Real Opportunities Meaningful Conversations
An Open Letter
to Business Owners
We realize you’re inundated with letters, emails and calls from sell-side investment banks, brokers and other buy-side firms – each tugging at the business you’ve worked hard to build.
Many do not state who they are representing, only that they have a buyer for your business. It can be noisy, wastes your time and be hard to tell who’s genuine versus who’s on a “fishing” expedition.
When you hear from Genz & Associates, it’s different. We reach out only on behalf of a specific, retained, well-capitalized client we’ve vetted, with a defined investment thesis, clear acquisition criteria, and a real track record.
How we work with owners:
- Owner-first. Your objectives drive the structure. We listen and communicate our client’s strategy. If there’s no fit, we’ll say so quickly.
- Efficient. We ask for only what’s needed. Typically, high-level financials, customer mix, growth drivers, and your goals.
- Transparent. We lay out process, key terms, and potential trade-offs in plain English.
- Accountable. We keep momentum, coordinate diligence, and manage noise so you can keep running the business.
Our objective is simple: bring two serious parties together quietly, professionally, and efficiently. Through a straightforward, confidential conversation we can explore whether a partnership/ transaction makes sense for your business on your timeline, with clear next steps.
If timing is not right, we’ll respect it and if you’d like, we’ll stay in touch periodically with useful market context, not spam and reconnect when it suits you. Good partnerships take time to form, and we are on your timeline.
Best regards,
Mark Genz
Founder & CEO, Genz & Associates
What to Expect, Our Process
Extensive
Market Map
We canvas thousands of companies but only contact a select group
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Making
Contact
No bots, interns or call centers, our M&A expert staff is reaching out personally
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Client
Introduction
An exploratory session to learn about each other, explore fit and mutual interest
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Explore the
Transaction
Confirm fit, align on value and terms, move to a signed deal, close
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Sell-side of the Transaction, Seller-Focused, Buyer-Paid
If you’re not a match for our current buyer or they’re not a match for you, we don’t force it. We can confidentially explore other aligned investors for your business.
- Still No Cost to You. We’re paid by the buyer. No fees from you, no retainers, no surprises
- Clarify Objectives. We confirm what you are looking for in a transaction including value, transaction structures and post-close involvement
- Confidential Market Read. We quietly test our investor networks interest without disclosing your company, only sharing high-level information and confirming alignment on your goals
- Controlled Introductions. Once we see real alignment, with your approval, we schedule a named introduction under NDA, so diligence can move fast without risking leaks or distraction to your team
- Diligence and Closing. We keep the buyer honest on speed and scope, quarterback information flow, and push to a clean close with your priorities intact as we do in every transaction
Frequently Asked Questions
Genz & Associates serves as a trusted partner and adviser to well-capitalized private equity firms, family offices and their portfolio companies. Alongside our clients we define their M&A strategy, research your industry, map out sub-sectors, and identify companies that match our client’s specific criteria. We then directly engage the business owners and executives on behalf of our retained client. Our goal is to guide both sides through introductions, confidentiality agreements, diligence, and negotiations to drive a successful transaction.
We have a wealth of experience working with family businesses and respect the commitment to keeping your business in the family and preserving its legacy. Partnerships with our clients can help with succession planning including providing capital for family members looking for an exit or wanting to take “chips” off the table. Speaking with us isn’t about selling today, it’s about opening a dialogue so that if circumstances ever change, you already have trusted options in place.
Private Equity Firms, Family offices and their Portfolio companies. We also represent stand-alone corporations or strategics that do not have institutional capital.
What we are asking is straightforward, a confidential, no-obligation call where we can introduce our client, explain their investment strategy, and share some of the insights we have gathered from our work across your industry. Just as important, we want to hear directly from you about your company, its history, priorities, and long-term vision. The purpose of the call is not to press for a transaction but to open a dialogue, exchange perspectives, and see if there is alignment for a potential partnership, investment, or acquisition now or in the future.
We’re not out fishing for opportunities. When we contact an owner, it’s because a retained client has hired us and specifically directed our outreach. We only approach companies when there’s a real mandate behind it, and we’re upfront about who the client is, what they’re trying to accomplish, and why your business fits their strategy. Unfortunately, there are a lot of groups out there that cold-call businesses claiming they have buyers, when in reality they are just fishing for information and then try to shop those conversations around. That is not our model.
They bring far more than capital. The firms we represent offer strategic direction, industry relationships, and support to help a company grow and run more efficiently. They back management, invest in people, and provide the resources and experience that can accelerate growth while respecting the foundation you’ve already built.
Our fees are exclusively paid by our buy-side clients, there are no fees to the business owners we are contacting.
A platform investment in private equity is the initial acquisition of a sizable, standalone company in a targeted industry that serves as the foundation for future growth through organic expansion and add-on acquisitions. An add-on acquisition in private equity is the purchase of a company by a platform investment to expand its capabilities, geographic reach, customer base, market share, amongst other things. A buy-and-build strategy is when a private equity group acquires a strong “platform” company in a fragmented industry and then grows it by acquiring multiple “add-on” businesses. This approach expands scale, capabilities, and market reach, creating a more valuable combined company than the individual pieces alone.
Many owners we speak with aren’t ready today. That is completely fine. We are not trying to press for a transaction right now but to open a dialogue. If agreed, we can stay in touch, share updates, and reconnect if and when you decide to explore a transaction. We are on your timeline and are always available to answer questions.
Because the strongest outcomes come from planning, not reacting. When you prepare ahead of an eventual exit, even if it’s years away, you put yourself in control. You can identify the right partner, negotiate from a position of strength, and make sure the transition reflects your standards and preserves what you’ve built.
Yes, absolutely. Parties will sign a standard NDA agreement to keep the conversation and any information shared in the strictest of confidence. Even without an NDA, we uphold strict confidentiality while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
Our outreach to you is based on our client’s preliminary view that your business would be a strong strategic fit. In the event we mutually conclude otherwise, we would be happy to introduce you to other clients of ours that might be a better match.