People are the whole game.
Good people deserve trust, clear expectations, fair pay, and room to grow. The team already inside a business is often its greatest strength.
Building great local businesses for the long term.
We invest in and operate small businesses in the Chicagoland area.
Thinking about what comes next?About Brian
I’ve sat in nearly every seat around a small business.
I started my career in commercial banking at LaSalle Bank and Bank of America, lending to small and middle-market companies. Then I spent six years in private equity with Chicago-based Merit Capital Partners.
During the downturn, I put that experience to work leading the acquisition of a struggling bank in Denver. We turned it into Fortis Bank, where I served as CEO for nearly a decade.
After moving back to Chicago, I launched Confluence Advisory Group to provide advisory services to small and middle-market businesses. Over time, the business has shifted to my true passion. Today, my sole focus is acquiring and operating companies, and I’m no longer taking on advisory clients.
I then bought a home services company. We’ve since completed an add-on acquisition, and the original seller now runs the whole company. We’re having a great time building it, and we’re looking for other businesses to acquire.
I’ve been the lender, the investor and owner, the operator, and the board member. I understand both the businesses and the transactions around them.
You can find my full background on LinkedIn.
How we work
A few beliefs that guide the work.
Not promises carved in stone. Just the ideas we come back to when the answer isn’t obvious.
Build systems, not dependence.
The goal is a business that works because the process is sound, not because someone saves the day every week.
Good news fast, bad news faster.
We want to share in the good news. It’s just as important to bring up the bad news early, so we can address it before it becomes a bigger problem.
No one is impressed by jargon.
Customers don’t care about our industry terms. They want to know what’s wrong and how we’ll fix it. It was the same in banking and private equity. We explain our decisions and the reasons behind them in plain words, not to show how much we know.
Take the long view.
We’re interested in durable businesses, durable relationships, and decisions that still make sense years from now.
Portfolio
Local ownership. Real operating work.
Shack Shine Chicago
A home services business serving the Chicagoland area with exterior window cleaning, gutter cleaning, power washing, house washing, and holiday lighting.
What we do is straightforward: hire well, build useful systems, take care of customers, and execute consistently. Our role is to give the team the capital and resources to grow the business and achieve its potential.
What we look for
Small service businesses with room to grow.
We focus on businesses where a capable team, repeat customers, and consistent execution can create lasting value.
The fit matters more than a rigid formula, but these are the businesses most likely to get our attention.
- Location
- Chicagoland
- Business
- Small, field-based service businesses, especially work delivered out of a van, such as landscape lighting or exterior home services. Our focus is service businesses, not manufacturing.
- Owner cash flow
- $300,000 or more
- Revenue
- Up to roughly $10 million
For business owners
One conversation doesn’t start a process.
If you’re thinking about retirement, a second act, or simply getting some of your time back, I’m happy to listen and share what I see.
- Talk through what the business may be worthWithout pretending a quick opinion is a formal valuation.
- Consider the right kind of buyerThat could be an individual, a competitor, your management team, or someone else.
- Think about timing and preparationGood outcomes usually start well before a business goes to market.
- Keep it confidentialWe’ll sign a confidentiality agreement before discussing sensitive details.
Start a conversation
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you reach out.
Tell me a little about the business and what’s on your mind. You’ll hear back from me directly.