We buy, safeguard, & Grow Exceptional Small Businesses
Essential Holdings is an investment holding company fully committed to long-term value creation. We acquire wonderful, well-established small businesses with highly durable cash flows and work to unlock their full value over time.
ESSENTIAL VISION
OUR THESIS
There are hundreds of thousands of small businesses in America generating substantial cash flows every year.
These businesses matter. They are the lifeblood of the American economy.
Many of them are family-held and don’t have succession plans. Their owners need an exit strategy.
We have an opportunity to give these entrepreneurs a great outcome, protect and grow what they’ve built, and generate fantastic returns for our investors.
OUR MISSION
We aspire to be the highest-performing asset in our investors’ portfolios and the buyer of choice for small businesses across the country.
By 2035, Essential Holdings will...
Be a portfolio of 30+ exceptional small businesses
Consistently deliver top decile returns for our investors
Employ hundreds of team members across the portfolio, serving millions of Americans every day
OUR APPROACH
Circular model enables compounding and long-term growth
Guiding Principles
Our guiding principles for value creation in every business
Preserve what we’ve bought
Focus first on protecting the strong foundations of these well-established businesses,embracing their proven models, talented people, and dependable cashflows
Define full potential
Challenge the status quo, seek understanding, and relentlessly pursue opportunities to create new levels of value for shareholders and customers
Pace the change
Approach opportunities for growth and improvement thoughtfully, balancing the ambition with the organization’s will and capacity to sustain the change
Mission first, people always
Prioritize the mission while also caring for our people and providing the support they need to succeed every step of the way
Preserve what we’ve bought
Focus first on protecting the strong foundations of these well-established businesses,embracing their proven models, talented people, and dependable cashflows
Define full potential
Challenge the status quo, seek understanding, and relentlessly pursue opportunities to create new levels of value for shareholders and customers
Pace the change
Approach opportunities for growth and improvement thoughtfully, balancing the ambition with the organization’s will and capacity to sustain the change
Mission first, people always
Prioritize the mission while also caring for our people and providing the support they need to succeed every step of the way
The specific sectors and businesses we're most interested in...
Municipal & Commercial Services
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Excavation & Demo
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Concrete & paving
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Vacuum truck services
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Roofing install & maint.
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Hydro excavation
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Snow removal
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Roll-off dumpsters
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Line striping
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Janitorial services
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Heavy towing
Home Services
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Tree services
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Landscaping
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Property restoration
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Well & septic services
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Pest control
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Gutter install & maint.
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Chimney sweeps
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Fencing installation
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MEP contracting
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General contracting
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Junk removal
Niche Manufacturing
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Outdoor sheds
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Machine shops
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Sawmilling
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Fine woodworking
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Wire & cable
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Specialty textiles
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Stone fabrication
Other Sectors
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Car washes
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Laundromats
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Mobile storage
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Mobile offices
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Garden centers
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Party equipment rental
INVESTMENT CRITERIA
WE LIKE TO BUY BUSINESSES WITH THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS
Size
$1-4M in EBITDA
Growth
Strong track record of year-over-year growth
Cash Flow
3+ consecutive years of distributions over $1M
Talent
Capable, committed, tenured team
customer obsession
Ingrained desire to understand and over-deliver for customers
competitive moat
Durable advantage over the competition
THE TEAM
Dave Crabbe
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Prior to co-founding Essential Holdings, Dave spent 14 years at Bain & Co. working with CEOs to build better businesses. At Bain, he focused on Strategy, M&A, and Org Effectiveness, and he worked across a range of sectors, including machinery, building products, robotics, steel, auto salvage, restaurants, and impact investing. Before Bain, Dave served on active duty as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Dave has a passion for coaching and mentoring, and he feels most at home in the trenches with his teams.
Dave earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He lives in Dover, MA with his wife and four children.
Joel Bryce
Co-founder & Chief INVESTMENT officer
Prior to co-founding Essential Holdings, Joel was the Chief Investment Officer for a $1.5B investment holding company managing asset-intensive businesses in South Africa & Australia. He led M&A, Capital Allocation, Disposals, and Strategy. Before this, Joel spent 5 years at Deloitte in Boston focused on general M&A and strategy practices, and before that working with the Federal Reserve Bank during the 2008 financial crisis.
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Joel has a passion for exploring the next frontier … in his old Defender in rural Africa with his two daughters, or at his desk analysing hidden growth prospects of great small businesses.
Joel earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics & Finance from William Jewell College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
SUMMARY
Essential, Everyday Sectors
We buy businesses that provide essential goods and services to their communities everyday. These businesses matter and have real staying power.
Outstanding Risk-Adjusted Returns
Our focus on the often-overlooked lower mid market allows us to buy excellent businesses at prices both investors and entrepreneurs feel great about.
Durable Cashflows
We buy businesses that have a track record of distributing significant cashflow every year. Cashflow is the lifeblood of our model. It enables reinvestment and compounding.
Long-Term Focus
We’re only interested in buying companies that we’d be excited and honored to hold for the long-term. This gives us the ability to help each business grow at the right pace and create tremendous long-term value.