How Serious Operators Build Value After Partnering with Private Equity

How Serious Operators Build Value After Partnering with Private Equity

Most entrepreneurs dream about building a business that lasts. Few ever build one capable of attracting multiple private equity partners, completing more than 20 acquisitions, and creating life-changing wealth for employees. In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Jerry Shill, Founder & CEO of Schill Landscape Collective, to unpack the 35-year journey from a local landscaping company to one of North America's fastest-growing commercial landscape platforms. Jerry shares the pivotal decisions that changed everything—from splitting the family business and focusing exclusively on recurring maintenance revenue to designing a scalable "business in a box" operating model that ultimately attracted institutional capital. The conversation dives deep into acquisitions, integration, leadership development, value creation, data-driven operations, and what it really takes to build a billion-dollar vision. Whether you're considering private equity, actively acquiring businesses, or simply trying to scale your company, this episode delivers a masterclass from someone who's lived every stage of the journey. Key Discussion Points * Building a maintenance-first business model that scales * Why recurring revenue beats chasing construction projects * Designing a "Business in a Box" operating system * Preparing a company for institutional capital * Lessons from partnering with Argon Capital and TruArc Partners * Scaling from $2M to nearly $31M EBITDA * What Jerry learned completing 21 acquisitions * Why integration—not the deal—is the real challenge * Centralized vs. decentralized leadership models * Data, KPIs and forecasting at scale * Creating wealth through management equity * AI, robotics and the future of commercial landscaping * Why customer issue resolution is a competitive advantage * Building businesses that are designed to sell

Building a $220M Landscaping Business with Private Equity

What does it really take to build a category-leading company? In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Brian Dumont, Founder & CEO of YARDNIQUE, one of the fastest-growing commercial landscape companies in the Southeast. Brian shares the unfiltered story behind building the business—from nearly losing everything after two major customers failed to pay, navigating divorce, rebuilding his leadership team, partnering with private equity, and scaling from approximately $25 million in revenue to more than $220 million through disciplined execution, acquisitions, and an unwavering commitment to people-first leadership. This isn't a conversation about overnight success. It's a masterclass on resilience, leadership, culture, acquisitions, private equity partnerships, and becoming the leader your company needs at every stage of growth. Whether you're building toward your first $10 million or scaling beyond $100 million, this episode offers practical lessons every founder should hear. In This Episode * Why Brian almost walked away from the business * The turning point that changed YARDNIQUE forever * Lessons learned from divorce, business setbacks, and leadership failures * Why recurring revenue transformed the company * What founders misunderstand about private equity * How to choose the right PE partner * Building an executive team capable of scaling * 16 acquisitions: successes, failures, and lessons learned * The importance of culture during rapid growth * Why customer service, not landscaping, is the real business * AI, sales, and the future of commercial landscaping * Brian's daily leadership habits, faith, journaling, and intentionality Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 03:45 – Starting a business after working for a terrible boss 08:00 – Discovering recurring revenue 09:20 – Losing two major customers and rebuilding 13:00 – Deciding whether to sell 15:15 – Walking away from a sale 17:20 – COVID changes everything 19:10 – Choosing private equity over selling outright 22:40 – Building with Plexus Capital 25:30 – Life after private equity 29:30 – Building an executive team 31:15 – Lessons from 16 acquisitions 37:00 – Hiring leaders who can scale 42:30 – The four pillars of growth 45:30 – Building a world-class sales organization 47:50 – AI and the future of landscaping 50:30 – Faith, leadership and daily habits 59:15 – Final leadership lessons

The Talent Advantage: Why Some Companies Keep Winning

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with executive recruiter and talent advisor Rachel VanderPol to discuss what really drives employee retention, leadership, recruiting, and company growth. Rachel shares lessons from years of recruiting top talent across finance, legal, construction, SaaS, and professional services industries, while providing a behind-the-scenes look at how great companies attract and keep high performers. From culture fit and leadership alignment to compensation, flexibility, and hiring mistakes, this conversation is packed with practical insights for business owners who want to build stronger teams and scale successfully. Whether you're hiring your next executive, building a leadership team, or trying to understand why great employees leave, this episode provides a blueprint for recruiting and retaining exceptional talent. Key Discussion Points * Why employees leave companies even when compensation is competitive * The importance of culture fit over technical qualifications * How top recruiters identify great candidates * The role leadership plays in employee retention * Why compensation alone cannot solve hiring problems * Work-from-home, flexibility, and today's workforce expectations * Common hiring mistakes business owners make * How to evaluate candidates beyond the résumé * Lessons from elite athletes and high-performance environments * Building teams that scale with your company Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:20 Meet Rachel VanderPol 2:01 Athlete to Executive Recruiter 4:41 Growing Up Around Hall of Fame Excellence 8:10 Why Employees Really Leave 11:24 Culture Fit vs Skill Set 15:00 Why Employer Branding Matters 16:10 How Recruiters Vet Candidates 19:10 Recruiting Across Multiple Industries 22:35 Hiring for Potential vs Perfection 23:35 How to Spot Candidate Red Flags 26:25 Compensation and Retention 30:25 Work-Life Balance vs Flexibility 35:05 Learning From Hiring Mistakes 37:10 Mentorship and High Achievement 39:10 Building a Business While Raising a Family 42:45 Parenting, Sports, and Leadership Lessons 45:05 Rachel's Recruiting Philosophy 47:00 AI vs Human Recruiting 48:15 Final Thoughts

The YardMaster Landscape & Big Lakes Lawncare Merger Story: Why We Chose A Private Equity Partner

A lot of business owners think private equity means losing control, sacrificing culture, and putting profits ahead of people. What if the exact opposite could be true? In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Chester Buczynski and Mike Montenaro to unpack the formation of the YardMaster Big Lakes platform backed by Unity Partners. The conversation explores the realities of private equity partnerships, employee ownership, scaling through acquisitions, leadership development, and building a culture that creates transformational wealth for employees at every level. From Chester's journey starting a landscape company with no money and a vision, to Mike's path through decades of leadership in the green industry, this episode offers a candid look at what it really takes to build, scale, and grow a business beyond traditional limits. Most importantly, they challenge some of the biggest myths in business—proving that growth, culture, people, and profitability don't have to compete with one another. Key Discussion Points * Why Yard Master and Big Lakes partnered with Unity Partners * The biggest misconceptions about private equity * How employee ownership changes company culture * Building leadership teams capable of scaling * The importance of intentional communication during acquisitions * Integrating multiple companies without losing culture * Creating transformational wealth for employees * Why growth creates opportunity for everyone * Leadership, mentorship, and succession planning * Thinking bigger about what's possible in the green industry

The Deal Isn’t Done at Closing | Real Talk with Ed Bates

Most people think the hard part of a deal is getting to the closing table. It’s not. The real challenge begins the moment the paperwork is signed. In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with 3PG Advisors’ Ed Bates for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked — and most critical — parts of mergers & acquisitions: integration. With decades of experience and a front-row seat to more than 80 integrations across the green industry and skilled trades, Ed shares the practical realities of what actually happens after a business is acquired. From employee fear and culture clashes to systems conversions, communication breakdowns, owner transitions, and operational chaos, this conversation pulls back the curtain on why some deals create transformational growth while others quietly fall apart. This isn’t theory. It’s real-world insight from operators and dealmakers who’ve lived through the pressure, mistakes, wins, and lessons that happen after closing. If you’re a business owner thinking about selling, a buyer trying to scale through acquisition, or an operator navigating change inside a growing company, this episode is a masterclass in integration strategy, leadership, and execution. Key Discussion Points * Why integration — not closing — determines long-term deal success * The biggest communication mistakes buyers make after an acquisition * Why employee trust and culture matter more than systems on Day One * How to identify the real influencers inside a company * The importance of pre-close alignment and integration planning * Why moving too fast with systems and process changes creates failure * The 90-day integration framework Ed Bates uses to guide acquisitions * Common pitfalls with payroll, HR, operations, and technology transitions * The emotional side of selling a company and owner identity shifts * What successful buyers do differently during integration * Why every deal requires a customized integration strategy * Lessons learned from 80+ acquisitions and integrations