquisition and current portfolio8:14 How Berkshire Hathaway inspired Evergreen10:23 Leaving Alpine and starting young12:18 The first 6-18 months after closing13:15 What went wrong...
35+ Acquisitions, $1.3B Exit and Backing 80+ Searchers | Mark Sinatra of ETA Equity
Mark Sinatra has lived the full search fund journey: discovering ETA at Wharton, acquiring Staff One HR, surviving the 2008 crisis, scaling the business, selling to Oasis Outsourcing, and later helping build ETA Equity.In this episode, Mark shares what he learned from nearly a decade as a search CEO, why talent unlocked the business, how he survived the hardest years, and what he now looks for after backing 80+ searchers and 35+ acquisitions.Timestamps:0:00 Mark Sinatra’s journey from searcher to ETA investor1:21 Discovering search funds at Wharton7:53 Raising a search fund and finding St...
What 137 Acquisitions Taught Me About Operational Excellence | Robert Irving Interview
In this episode, Robert Irving of Buffalo Growth Partners shares what he learned from building a fire protection business from zero to $20M in revenue, selling it to private equity, rolling equity, and then helping execute a 137-company rollup.Timestamps:0:00 Why PE value creation is harder than it sounds1:52 From fire protection operator to $20M in revenue4:09 The three sales roles that drive B2B growth6:25 Building hospitals, data centers, and complex fire systems8:07 Selling the company and rolling equity into the platform9:33 Going from one business to 12 offices and 800 people<...
Buying Three Founder-Led SMEs: Lessons from the Trenches | Simon Plummer Interview
Simon Plummer is the co-founder of Arbor Permanent Owners, a holding company built for long-term ownership.In this episode, Simon drawing on his experience acquiring and operating three founder-led SMEs, he shares a practical playbook for the first year of ownership:- how to settle a team,- build trust,- create momentum,- improve sales,- think about pricing,- and know when to invest for growth.We also discuss why investor alignment matters so much in small business, what makes founder-led companies different, and why simple strategy...
The Buffett-Munger Introduction That Changed Everything
Why networks are one of the most underrated advantages in the lower middle market, and how to build them.We explore how trust, introductions, persistence, and long-term generosity can create better deal flow, stronger relationships, and a real competitive edge for buyers, builders, and investors.This episode is heavily inspired by the wisdom of Alix Pasquet, a Managing Partner at Prime Macaya Capital Management.Timestamps:0:00 Why Networks Matter More in a Crowded Lower Middle Market1:09 Your Network as a Moat and an Alarm System3:19 The Hidden Edge Behind Great...
From Management Buyout to Fund of Funds | P. V. Ramanathan (Ram) Interview
In this episode, I sit down with P.V. Ramanathan, or Ram, to unpack the story of how he helped lead a management buyout of a struggling cathodic protection business in 2003 and turned it into Corrosion Technology Services ( https://ctscp.com/ ). Himself local to Dubai, Ram's company, CTS, includes 10 companies operating across 8 countries and 3 regions.The free cash flow generation gave Ram the ability to build Neeti Fund, a fund-of-funds built around a simple but highly selective strategy: backing a small group of high-quality long-only and long-short equity managers with aligned incentives, understandable philosophies, and meaningful personal...
9 Add-Ons in 24 Months | Dan Lifshits of Dwelly Interview
Dan Lifshits, co-founder of Dwelly, explains how he is building an AI-enabled roll-up in the UK lettings market by acquiring independent agencies and modernizing them with software.Dwelly has completed 9 acquisitions in just 24 months, combining a buy-and-build strategy with a technology-first operating model designed to improve service for landlords and tenants while making agency operations far more efficient.In this episode, we go deep on why lettings is such an attractive category for consolidation, why organic growth is limited in this market, and why Dan believes acquisitions are the fastest way to build a modern...
How We Built IDUN Industrier: 20 Acquisitions and 60x+ P/E Ratio
In this episode, we break down IDUN Industrier, a Swedish serial acquirer that has completed 20 acquisitions to date and now trades at roughly a 65x P/E multiple — an extraordinary valuation for an industrial holding company.What makes IDUN so interesting is that it is not simply buying businesses for scale. It is building a portfolio of niche leaders: small, often overlooked companies with high market share, strong customer dependence, and positions that are difficult to replicate.We explore how IDUN creates value through disciplined acquisitions, decentralized operations, co-ownership, and long-term capital allocation — and why inve...
What 100+ Investments Taught Me About Great Acquirers | Lacey Wismer Interview
Mike Markus ( https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuy ) talks with Lacey Wismer of Hunter Search Capital ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceywismer/ ) about her journey from a family business background into investing in more than 100 search funds, backing operators, and building a platform around long-term business ownership.Timestamps0:00 Introduction: Lacey Wismer on permanent capital and long-term holds0:30 Entrepreneurial upbringing: luck, simplicity, cash flow, and leverage2:54 What changes when you buy to own for 30 years5:26 Studying enduring businesses instead of trends6:49 The anatomy of a 100x deal8:40 Diamond Brands and the power of adjacent ac...
A Serial Acquirer Masterclass and The Story Of 47 Acquisitions Per Year
Why serial acquirers remain one of the most powerful business models in the world.The best of them have acquired as many as 275 companies and traded at valuations as high as 65x earnings, yet most people still misunderstand what makes them so successful.I explore why the best acquirers often start slow, how they solve the reinvestment problem, why balance sheet strength and specialization matter, and what investors look for when studying these businesses.I also share why Evergreen Services Group may be building one of the most interesting HoldCo stories in America...
38 Acquisitions Generating $2 Billion in Revenue | Eric Wiklendt Interview
Mike Markus ( https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuy ) talks with Eric Wiklendt of Speyside Equity ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericwiklendt/ ) about Eric's journey and how Speyside has built a highly operational lower-middle-market private equity firm with $937 million of assets under management, 38 total investments, 20 platform investments, operations across 19 countries, and portfolio companies generating approximately $2 billion in revenue.Timestamps:0:00 Why Eric loves messy manufacturing deals1:40 From Detroit operator to private equity investor4:58 Building Speyside: Fund I, the continuation vehicle, and Fund II7:35 How PE firms decide fund size and portfolio construction10:24 Why Elliott backed Speyside's co...