Your life's work deserves a successor, not a spreadsheet.
Garnett Enterprises buys one established, owner-run business and runs it ourselves. The name stays. The people stay. The relationships you built keep getting answered by someone who shows up every day.
One business at a time. Held, not flipped.
Who you'd be selling to
Two operators. Not a fund.
We are two people, not a committee. One of us scaled a field-services operation from $3 million to more than $70 million in revenue and has been on both sides of business sales. The other is a practicing CPA who spent his career keeping companies financially sound. After closing, we are the ones in the building.
Most owners we talk to have already heard from private equity groups and roll-up buyers. What they have not found is a buyer who wants to run the company the way they did, for as long as it makes sense, without a deadline to sell it again. That is what we do.
Where to start
Two ways people usually reach us
For owners
You're thinking about what comes next
Maybe retirement is a few years out, maybe it's this year. Either way, you want the company to outlast you and the people to be looked after. Here is exactly what a sale to us looks like, step by step.
Read how a sale with us worksFor brokers, advisors, and CPAs
You have a client who fits
We respond to every introduction, sign NDAs quickly, and tell you early and honestly whether we are a fit. We would rather pass in a week than waste your client's time for three months.
Send us a summaryHow we're different
What we do, and what we won't do
We run it ourselves
We are not passive investors. After closing we work inside the business, with your employees, customers, and suppliers, learning the work before we change any of it.
A fund that installs a hired manager and checks in quarterlyOne business at a time
We don't spread ourselves across a portfolio. The business we buy gets our full attention, which is the only way to earn the trust of the people already there.
A roll-up buying six companies this yearWe hold, we don't flip
There is no fund life and no planned resale. We buy businesses we would be glad to still own in twenty years, and we make decisions on that timeline.
A three-to-five-year hold with an exit baked inFinancial discipline, from the start
A CPA is one of the two owners. We structure deals conservatively so the company is never carrying more debt than its cash flow can comfortably support.
A leveraged buyout that leaves the business paying for its own purchaseWhat we look for
A good business with a good reason to sell
We are industry-flexible and specific about everything else. If your company is close to this, let's talk. If it's not, we'll tell you quickly and try to point you somewhere useful.
- Annual revenue
- $2M – $20M
- Owner earnings
- $500K – $3MSDE or EBITDA, consistent over several years
- Track record
- 5+ yearsEstablished, profitable, with repeat customers
- Ownership
- Founder- or family-owned, with an owner ready to step back in the next 0–3 years
- Location
- United States. We're based in Texas and Maryland and will relocate for the right business.
- Deal type
- Majority or full purchase, with flexibility on structure, seller financing, and your transition
Industries we know
- Business-to-business services with recurring or contract work
- Installation, assembly, and field services
- Home and commercial services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping)
- Distribution and light manufacturing
- Logistics and specialty trades
Probably not a fit
- Startups, turnarounds, or businesses losing money
- Restaurants, retail, and franchises
- Companies that only work if the owner's personal license or reputation stays
Not sure where you land? Most owners aren't. A twenty-minute call is enough for us to tell you honestly.
How it works
From first call to closing, without surprises
Every step is confidential. Nothing goes to your employees, customers, or competitors until you decide it should.
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Week 1
A conversation
You tell us about the business and what you want next. We tell you honestly whether it sounds like a fit. No paperwork, no pressure.
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Weeks 1–2
Mutual NDA, then the basics
We sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement before you share anything. Then we ask for three years of financials and a few plain questions about customers, team, and operations.
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Weeks 3–5
A written offer
A letter of intent that spells out price, structure, and your transition in plain language. If we can't get to a number that works for you, we say so here, not months later.
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45–75 days
Diligence
We confirm what we've been told: financials, contracts, customers, and equipment. James leads the financial review directly, so it's thorough but not theatrical.
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Day of closing
Closing and handover
You get paid at closing. Then we start the transition you and we agreed on, whether that's a few weeks of introductions or a year of working side by side.
Questions owners ask us
The things people want to know before they pick up the phone
What happens to my employees?
They keep their jobs. The people who know the work are the most valuable thing we are buying, and replacing them would be the fastest way to break the business. We come in to learn from them, not to reorganize them.
Will you keep the company's name?
Yes. Your name on the trucks, the invoices, and the front door is part of what your customers trust. We have no interest in rebranding it.
Do I have to stay on after the sale?
Only as long as you want to. Some owners prefer a short, structured handover. Others want to stay involved for a year or more. We'll write your preference into the agreement.
How is this different from selling to private equity?
A fund buys with other people's money on a timeline that requires selling again in a few years. We buy with our own capital, run the business ourselves, and don't have an exit planned. The decisions that follow are different because the incentives are different.
Will anyone find out I'm considering a sale?
Not from us. We sign a mutual NDA before you share anything, and we don't contact employees, customers, or suppliers until you tell us it's time.
How do you value a business?
On its earnings, its consistency, and how much of it depends on you personally. We'll walk you through our math in the letter of intent so you can see exactly how we arrived at the number.
Start a conversation
Tell us a little about the business
Or skip the form and reach either of us directly. We answer every message, usually within two business days.