HVAC / plumbing / electrical operators with licenses?

by a searcher from University of Virginia-Darden - Darden School of Business

1 year ago

I'm looking at HVAC / plumbing / electrical companies in the DC / MD / VA area and using a SBA 7a loan for the purchase. 

7a loans follow state regulation that require at least one person (aside from the former owner who's retiring) in the business to have a state license for their respective trade. Makes sense.and not arguing that - but does anyone have advice on finding someone with a license? Am I trying to 'hire' them before I acquire the business, bring them in earlier as an equity partner, or something else entirely? 

A bit open ended, but any advice would be appreciated!

Thx!

3 likes
220 views
6 comments

searcher from Indiana University, Bloomington/Indianapolis - Kelley School of Business

We’re working on a deal right now involving licensed trades. It appears the SBA now allows the seller to be part of the business indefinitely as a partial equity holder and you can use the sellers license for a period of time until you can transition it to you, another officer or an employee. However, you will need to a) do the deal as a stock purchase, and b) have a defensible plan to get a license holder in the business so you can eventually buy the remaining shares from the seller.

8 months ago | like reply | 2 likes

professional from Villanova University - Villanova School of Business

Hi ^Searchfunder member‌, I just worked on some deals like this. Key man employment agreements with succession planning are an option to address this situation. This is often required in licensed businesses. Sometimes, all owners must be licensed. So, you just want to dial into the specific state law on this for each industry you're looking at to know the requirements and adjust the plan accordingly. For ^Searchfunder member‌'s idea, this could be a SAFE - simple agreement for future equity if that's the route you go. I'd be happy to discuss this further.

1 year ago | like reply | 2 likes

More on Searchfunder

Just Closed on My First Deal! Reflections and Takeaways for other Searchers

45,152 transactions are available on Searchfunder (now searchable by keyword)

Now everyone has unlimited IBISWorld access

Family office looking for traditional searchers

2 Best Ways To Find Motivated Sellers, Off-Market Deals

Downsides of "buying a job" below 750k+ EBITDA?

Examples of self-funded searcher websites

Self Funded Acquisition: A few Things I Learned

Searchfunder is an online community and toolkit for searchfunds. Over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder.com account to help them network, problem solve challenges, and keep up with the industry.

We maintain partnerships with database providers that make searching more effective, efficient and affordable along with features that help searchers find deals and investors and vice versa.