Hi, I’m Ben.

I’m an entrepreneur looking to acquire and run a small business. I’ve formed CGS Capital to hire services and approach business owners and investors to do just that.

What I’m looking for:

A Great Business

The ideal opportunity is a profitable and stable business that fits with my areas of expertise. It has growth potential, a capable management team, and a culture that supports its competitive advantages.

The Right Market

The industry within which a business operates is a key factor in creating the qualities of a great business. I believe a B2B service to industrial or government customers is the right market for this and for my background. I also think the low asset intensity required for a service business will provide a rewarding opportunity for those who wish to invest with me.

Competitive Forces

Fragmented Industry

Low Share of Customer Wallet

Barriers to Entry

Important Criteria:

Customers

Low Customer Concentration

Growing Market

Fits my Experience

Stability

Non-Seasonal

Mission Critical Service

Low Threat of Disruption

About Me

I started my career in the US Navy as an electrician working in the nuclear power plants aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier.

When I left the military, I used my electrical skills to get a job as a maintenance technician in a steel mill but worked the back shifts to finish an undergraduate degree in economics at the University of California Riverside.

I stayed with the same company and moved to purchasing, buying electrical products and services. I also bought utilities, such as electricity and natural gas, and other commodities like metals and chemicals.

Later in my career, I worked for a manufacturer in the auto industry buying an even wider range of equipment and services and playing a more involved role in designing our supply chain.

I’ve recently finished an MBA program with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and am looking to take on an executive leadership role at a smaller organization.

I’ve lived all over the country, both as a kid and as an adult, although my three brothers and their families all live in the Phoenix area. I currently live outside Chicago with my wife and three kids and our three dogs.

Get in Touch!

If you’re interested in learning more about selling to me or investing with me, please give me a call. I’d love to meet you and answer any questions you might have. Or feel free to schedule a longer meeting.

FAQ

  • You’ll want to start by getting organized to prepare for a valuation. Ideally, this includes accounting, financial, legal, HR, and regulatory documents but if that’s overwhelming, don’t worry, I can talk you through some basic things I’ll need to know in order to take the next step with you. You’ll also need to come up with a realistic sale price. Consider getting an independent audit once you’re organized. That will prepare you for price conversations and make my future diligence smoother.

  • It’s certainly your right to shop around for more buyers and I will work with whomever you decide to hire. But brokers can charge as much as 10-15%, depending on the size of your business, and they’ll probably slow down the process by controlling communication between us. Since you’ve already met a serious buyer (me!), then you might prefer to work directly and share the savings with me.

  • I would consider a partial sale and partnership especially if it included an opportunity to buy you out down the road. This could be a good way for you to take some money off the table and take a step back from running the day to day operations without letting go completely. It would also provide me with valuable guidance while I learn how to run your business. Some variation of this could also apply if you have a partner that wants to sell but you don’t. But in any case, this should be a conversation during an early stage of the sale process

  • I’ll send you a Letter of Intent (LOI) when I’m prepared to make an offer for your business. Although the terms are non-binding, I’ll try to accurately describe the deal structure and conditions we’ve discussed up to that point. Once we both sign the LOI, you’ll stop collecting offers from other buyers while I hire lawyers and accountants to conduct due diligence to make sure everything is as it was represented. This typically takes 90 days. I’ll draw up a final sales agreement after this with any adjustments based on my findings.