Flip through the past couple issues of PM, and you’ll find a slew of articles about consolidators. The articles cover everything — how to set up your company for the sale, what to look for when selling, when to sell. After you’ve sold your life to a consolidator, it’s how your new captain sails the ship that could mean life or death to your crew.
Typically, when an owner sells his company, he’ll get a mix of cash and consolidator stock. Some owners have even taken all stock. As you can imagine, the performance of the stock is a pressing issue to $100–plus billion residential and commercial service industry, which includes plumbing.