Buying Family Businesses to Hold for 50 Years — Inside the North Park Group Model

 Take the Business Buyer Readiness Assessment →    Summary  This guy’s bought SIX companies in just THREE years. And he’s not flipping them. He’s holding for 50 YEARS. In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Sullivan from North Park Group—and if you’re in the M&A game (or want to be), you need to hear this. Ryan’s not chasing shiny objects. He’s quietly building a portfolio of small, family-run manufacturing businesses—with one goal: long-term, boring, predictable cash flow. We’re talkin’: How to build real trust with sellers (not just “run the numbers” and throw out LOIs) Why SBA loans are a powerful tool if you know how to use them The surprising red flags he watches for in deals (like customer concentration and operational chaos) Why they only target businesses with 30+ employees (and you probably should too) The emotional side of buying businesses—and how to handle it when stuff hits the fan You’ll also hear why patience beats pressure, how to manage investors the smart way, and why some owners just want a better life… not a better EBITDA. If you want to buy a business—and actually sleep at night after you do—this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to North Park Group 01:33 The Formation of North Park Group 04:10 Philosophy of Long-Term Ownership 08:50 Funding and Investor Relations 12:09 The Unique Partnership Model 15:59 Acquisition Strategy and Deal Sourcing 19:02 Evaluating Potential Acquisitions 24:34 Challenges in Small Business Acquisitions 33:13 Navigating Business Acquisitions 34:51 Understanding Valuation and Offers 37:27 The Importance of Patience in Acquisitions 40:33 Identifying Consistency in Business 43:39 The Lifestyle of Business Owners 46:31 Financing and Managing Investors 48:25 De-risking Acquisitions 54:14 Top Rules for Debt Management 58:00 The Emotional Side of Acquisitions