Partner with Drake. Keep What You Built.
A confidential, operator-led succession path for owners of MEP and fire suppression companies. You don't sell your legacy — you partner with people who'll grow it alongside you, with cash now and a second payday when the platform sells.
Grow Without Compromise
“You built a great company. Selling to Drake doesn't mean losing it. You keep your name, your logo, your trucks, your crew, and your customers. You get a real check now and a second, larger one when the platform sells — because you'll own a piece of it. And you trade away the parts you hate: the bonding ceiling, the back-office grind, the benefits costs, the recruiting headaches. You grow — without compromise.”
If Two or More of These Sound Like You — Let's Talk.
- You own a mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or fire suppression business doing $5M–$50M+
- You're thinking about succession in the next 1–5 years
- You've built something you don't want erased by a strategic buyer
- You want to take chips off the table without walking away from your people
- You'd rather grow under a real operator than report to a fund analyst
Three Steps. No Bankers. No Surprises.
A quiet conversation
30 minutes, confidential, operator to operator. No bankers, no NDAs to start. We listen to what you've built and what you want next.
An indicative offer
Within 2–3 weeks of basic financials, you'll see a real structure: cash at close, seller note, earnout, and rolled equity. No surprises later.
Close & keep building
60–90 days to close. Same name on the truck. Same crew. New back-office support. A larger pipeline. And a second payday on the horizon.
Three Buyers. Three Very Different Outcomes.
| Strategic / Competitor | Typical PE Roll-Up | Drake Service Partners | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your company name & brand | Absorbed — it disappears | Sometimes kept | Kept — name, logo, trucks, crews |
| Your customers | Reassigned to their teams | Centralized | Stay yours — you keep serving them |
| Your role | Phased out | Report to a fund | Run your company as President / GM |
| How you get paid | One check | One check, maybe an earnout | Cash now + note + earnout + rolled equity |
| The back office | Their systems | Their systems | Off your plate — finance, HR, IT, bonding |
| Your upside after closing | None | Limited | A stake in Drake — a second, larger payday |
Cash Now. A Second Bite Later.
Cash at close
At closing
The majority of your value, in your pocket day one.
Seller note + earnout
Over 2–5 years
Additional value as the business performs.
Rolled equity (the second bite)
At platform exit
Own a slice of Drake — can be worth a multiple at exit.
Illustrative structure; exact terms are tailored to each company and confirmed in a definitive agreement. We move fast, keep it confidential, and treat your legacy like it is our own — because to us, it is.
What Founders Ask First
Will you change my company's name?+
No. Your brand, logo, trucks, uniforms, and crew stay exactly as they are. To your customers, nothing changes on day one — or day 1,000.
Do I have to leave after closing?+
No. Most founders stay on as President or GM and keep running the day-to-day. We replace the parts of the job you hate — back-office, bonding, HR — not the parts you love.
What does 'rolled equity' actually mean?+
You take cash at close and reinvest a portion into Drake Service Partners itself. When the platform sells in 4–7 years, you get a second check — typically a multiple of what you rolled.
How confidential is this?+
Strictly. First conversations are direct with the Drake founder. No brokers, no listings, no leaks. We don't tell your team, your customers, or your competitors anything until you're ready.
How fast can this move?+
From first call to indicative offer is usually 2–3 weeks. From signed LOI to close is typically 60–90 days. We move at your pace, not a fund's calendar.
Let's Have a Quiet Conversation
Tell us about your company. First conversations go directly to Drake's founder — no bankers, no brokers, no leaks. Based in O'Fallon, MO; partnering with owners across Missouri, Illinois, and the broader Midwest.