Peter Holton on What Owners Get Wrong About When to Sell Their Business

Peter Holton: From Blue Collar Roots to M&A Advisor in the Facility Services IndustryPeter Holton, Managing Director at Caber Hill Advisors, shares how a childhood in a family construction business, a decade at one of the world’s largest paving companies, and a near-fatal aneurysm at 42 shaped a different kind of investment banker — one who speaks the language of the owners he serves and tells them what they need to hear, not what they want to.Key Insights You’ll Learn:Growing up in a family construction company in Milwaukee and working through middle school, high school, and collegeBuilding regional and national operations experience at Rose Paving as it grew from $10M to $200M+Moonlighting in M&A while still at Rose Paving and eventually co-founding Caber Hill AdvisorsWhy Caber Hill recruits advisors who came from the industries they serveThe difference between platform companies and bolt-on acquisitions in private equityThe 5Ks exit planning framework: knowing what your business is worth, what buyers want, and when to sellThree reasons deals fall apart: declining revenue, buyer discovery, and owner’s unclear post-sale pathWhy rolling equity is becoming the preferred structure for owners who want one foot in, one foot outSurviving a brain aneurysm at 42 and what it clarified about what actually mattersWhy talking to your spouse before talking to a banker is step one of any exitPeter’s Key Mentors:His Parents: Founded a family contracting business in Milwaukee and modeled blue collar work ethic from day oneRose Paving Leadership: Gave him autonomy, accountability, and a front-row seat to a national M&A growth strategyCraig Castelli (Partner, Caber Hill): Taught him the sell-side M&A process from the ground up and built the firm with himCB Kuzulik (Rose Paving): Pioneer of the national paving model who showed what bold growth strategy looks like in practiceHis Faith and Family: Anchored him through brain surgery and recovery when the psychology was harder than the physicalDon’t miss this conversation about what separates operators-turned-advisors from traditional investment bankers, why the right time to start exit planning is usually years earlier than you think, and what an aneurysm teaches you about building something that lasts.Connect with Peter Holton:Website: caberhill.comTranscript Available: Peter Holton on What Owners Get Wrong About When to Sell Their BusinessWatch on YouTube: Inspired Stories PodcastOur Website: The Inspired Stories PodcastSpecial Thanks to Anthony Codispoti & AddBack Benefits Agency — Providing innovative employee benefits solutions that improve employee well-being while optimizing your bottom line. Website: addbackbenefits.com