Welcome to The Close M&A Podcast with Caber Hill Advisors, where we bring you exclusive insights from M&A experts, business owners, and industry leaders navigating the complexities of buying and selling businesses. Hosted by Craig Castelli, this podcast demystifies the dealmaking process, shares success stories, and offers invaluable lessons for business owners and investors. M&A..

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MEET YOUR HOST

Craig Castelli, Founder & CEO of Caber Hill Advisors, is a trusted M&A expert with decades of experience advising business owners through successful transitions. Alongside a rotating roster of advisors, entrepreneurs, and investors, Craig brings engaging conversations that illuminate the world of middle-market M&A.

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ABOUT THE PODCAST

Welcome to The Close M&A Podcast with Caber Hill Advisors, where we bring you exclusive insights from M&A experts, business owners, and industry leaders navigating the complexities of buying and selling businesses. Hosted by Craig Castelli, this podcast demystifies the dealmaking process, shares success stories, and offers invaluable lessons for business owners and investors. M&A..

ABOUT THE HOST
Craig Castelli headshot

MEET YOUR HOST

Craig Castelli, Founder & CEO of Caber Hill Advisors, is a trusted M&A expert with decades of experience advising business owners through successful transitions. Alongside a rotating roster of advisors, entrepreneurs, and investors, Craig brings engaging conversations that illuminate the world of middle-market M&A.

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EPISODES

Mathew Pettit: Healthcare Services Investing

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Matt Pettit is the founder of Seven Hills Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity firm based in Nashville. Matt shares his journey from working in middle market PE to starting his own firm, discussing why he chose the entrepreneurial…

Lee Edwards: Growing The Greenery, Inc.

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Lee Edwards, President and CEO of The Greenery, a thriving commercial landscaping company with branches across the Southeast, shares his journey from joining his parents’ business in his twenties to building a growth-focused organization that prioritizes employee development…

David Ogurek: M&A Due Diligence and Analysis

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode of The Close M&A Podcast, host Craig Castelli sits down with Dave Ogurek, Director at Caber Hill Advisors and the first full-time hire. Dave shares his journey from corporate finance roles at manufacturing and PepsiCo…

Dr. Pete Smidt: Driving Big Growth at Smalltown Dental

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode of The Close, Craig interviews Dr. Pete Smidt, founder of Smalltown Dental, about his rapid expansion during COVID-19 when he grew from two to eight practices in just one year. Pete shares the challenges of…

Josh Gammon: Litigation Funding & IP Advisory

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode of The Close, Craig and Josh Gammon discuss the growing litigation funding market and how Wealth Docket, a litigation funding company that Josh co-founded, focuses on complex commercial and patent litigation for individual claimants and…

Craig Checks In: Thoughts on FanMail Questions from Listeners

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this solo episode of The Close, Craig Castelli tackles listener questions covering timely M&A topics. He discusses how the government shutdown impacts SBA financing and government contractor deals, explains reverse due diligence strategies for sellers to properly…

Ted Hsu: Personal & Professional Preparation

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Business owner Ted Hsu shares his journey from selling his company to finding new purpose in life after exit. He discusses the critical aspects of the sale process, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to all that is…

Jordan Gerber: Part CFO, Part Investment Banker, Part Psychologist

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Caber Hill Advisors Managing Director Jordan Gerber explores his unique path to investment banking. From his early days as a CPA to owning and selling his own collection agency, Jordan shares hard-earned lessons about the M&A process, including…

Denielle Finkelstein & Thyme Sullivan: Advancing Women in the Workplace

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Craig is joined by Denielle Finkelstein & Thyme Sullivan, the founders of Unicorn, who made a bold pivot from retail shelves to revolutionizing workplace bathrooms. After struggling in the competitive retail space selling premium period products, they discovered…

Maria Melone: Dental Advisory on the Buy & Sell Sides

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Maria Melone discusses the challenges facing healthcare M&A, particularly in dental and med spa sectors. She explains how many advisors focus solely on headline multiples while ignoring crucial deal structure elements like cash-at-close ratios, equity terms, and buyer-seller…

Nick Olsen: Growing a Network of M&A Advisory Firms

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Nick Olsen, Managing Director of Cornerstone International Alliance, discusses what makes successful M&A advisors and how business owners should evaluate them. Nick shares insights from working with 165 M&A advisors who’ve closed $5.5 billion in deals over four…

Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj & Dr. Anushka Gaglani: Dentistry on Dentists’ Terms

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj and Dr. Anushka Gaglani, co-founders of Areo Dental Group, discuss their entrepreneurial journey from associates to successful multi-practice owners. Founded in 2016, Areo has grown through strategic acquisitions and de novo development across multiple states.…

Brian Zielinski: Helping Business Owners Leverage AI

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Brian Zielinski of ShapeConnect discusses how AI is transforming business operations and M&A processes. He explains how his company streamlines post-acquisition integration by connecting tools and improving data flow. In M&A, AI eliminates mundane work by accelerating target…

Peter J. Holton: A Life in the Trades at All Levels

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode, Caber Hill’s Managing Director Peter J. Holton discusses his unique background in family-owned businesses and how it helps him connect with blue-collar business owners, particularly in the facility services sector. Peter shares insights on building…

Bob Armbruster: The Business of Clean

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode, Bob Armbruster, founder of Clean Team, shares his journey from humble beginnings to building a nationwide janitorial company. Starting with just $5,000 in 1996, Bob grew his business from personally cleaning offices to operating 18…

Dr. Erica Person: Lessons from Two Decades in Hearing Healthcare

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode, Dr. Erica Person of Flex Audiology shares her journey from selling her first audiology practice to building a new one with a unique fee-for-service model. Dr. Person discusses how prioritizing service over devices has kept…

Tim Murch: From Inception to Growth to PE Partnership

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Tim Murch shares his remarkable journey growing 4M Building Solutions from a small family business to a $125 million enterprise with 6,500 team members. He discusses his strategic approach to acquisitions (completing 40+ deals), the importance of setting…

Darrin Shillair: Inside a Self-Funded Acquisition

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST In this episode of The Close M&A Podcast, host Craig Castelli interviews Darrin Shillair, owner of Specialty Sales, an industrial distribution business in Chicago’s western suburbs. Darrin shares his journey from leaving his position at Guggenheim in 2018…

Brian Steffens: The Full M&A Experience

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST Craig’s first episode with a member of the Caber Hill team features Managing Director Brian Steffens, as they discuss the common characteristics of successful clients, the importance of alignment and transparency, the competitive landscape in the middle market…

Brian Ludden of Ludex: Going Pro with a Passion

Listen Read Watch ABOUT THE EPISODE SUBSCRIBE ABOUT THE PODCAST ABOUT THE HOST BE OUR NEXT GUEST The Close M&A Podcast with Caber Hill Advisors, hosted by Craig Castelli featuring entrepreneur Brian Ludden, founder of Ludex, as he shares his journey from trader to tech entrepreneur. Discover how a simple card collecting activity with his…