Private Equity Is Going Downmarket. If You Own a Business Under $10 Million, Pay Attention. Private equity firms have spent most of the past decade competing for the same mid-sized deals. That crowding has pushed returns lower in the $50 million to $500 million transaction range. Now a notable portion of PE capital is moving…
Middle Market M&A Is Finding Its Footing. Here Is What That Means for Business Owners. After two years of hesitation, the middle market deal environment is stabilizing. That shift matters if you own a business and have been waiting for the right time to engage buyers, raise capital, or simply understand what your company is…
The $10 Trillion Transfer: Why 2025-2034 Is the Best Decade to Sell a Lower Middle Market Business The numbers are not subtle. Between 2025 and 2034, an estimated 4.5 million baby boomer-owned businesses in the United States will need to change hands. The owners are aging out. The businesses are mature. And the transfer of…
Bowling Green has been ranked #1 in economic development for cities under 200,000 for two consecutive years. With $2B+ in battery manufacturing, Corvette production, and a $355M Tyson facility, here’s where the opportunities are and what to watch.
Clarksville is Tennessee’s fastest-growing mid-size city — powered by Fort Campbell, $4.4B in new manufacturing investment, and Nashville spillover. Here’s what the data says about where the opportunities are and what pitfalls to avoid.
Memphis moves 40% of all U.S. air cargo, employs 30,000+ at FedEx alone, and anchors a logistics economy worth nearly 30% of total metro employment. Add a 30,000-job Medical District, a nationally recognized food and beverage sector, and a metro of 1.3 million — and you have an economy unlike any other. Here’s the operator’s view.
Birmingham’s $12.1 billion UAB economic engine, Fortune 500 financial headquarters, and 1.2 million metro population make it Alabama’s largest economy. Here’s the operator’s view: growth drivers, strengths, weaknesses, business opportunities, pitfalls to avoid, and what it means for M&A.
Nashville ranked #2 among the 100 largest US metros for job growth and income. With 900+ healthcare companies, Oracle’s 8,500-employee campus, and a metro population of 1.35 million, Music City has become a serious business economy. Here’s the operator’s view: growth drivers, strengths, weaknesses, business opportunities, and M&A insights.
Knoxville is the most popular U.S. city for 2026 move-ins, home to 154+ nuclear companies in the Oak Ridge corridor, and the economic engine of East Tennessee with 456,000+ jobs. Here’s the operator’s view: growth drivers, strengths, weaknesses, business opportunities, pitfalls to avoid, and what it means for M&A.
Chattanooga’s $34 billion economy sits at the intersection of three major interstates, boasts the nation’s first municipal gigabit network, and is building America’s first quantum computing hub. Here’s the operator’s view: growth drivers, strengths, weaknesses, business opportunities, pitfalls to avoid, and what it means for M&A in the Scenic City.
Huntsville, Alabama ranked 2nd in the 2026 Best-Performing Cities Index. With $36B in annual defense impact, Eli Lilly’s $6B investment, and 16% population growth since 2020, the Rocket City is undergoing structural economic transformation. Here’s the operator’s view: growth drivers, strengths, weaknesses, business opportunities, pitfalls to avoid, and what it means for M&A.
Nashville ranked second among the 100 largest U.S. metros for job growth and income in 2025. Here’s why the Nashville M&A market is creating premium exit opportunities for business owners in 2026.