Acquiring Minds

Pivoting To Swag In 7 Acquisitions Over 8 Years

with Ben Grossman · Grossman Marketing Group

LenderHawk analysis. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Acquiring Minds.

The Deal

Business

Grossman Marketing Group

Industry

Branded merchandise, print management, graphic design, direct mail, e-commerce services

State

Deal Source

broker

Financing Structure

Buyer Equity

Seller Note

Strategic Rationale

Diversify away from declining mature print business toward growing branded merchandise and e-commerce services using acquisition as a growth lever alongside organic expansion.

Post-Acquisition Performance

Majority of deals have been profitable; retained employees and clients from early deals remain with the company nearly a decade later; some deals had personality-driven challenges post-closing but resolved into smooth operations; financial performance varied but portfolio approach generated significant business impact over time.

Key Takeaways

1Understanding seller priorities and structuring deals to address their concerns regarding employee retention and client protection builds long-term relationships
2Develop a detailed acquisition playbook and assign clear ownership of tasks to execute deals systematically
3Treat business brokers and suppliers as partners, pay them promptly, and maintain relationships to source quality deal flow
4Communicate clearly to brokers about industry focus, business size sweet spot, and buyer credibility to generate warmer deal flow
5Be transparent with sellers on earnout calculations by sharing the same raw data from ERP systems that management uses

Matched SBA Loan Records

SBA loan filings we matched to this deal

Florida First Capital Finance85%

$304KFY2016

Mortgage Capital Development C85%

$289KFY2011

PNC Bank, National Association85%

$633KP + 2.50%FY2011

The Deal

Business

Grossman Marketing Group

Industry

Branded merchandise, print management, graphic design, direct mail, e-commerce services

State

Deal Source

broker

Financing Structure

Buyer Equity

Seller Note

Strategic Rationale

Diversify away from declining mature print business toward growing branded merchandise and e-commerce services using acquisition as a growth lever alongside organic expansion.

Post-Acquisition Performance

Key Takeaways

1Understanding seller priorities and structuring deals to address their concerns regarding employee retention and client protection builds long-term relationships

2Develop a detailed acquisition playbook and assign clear ownership of tasks to execute deals systematically

3Treat business brokers and suppliers as partners, pay them promptly, and maintain relationships to source quality deal flow

4Communicate clearly to brokers about industry focus, business size sweet spot, and buyer credibility to generate warmer deal flow

5Be transparent with sellers on earnout calculations by sharing the same raw data from ERP systems that management uses