Our approach
We're buying a business to own it for the long run.
Most owners we talk to have spent twenty or thirty years building something. It has their name on it, or might as well. The people who work there are friends. The customers are neighbors. Selling it isn't a transaction; it's handing over a piece of your life. Here's how we intend to treat it.
01
We buy to own, not to flip.
We're not on a clock to sell in five years, because we don't have investors waiting to get their money back. If we ever bring in outside capital, it will be set up for the long term, with no rush to sell and everyone's interests lined up. We buy businesses to own and stay heavily involved in, with a leadership setup that fits each one rather than a formula.
02
What's working stays.
A business that has been profitable for decades has already figured out most of the hard things. Before we change anything, we want to understand the people, the customers, and the way things get done. The team stays. The relationships stay.
03
Your people are the business.
The technicians, crews, dispatchers, and office staff who show up every day are the reason customers keep calling. We're committed to keeping them, paying them fairly, and giving them room to grow. We'd rather earn their trust than reorganize it.
04
Growth at the right pace.
We're excited to build: new customers, new services, new areas, the occasional add-on. But we'll pace change so it strengthens what's there instead of straining it.
05
Transparency and integrity.
We'll be open with you throughout the process, including when we make an offer: what we think, what we can pay, and where we're unsure. If we're not the right buyer, we'll say so early and try to point you toward someone who is. Whether or not we end up working together, we want you to come away feeling you were treated fairly and honestly.
The process
What working with us looks like
Five steps, no surprises.
1
A conversation.
Confidential and without obligation. We'll sign an NDA before you share anything you'd rather keep private.
2
A quick, honest read.
Within a couple of weeks of seeing some basic information, and maybe a little back-and-forth, we'll tell you whether it's a fit and roughly what we could pay. We won't drag it out.
3
A clear offer.
Written terms in plain English, with the reasoning behind the number. No moving targets, no surprises in the fine print, and no changing the deal at the last minute.
4
A careful close.
Diligence that's quick and doesn't bury you or your team in requests. We keep the circle small until you're ready to widen it.
5
A real transition.
We'll work through it together and adjust as we go, with one goal: a smooth handoff for your team and your customers. We want to learn from you along the way.
We fund acquisitions with our own capital and lender financing. That means a straightforward closing and no committee behind us second-guessing a handshake.
About the name
Why 1055
1055 is roughly the number of miles between Denver and San Diego, where the two of us live. As it happens, it's also about the distance between Denver and Chicago, where we met. It's a long way to travel, and that's how we think about owning a business: a long journey, not a quick flip. The name is also a reminder of what we're asking a seller to do, which is trust us with something that took years to build.
Who we are
Two partners, one plan
We're two professionals with backgrounds in lower-middle-market investment banking, private equity, and corporate finance. Between us we've spent our careers so far valuing, financing, and helping guide and grow businesses a lot like the ones we hope to buy. One of us is from Connecticut. We met in Chicago, and today we live in Denver and San Diego. Those are the places we know best, which is why we're searching in all three. We'd rather tell you the rest over a call or a visit than on a webpage.
Questions owners ask