Paradosi Partners · παράδοση — the act of handing down
We buy founder- and family-held businesses and keep them — the name, the people, the way you do things. We're not private equity. There's no exit clock and no plan to resell.
You'll talk to James — he answers his own phone · (586) 945-3021
Is your business a fit? · anonymous · 60 seconds
No name, no email, nothing stored.
Two ways in · same handshake
Both doors lead to the same people and the same promise. You don't have to know which one you're walking through before we talk.
Path 01
A full sale, done quietly and honestly. We become the owners and we run the business — personally, not through a rotation of managers. You step back on your own timeline.
Path 02
Not ready to sell — most owners aren't. We work alongside you first: modern systems, operations help, new customers. If handing it over ever makes sense, you'll already know who we are.
One conversation covers both paths. No documents, no commitments.
Our promise to your people
It's rarely the money that keeps owners up at night — research across thousands of exits finds a majority put legacy and their people above price. So we answer that question first.
Who you'd meet
When you call, one of us answers. When we buy, we move in. There is no committee, no fund office, no associate who "handles Michigan."
James Penz & Thu Ra — co-founders
Co-founder · CEO
Grandson of Greek immigrants who built a wholesale food business in Detroit — the name Paradosi (παράδοση, "the act of handing down") comes from that inheritance. James spent a decade at leading global consultancies rebuilding operations for some of the largest manufacturers and insurers in the country, and now puts that toolkit to work for businesses the big firms never visit. He still plays guitar in a Greek band on weekends.
Co-founder · COO
An operator, not a financier. Thu Ra helped scale a mid-sized manufacturer from $80 million to $160 million in revenue, running the supply chain and the shop floor — then built and sold two businesses of his own. He came to America from Burma, and knows firsthand what it means to build something from nothing and want it to last.
How a sale with us works
Roughly three to five months from a serious first conversation to close, when financing goes smoothly. Confidentiality is the first mechanic, not a courtesy.
Where the money comes from is a fair question — ask it. We'll walk you through exactly how a purchase is funded and show proof before we ask you for a single document.
Day 1
Thirty minutes, confidential, no documents. Your timeline, your people, an honest read on whether we're the right successor. If we're not, we say so.
Weeks 1–2
We sign a mutual NDA before you share anything identifying. Then high-level numbers only — enough for us to give you a serious, defensible range.
Weeks 3–6
A letter of intent: price, structure, and what happens to your team, on paper. You keep running the business; nobody inside it knows anything yet.
Months 2–4
The well-worn path — lender underwriting typically runs 60–90 days after the LOI. We work around your schedule, not through your office.
Close
The norm is a same-day announcement at close — from you, with us in the room. Majority of the price in cash at close is the market standard at this size, and it's ours too.
After
We move in and learn the business from your team. You stay involved exactly as long as you want — six weeks or two years. Your call.
A fair comparison
Consolidators pay real money and close reliably — for some owners they're the right answer. The difference is structural, so we'll state it structurally.
A succession buyer (us)
We do — personally, on site.
A typical consolidator
A hired operator executing a fund's plan.
A succession buyer (us)
There is no clock. We buy to hold.
A typical consolidator
Typically 3–7 years, then it's sold again.
A succession buyer (us)
Stays. It's most of what we bought.
A typical consolidator
Often folded into a bigger brand over time.
A succession buyer (us)
Change comes slowly, from inside.
A typical consolidator
Back office centralized, systems standardized on a schedule.
A succession buyer (us)
The owners. Same two people, every time.
A typical consolidator
Deal team first, operating team later — different people.
"Typical consolidator" describes the common private-equity platform model at this size, as documented across industry transaction data — individual firms vary.
Where we do our homework
Founder- and family-held businesses, roughly $2M–$50M in revenue, anywhere in the United States. Four kinds of work we've studied deeply enough to deserve a seat at your table.
Insurance work, response times, and technician retention — we know why the 2 a.m. call matters and what an aging owner of a great mitigation book is sitting on.
Relationships that took forty years to build don't survive a spreadsheet integration. Route density, supplier trust, and the family name are the moat.
Crews that show up, builders that call back, commercial contracts that recur — businesses the market undervalues because the value lives in people.
Tribal knowledge on the shop floor and thirty-year customer relationships — the things a strategic buyer's synergy model writes off, we consider the asset.
Owner FAQ
Straight answers you can forward to your CPA, your attorney, or your kids. Market figures come from broker-reported transaction data, not our marketing.
For attorneys, CPAs & brokers
Vetting us for a client? Fair. Criteria, funding clarity, process commitments, and references — including proof of funds under NDA before your client shares anything.
Start a confidential conversation
Thirty minutes with James. No documents, no pressure, no mailing list. Just an honest read on your options — including the ones that aren't us.
Prefer to write first? james@paradosipartners.com