Strategic capital for lower middle market businesses
Trendline Capital focuses on making equity investments in lower middle market companies located primarily throughout the Mid-Atlantic U.S.
We seek to partner with owners and experienced management teams of “traditional” manufacturing, distribution, transportation, and select service businesses to provide growth capital and strategic oversight with the dual objectives of: (1) creating liquidity for business owners, and (2) building great companies.
Why Trendline?
Empathetic
We have the unique perspective of having been day-to-day operators for over a decade.
Knowledgable
We have spent nearly all of our careers working with or in lower middle market and small privately held companies.
Focused
At Trendline, we only do a few things, but we think we do them well.
Experienced
We have generated more than $100 million in sales growth, hired more than 500 employees and achieved returns significantly higher than industry targets.
Criteria For Investment
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- Traditional manufacturing, distribution, transportation, and select service businesses
- No high-tech, health sciences, highly regulated, retail, or “Main Street” businesses
- Attractive growth prospects
- Defensible market positions
- Stable competitive dynamics
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- Primarily Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Southern New York
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- Revenues of $5 million to $50 million
- EBITDA of $1 million to $3 million
- (We will invest in companies with EBITDA above $3 million by utilizing co-investment arrangements with select private equity partners and family offers)
- $2 million to $4 million of equity investment per platform
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- Seasoned management team in place
- Motivated to manage in a metrics-driven and continuous improvement environment
- Ability to integrate add-on acquisitions
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- Complete buyouts
- Majority buyouts
- Minority investments
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- We welcome introductions to great businesses from buy-side intermediaries and will pay referral fees for completed transactions