The Main Street Deal

Dom Smith left a $500K–$1M/yr private-equity job at 29 to buy Printmoz, a declining large-format printing business in Southern California, for ~$2.8M. Diligence, deal structure, and a 30–50% year-one turnaround.

A route-based landscaping and snow removal company in Elizabeth, New Jersey asking $199,999 on $75K of SDE. We run the SBA math, expose the buy-a-job trap, and land on a verdict.

Justus Luttig left venture capital to buy and merge an HVAC and a plumbing business in Dallas-Fort Worth — an ~$8M deal at 5.5x EBITDA, financed entirely without the SBA.

A residential HVAC company in Suffolk County, New York, listed at $1.49M on ~$400K SDE. We run the multiple, the full SBA math, and whether 3.7x is worth chasing.

Ryan left a finance-and-sales career to buy a 30-year-old shutter manufacturer in South Carolina for $5.5M, financed almost entirely with personally-guaranteed debt. Three years later it's grown from $3M to $4.7M at 32% EBITDA. The lesson: earn the confidence before you take the risk.

A Honda and Toyota auto repair specialist in Walnut, CA, asking $258,000 on $150,000 of cash flow — a 1.72x multiple that sits below the market floor. We run the SBA math and figure out whether that price is an opportunity or a warning.

Sarah and Matthew — childhood friends, aerospace engineers, and former VCs — bought the only auto repair shop in Aspen, CO for $1.5M and survived their manager quitting six weeks after close. Source: SMB Deal Hunter (published 2026-06-12).

A 40-year-old residential and commercial HVAC company in Austin, TX. Asking $675,000 on $254,696 average annual cash flow. Verdict: PURSUE, pending year-by-year SDE confirmation.

David Graf paid $2.1M net for Danhard, a 61-year-old specialty HVAC manufacturer in Dallas, using an SBA loan with no seller note. Nineteen months later, EBITDA grew from $750K to $1.2M. The lesson: growth is chronically underpriced in SMB deals.

A 22-year-old self-serve car wash with two new in-bay automatics in Maryland asks $1.4M at 3.03x SDE. SBA-eligible. Jordan walks the SBA math, flags competitive density and utility costs, and delivers a pursue verdict.

Dan Burnside bought a rural Colorado HVAC company at a sub-3x multiple. Within days, the earnings unraveled. A hard, honest look at quality of earnings and tertiary-market risk.

Jordan breaks down Big Bear Auto Repair, a NAPA-certified shop in Big Bear Lake, CA, asking $350k on $125k SDE. Full SBA math, three diligence priorities, and a binary verdict.

Thursday Operator Story features Zack Mutnik, a Navy veteran gas-turbine electrician (age 32-33 at acquisition) who bought Jeff Masters Electric in Fort Myers / Cape Coral for $1.651M via SBA 7(a) — funded by selling two properties for the down payment. Source: Acquiring Minds (2026-05-14).

Monday Deal Room walks through a 54-year-old family-owned HVAC shop in Prattville, AL (Autauga County) listed on BizBuySell. Asking $450K against $180K SDE on $500K revenue = 2.5x — below the 2.95x HVAC median. Three employees, 50/50 service-to-install mix, seller retiring after 54 years.

Joseph Cruz left a finance career paying north of $400K to buy A&A Equipment and Supply Co., a small industrial equipment and supply distributor in Bensenville, IL (Chicago / O'Hare metro), in December 2024. Purchase price was $536,000 at roughly 2.25x SDE, financed with $75K equity, a $550K SBA 7(a) loan structured to a ~2x DSCR, a $55K seller note, plus a $50K earnout and $25K cash holdb...

Jordan walks through a real BizBuySell listing: a full-service independent auto repair shop in Cypress, TX (Houston metro), asking $375,000 against $247,500 SDE on roughly $450,000 in annual revenue. That works out to a 1.52x SDE multiple in a category that typically trades at 2.71x median. Full SBA 7(a) math at 10% down, 9.3%, 10 years. Three due diligence priorities, one yellow flag on a 55% SDE...

Two childhood friends — both former private equity professionals — quit their jobs in 2023 and built a thesis: franchising, then automotive, then auto repair, then Meineke specifically. They raised $2.8M from friends and family, expecting to reach 10 locations. Two and a half years later, Etium Capital owns 25 Meineke stores across the Carolinas, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts — at roughly $25M run-...

Jordan walks through a real BizBuySell listing: an established full-service landscaping and snow removal company in Wayne County, MI (Detroit metro), operating 30+ years with four full crews. Asking $1.4M against $500K SDE on $1M revenue — a 2.80x multiple at a highly unusual 50% margin. Full SBA 7(a) math at 10% down, 9.3%, 10 years. Three due diligence priorities (margin sustainability, contract...

After his family's HVAC business deal fell apart at Christmas 2021, 20-year trade veteran Corey Mullins started Cool by Design from scratch in Oakland Park, FL — and simultaneously bought McConnell Air Conditioning for $100K via SBA 7(a) ($15K down) for one reason: a phone number that had been on stickers for nearly 50 years across South Florida. Three years later, the combined business was do...

Jordan walks through a real BizBuySell listing: a residential and commercial HVAC service business in Oklahoma City, OK, operating since 1996 as a franchised location of a national heating and cooling brand. Asking $725,000 against $268,600 SDE — a 2.70x multiple. Full SBA 7(a) math at 10% down, 9.3%, 10 years. Three due diligence priorities (franchise terms, technician retention, customer mix), o...

Mike Fagan bought Ten Pins and More, a bowling alley in Rio Rancho, NM, for $2.05M including real estate via SBA 7(a). One year later he owns two locations, has a third in motion, and runs both from Dallas — 600 miles away. The lesson: the boring categories with intimidating equipment lists are where the real spread is.

Jordan walks through a real BizBuySell listing — a 30-plus-year independent auto repair shop in St. Louis County, MO. Asking $465K against $200K SDE puts the multiple at 2.33x, in comp range for established shops. Full SBA 7(a) math at 10% down, 9.3%, 10 years. Three due diligence priorities, one yellow flag, binary verdict.