Inkwood Partners

A Private Investment Firm Focused on the Long Run

Inkwood Partners is a specialized investment firm dedicated to acquiring and growing small companies. We strategically invest in privately-owned, profitable businesses in niche sectors within stable industries. Embracing an owner-operator perspective, our emphasis is on sustainable value creation. We seek opportunities where our active, long-term involvement can significantly enhance value.

Why Partner with Inkwood?

We wont bog you down with a drawn-out processes, rigid formalities, and a deluge of paperwork, we pride ourselves on a streamlined, efficient approach that respects your time and simplifies transactions

We're not constrained by the typical 3-to-5-year hold periods that can pressure investment firms into prioritizing short-term sale prices, sometimes at the expense of employees and customers

We see the private equity model as broken. We structure each partnership as a standalone investment and cannot offset losers with winners. We do well only when your company grows, and our time is spent entirely on value creation rather than fundraising.

Our core team is small. We make quick, well-educated decisions. We work constantly to expand our circle of competence. We discern when and where we can add value, armed with the conviction of a long-term view.

Our Principles

Growing a company takes more than money — it takes heart and a happy, committed team. Good people make companies tick and customers stick

People First

Decades Not Years

We take an evergreen approach when we acquire a business. The "long-haul" is our True North when making business decisions

Consistency & Bias to Action

Our approach to value creation is straightforward. We believe consistency and a bias to action grow companies not overly engineered systems, technical wizardry, or jargon-ladden processes

Integrity & Transparency

We commit to upholding the highest ethical standards and maintaining confidentiality and discretion throughout the transaction process and beyond. We approach all of our business relationships with a colloborative spirit and a commitment to transparency and fairness

Our DNA

At Inkwood, we're more than investors; we're operators who've lived the challenges you face. Having managed departments and small businesses, we deeply understand the day-to-day grind, from tackling resource constraints to navigating sparse data and administrative burdens. This intimate understanding uniquely positions us to guide small to mid-sized companies through capital transitions, ensuring the longevity and growth of your business in an ever-evolving marketplace

Operations
Centric

Our firm and our success are entirely contingent on effective partnerships, which require deep trust and integrity. We seek to work with good, honest people and build close relationships that enable us to align on priorities. We are patient, long-term holders of our businesses, who seek to build employee-driven cultures and encourage shared ownership

Alignment
Oriented

We are flexible and want to partner with businesses to determine the best transition plan. We are very open to continued owner involvement, promotion of new leadership from within the organization, or if needed, can facilitate recruitment externally to fill executive operating roles. We want to ensure that those who have worked hard to build the business continue to grow and flourish

Flexible

Our Investment Criteria

We acquire privately-held, profitable companies operating in the lower middle market. Our targeted investments have between $5M-$50M in annual revenues, a B2B customer base, and strong gross margins. We invest both as active owner-operators and as partners to an active owner-operators

B2B Services Sector Focused Investors

Target Industries

Transaction Types

Financial
Criteria

Revenues of between $5 and $50 million

Strong Gross Margins - > 40%

Operating Profits of $2 to $7 million

A Reasonably Diversified Customer Base

Defensible Market Position

Owner wants to recapitalize the business and transition from day-to-day operations

Recapitalizations to buyout existing minority or majority partners

Management Buyouts

Corporate Carve-Outs

Capital injections to accelerate M&A and/or other strategic investments

Transaction
Types

Business Process Outsourcing

IT & Tech- Enabled Services

Professional Services & Specialized Consultancies

State, Local, and Education Service Providers

Insurance Mandated & Outsourced Services

Target
Industries

Companies that Inkwood has been involved with in a key investing, operating, or advisory role

Representative Companies

Our Investment Approach

We embed ourselves in the companies we work with, ensuring that the full weight of our operational and management expertise is realized.

Although every business is unique, most companies face the same fundamental obstacles on their path to success. We help our companies transform their businesses by identifying and implementing solutions that allow them to go further, faster.

Our investment strategy is tailored to the unique needs of each company, yet unified by the following core elements that guide our collaborative efforts:

Hands-On,
Focused Involvement

We seek partnerships that involve active and consistent involvement - not limited to quarterly board meetings or pivotal strategic decisions but extending to daily and weekly interactions. Our hands-on approach allows us to work closely with our partners, lending our support and guidance every step of the way

Grounded in Reality,
Aimed At Growth

We manage businesses based on annual operating plans that are free from unrealistic KPIs and hockey-stick projections. We prioritize practicality while ambitiously targeting the obstacles that stifle growth, ensuring our goals are not only forward-looking but acheivable

Transparent,
Accountable Culture

We implement straightforward processes for task tracking and progress reporting. We cultivate an environment that prioritizes people, fostering transparency and accountability at all team levels

Customer Centric,
Operational Excellence

Guided by the principle of not fixing what isn't broken, we prioritize new initiatives based on their impact on the customer experience. Believing firmly in customer centricity as the cornerstone of any truly sustainable business, we ensure that our operational enhancements are always aligned with enhancing the value delivered to customers

Long-Term Vision,
Measurable Milestones

Our strategy is underpinned by a long-term vision complemented by clearly defined, achievable milestones. This approach ensures that while aiming for substantial, transformative growth, we maintain a step-by-step progress towards sustainable development and achievement

Decentralized,
Nimble Decisions

Our approach embraces decentralized leadership, empowering team members to make quick, entrepreneurial decisions. By valuing the insights and capabilities of our people at every level, we cultivate an environment where adaptability and proactive problem-solving lead the way to sustained growth and succes