Woodland West AdvisorsInvestorsOperators

Investing & Operating Philosophy

Buy great businesses

We look for businesses with unique competitive advantages, happy customers, and great teams. We look for deal structures that allow us to compensate business owners fairly for the value they have built.

Develop the people

We manage with "an arm around the shoulder and a kick in the butt." We make sure that people feel valued, safe, and empowered. But we also hold a high bar for performance. We find this combination allows us to retain and attract the most talented people.

Invest to grow

We have a competitive streak, and we’re proud of it. We’re going to develop a thesis on how to grow the business and invest heavily in that thesis. Along the way, we’re going to keep score with metrics, improve processes, and obsess over the details that matter to customers.

What kind of businesses do we invest in?

We stick to businesses where we can add value. We have invested in backup power, energy, packaging, software, and a wide array of business services. We steer clear of healthcare, food & beverage, real estate, and retail businesses.

We like businesses in the Midwest US. We’re located in Chicago, and we like to be able to drive or take a short flight to portfolio companies. We are most interested in businesses with 10-50 employees, $1 - $20M in revenue.

What type of investments do we make?

Our favorite investment is a majority buyout in a company that we can hold forever. However, we like to be flexible in our investments to allow for win-win situations. We execute majority buyouts, finance growth capital investments, and make minority investments in buyout bids orchestrated by our partners.

Advisory Services

Buy-Side Diligence

With over 10 years of private equity experience and diligence on 50+ acquisition targets, Woodland can help evaluate your next acquisition.

Leadership Workshops

Woodland develops and facilitates leadership workshops to help your team get on the same page, set priorities, and get results.

Sell-Side Advisory

We can conduct a pre-sale diagnostic to resolve “red flag” issues before they hit the VDR, minimizing due diligence friction and maximizing your leverage at the negotiating table.