Independent Sponsor · Lower Middle Market

Backing real businesses
that make everyday possible.

Coppermill Partners is an independent sponsor firm that partners with businesses you can walk through: real businesses with real people, and helps them grow with discipline, alignment, and care.

$2M+
EBITDA Target
Control
Transaction Type
No†
Investment Committee
Indy.
Sponsor Structure
Scroll
Approach

Operators first.
Capital second.

Coppermill Partners is an independent sponsor focused on acquiring businesses in the lower middle market. We work directly with founders and owners. No intermediaries, no timeline pressure, no institutional overhead.

We bring deal structure, capital relationships, and operating experience to every transaction. Our process is designed to move at the pace of the seller, not a fund cycle.

01
Direct to Owner
We engage directly with business owners. No broker required, no auction process.
02
Deal-by-Deal Capital
We raise equity deal-by-deal, giving our capital partners deal-level visibility and control.
03
Operator Involvement
Every acquisition needs the right leader in the seat. We find that person: seller, internal candidate, or outside hire, before we close. The business's legacy and its next chapter both depend on getting that right.
Who We Work With

Three relationships.
One firm.

01
Business Owners
You've built something real. We're a direct buyer. No auction, no intermediaries, no pressure. If you're thinking about a transition, we'll have an honest conversation about fit and structure on your timeline.
02
Capital Partners
We structure each deal independently, giving our equity partners full visibility into what they're buying. No blind pools, no fund dynamics. You back the deal, not a mandate.
03
Acquisition Entrepreneurs
Some of the best operators we know are in the middle of their first deal and doing it without a roadmap. In select situations, we work alongside other buyers: sharing process, perspective, and hard-won experience from the deals we've done ourselves.

Investment
Criteria

We move quickly when a business fits. Here's what we're looking for.

EBITDA
$2M+
Established profitability. Not turnarounds or pre-revenue businesses.
Revenue
$5M – $50M
Demonstrated revenue with stable or growing trajectory over multiple years.
Transaction Type
Control Buyouts
Founder exits, family transitions, corporate carve-outs, and succession situations.
Geography
North America
Primary focus on the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. Open to opportunities nationally.
Industries
B2B Services, Field Services
& Specialty Trades
Businesses with recurring or contractual revenue, defensible market position, and identifiable competitive moat.
What We Avoid
Turnarounds &
High Cyclicality
We don't pursue distressed assets, retail, restaurants, or businesses with heavy commodity exposure.
Process
01
Initial Conversation
A direct, confidential conversation with the owner. No NDA theatrics. No junior associates. We understand the business and determine fit in a single call.
02
Preliminary Offer
If there's alignment, we issue a non-binding LOI within two weeks. Our offers are based on real analysis, not placeholder ranges.
03
Diligence
Focused, efficient diligence. We know what matters in lower middle market deals and we don't manufacture complexity.
04
Close & Operate
We close and we stay. As the sponsor, we're engaged with the business after close. Aligned with management, accountable to outcomes.
Our Background

From the work,
not the fund.

Our team has owned and operated a specialty contracting business, managing field teams, rebuilding broken processes, and working through the kind of operational problems that don't show up in a CIM until it's too late.

We know what it takes to stabilize and grow a real business because we've done it. That's the experience we bring to every acquisition.

If you're thinking
about a transition,
let's talk first.

Email info@coppermillpartners.com
Location Indianapolis, IN
Confidentiality respected. No obligation. No pitch. Just a conversation about whether there's a fit.