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May 7th, 2026

45 Years of M&A: How to Buy, Scale & Sell a Business for Maximum Value | Jeff Villwock (#60)

  1. 45 Years of M&A: How to Buy, Scale & Sell a Business for Maximum Value | Jeff Villwock (#60) Peter Vera 37:45

Do you own a transportation or 3PL business doing $3M or more in revenue? Visit www.bizexitgrow.com to find out how we can help you grow, scale, and exit at maximum value.

EBITDA arbitrage, due diligence red flags, and why finishing strong before you sell can literally 10x your payout.

Jeff Villwock, the Acquisition Professor, joins Exit Algorithms with 45 years of M&A experience and over $2.6 billion in closed transactions.

We cover:

– Why buying a business beats organic Growth: at 10% annual growth it takes seven years to double. An acquisition doubles you overnight.
– EBITDA multiple arbitrage: going from $1M at 3.5x to $10M at 10x creates exponential equity value.
– The 90-day rule after closing: make no changes, build trust, optimize on day 91.
– Why most deals fall apart in due diligence because the numbers are not the numbers.
– How Jeff took an air ambulance company from $10M to $23M in 23 months, netting the owner nearly 10x more after tax than the original offer.
– Jeff’s tip: your job as a seller is to reduce risk for the buyer. Identify every risk and fix it before you go to market.

Connect with Jeff at jeffvillwock.com.
Ready to grow and plan your exit? Visit www.BizExitGrow.com.

00:00 Intro: Meet Jeff Villwock, the Acquisition Professor
01:04 From top analyst to investment banker to CEO
02:30 Closing a $35M deal during COVID after losing two lenders
08:21 Growing through acquisition vs. organic growth
09:30 EBITDA arbitrage explained
11:29 The 90-day rule after closing
12:35 Why deals fall apart: the numbers are not the numbers
21:08 The $750,000 missing cash story
25:11 Air ambulance: $10M to $23M in 23 months
29:18 How to make your business more attractive before going to market
30:55 Why sellers who take their foot off the gas destroy their valuation

#ExitAlgorithms #MergersAndAcquisitions #AcquisitionEntrepreneur #BusinessExit #EBITDAArbitrage #BuyABusiness #ScaleSmarter #SellStronger #DueDiligence #PrivateEquity

Pete Vera Managing partner, Greenrock Logistics

I'm a former U.S. Naval officer with a UC Berkeley degree in Economics. I managed high-stakes logistics operations, leading teams up to 60 personnel and overseeing $320M in aviation inventory, boosting aircraft readiness by 20%.

I'm now a Managing Partner at GreenRock Logistics, our holding company. We consolidate lower and mid-market transportation and 3PL firms through acquisitions and partnerships, deploying shared services and tech for growth while preserving seller cultures and employee legacies.

Our team unites decades of expertise: the CEO offers 40 years in trucking leadership and acquisitions as well as a SVP role at the American Trucking Association; the other Managing Partner brings 32 years in warehouse ops, government contracts, entrepreneurship, and marketing.

I also host the Exit Algorithms Podcast, launched in June 2025, sharing insights from top minds in logistics, M&A, and business growth to help business owners scale and exit stronger. The show has been featured in Acquisition Aficionado Magazine and named to Million Podcasts' Best 10 3PL Podcasts.