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Michael Lonergan shared thisI had great time last night sharing some experiences with students of my friends’ ★★★ Klaas B. friends’ ★★★ Klaas B. and Dr. David Panton in their packed out Alternative Investments class! They allowed me to bring Jordan, who is now excited about attending Emory University!! Due course my man!
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Michael Lonergan shared thisExciting addition to help drive our portfolio organic growth !!Michael Lonergan shared thisThe right advisor can supercharge a business. That's why we're excited to welcome Irma Goyal Shrivastava as an Operating Partner at Georgia Oak. Irma is a seasoned marketing executive, independent board director, and trusted advisor whose career has been built around helping organizations unlock growth through customer-centric strategy, brand leadership, and business transformation. As an active board director, she guides organizations through growth, transformation, talent development, and value creation initiatives. At Georgia Oak, Irma will partner with our portfolio company leadership teams to support marketing-driven growth strategies, strengthen organizational capabilities, and help create long-term enterprise value. Welcome to the team, Irma.
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Michael Lonergan shared thisWe see this a lot in diligence. Revenue growth can look strong on the surface, but once you dig in, concentration risk and founder dependence are usually where things show up. That’s where pressure tends to surface first when conditions tighten.Michael Lonergan shared thisAre you building a valuable business—or just a growing one? A lot of companies look strong on paper: revenue up, pipeline full, headcount growing. But that’s not what buyers optimize for. They’re looking at: How repeatable your revenue is How dependent the business is on you How risky future cash flow looks Growth gets attention. Durability drives valuation. Where do you see most businesses get this wrong?
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Michael Lonergan shared thisReally hard to call what we do “work” when it’s with people like Jeff Tankersley, MS, MBA.Michael Lonergan shared thisGrowth decisions rarely come with perfect conditions. Timing, judgment, and decisiveness often shape outcomes as much as valuation models. Jeff Tankersley, MS, MBA, CEO of Septic Blue and a member of Georgia Oaks’ portfolio leadership, captures this reality well: “𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚.” A valuable reminder for leaders evaluating strategic opportunities. Jeff expands on this and more leadership perspectives in the comments. #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #StrategicThinking #FounderInsights
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Michael Lonergan shared thisGeorgia Oak Partners has had a pretty incredible 2025, and we are doubling down on our growth for the future! We are hiring a DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT to build relationships with sources of deal flow in the M&A ecosystem and develop trust with founders of companies considering a sale or minority equity partner in the next 5 years. If you or someone you know have an interest in learning more, drop me a LinkedIn message or text me!!
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Michael Lonergan shared thisWe are so excited about this new partnership - amazing people and culture, with an incredibly bright future! The Conways have built a world-class company, and we are honored to lock arms with them on this next chapter! Thanks and appreciation for the support of our friends at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Moore Colson, GDCR Attorneys at Law, and Lockton, as well as to the fine folks at Bank OZK for our new partnership!!Michael Lonergan shared thisWe are proud to announce our investment in Atlanta Gear Works, Inc., a leading provider of essential gearbox repair and maintenance services to customers across North America. For nearly four decades, Atlanta Gear Works has earned a national reputation for precision engineering, rapid turnaround, and exceptional customer service across a wide range of industrial sectors. This partnership reflects Georgia Oak’s commitment to supporting founder-led companies that combine technical excellence with strong values and a legacy of quality. We’re excited to help accelerate Atlanta Gear Works’ next phase of growth and expand its impact across the Southeast and beyond. (Link to full announcement in the comments.)
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Michael Lonergan shared thisExcited to relay some great news for Septic Blue and Georgia Oak Partners. Thank you to our partners at Moore Colson, GDCR Attorneys at Law, and Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP!!Michael Lonergan shared thisWe're excited to announce that Septic Blue has acquired A-1 Septic Services, a leading provider of septic services in the Greater Orlando area! This partnership not only strengthens Septic Blue's presence in Central Florida, but also enhances their capabilities with A-1's drain field specialization. Link to the full announcement in the comments.
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Michael Lonergan shared thisGreat way for business owners to start thinking about maximizing the value of their companies, even years before an exit. https://lnkd.in/gSdCeVP9Michael Lonergan shared thisAs a founder or business owner, you don’t have to be ready to sell today—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be preparing. That’s why we’ve put together a straightforward “Exit Readiness Checklist” to help you build flexibility and control on your own terms. The key? You don’t need to do everything at once. Small, strategic moves over time give you more options—whether that means selling, bringing on a growth partner, or simply gaining peace of mind. Curious where you stand—and what comes next? We’d welcome a confidential, no‑pressure conversation. (Link in the comments.)
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Michael Lonergan shared thisSo many exciting things going on and looking to grow our band!! Please share with those in your IB, consulting and transaction services friends with 2-4 years experience!!Michael Lonergan shared thisWe're hiring an Associate! Details below. ABOUT US: Georgia Oak is an Atlanta-based private equity firm focused on buyouts and growth equity investments of founder- and family-owned businesses. We focus on top line growth and work with management teams to identify new market opportunities that will take a business to the next level, while maintaining the legacy and culture of the founders with our relationship-based approach. We work side-by-side with our portfolio companies as partners to define growth strategies and build strong organizations. More info can be found on our website: www.GeorgiaOak.com. POSITION: Associate, Full-time; start date as soon as possible LOCATION: Atlanta, GA (Midtown) PRIMARY DUTIES: - Prepare analyses and quarterly financial reporting packages on portfolio companies including KPIs, rolling forecasts, and variance analysis - Support the finance and accounting functions of portfolio companies with thought leadership and analyses, by identifying key areas of improvement and opportunities - Conduct research, including identifying investment focus areas, producing SWOT analyses, competitive analyses, market trends, comparable company metrics, transaction research, etc. - Develop investment theses and review inbound investment opportunities with our investment team - Build partnership decks and one pagers for potential acquisition targets - Create financial models and draft due diligence memos to support our investment decisions - Support marketing efforts through content creation QUALIFICATIONS: - Experience in M&A, transaction services, corporate finance, audit, or consulting - Excellent oral and written communications skills with the ability to present complex financial concepts and industry trends - Strong understanding of finance concepts and accounting methods and ability to apply expertise to business scenarios - Candidates must be a self-starter and motivated, with the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and work both independently and within teams. Attention to detail is a must. - Ability to solve complex problems through solutions-oriented analyses, or be able to connect the dots - Advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency with PowerPoint CONTACT: If you’re interested in this position, please email your resume to stacy@gaoak.com.
Michael Lonergan commented on a post
2mo
No other boat brand is growing their dealer network in 2026 like our team at Sailfish Boats!!
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Michael Lonergan liked thisIt’s always rewarding to spend time with the next generation of investors and business leaders. Our Managing Partner, Michael Lonergan, joined students at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School to share perspectives from his career in private equity and his experience partnering with founder- and family-led businesses. We’re proud to see members of the Georgia Oak team sharing their experience beyond the boardroom and investing in the leaders who will shape what’s next.
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Michael Lonergan reacted on thisMichael Lonergan reacted on thisThis Labor Day, we celebrate the people behind great businesses. The founders who built them. The teams who keep them moving forward. And the people whose skill, dedication, and hard work make growth possible. We're proud to partner with businesses like Atlanta Gear Works, LLC, Emerald Transportation Solutions LLC, and Sailfish Boats and to support the people building what's next. Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend.
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Michael Lonergan reacted on thisMichael Lonergan reacted on thisWould you buy your own business? It’s a simple question, but answering it like an investor can reveal a lot. Buyers look beyond financial performance. They look at what makes a business strong today and what will help it thrive long after a transaction. At Georgia Oak, we’ve spent years evaluating founder- and family-led businesses through this lens. We created a five-minute Investor Scorecard to help business owners do the same. Whether a sale is two years away, twenty years away, or not on the horizon at all, seeing your business through a buyer’s eyes can uncover valuable perspective on where to focus next. Take the 5-minute Investor Scorecard: https://lnkd.in/eXGa_2aP
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Michael Lonergan liked thisMichael Lonergan liked this894 buyer inquiries for a pool services company. 820 for a structural contractor doing $5.1M in EBITDA. 669 for an electrical contractor doing $2.7M in EBITDA. These numbers come from a recent Axial report. Axial is one of the platforms M&A advisors use to run deal processes. As the numbers show, a standard lower middle market business can attract close to a thousand inquiries - on one platform alone. Online tools have made it easier than ever to produce a large field of prospective buyers. In conditions like this, I see the role of a good M&A advisor as a filtration system. Having 894 inquiries for your business might feel like you're spoiled for choice. But very few of those inquiries come from serious buyers. To the untrained eye, it can be difficult to separate the ones with real capital from the tire kickers. The best advisors run a competitive process that whittles hundreds of names down to a single best-fit buyer. A well-run process gets you a deal on your terms, while protecting your time. There are plenty of buyers out there. But it takes a structured process to land the best buyer, at the best terms, for the exit you actually want.
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Michael Lonergan liked thisAppreciate the generous mentorship, Lisa Carlquist!Michael Lonergan liked thisSome leadership lessons come from the classroom. Others come from the people who've spent decades building a business. Jim Bojko, CEO of Artisan Custom Closets, has benefited from both. While consulting and business school gave him a strong foundation, collaborating with founders reinforced that the best decisions aren't made on paper alone. "Working with founders has taught me how to bridge the gap between the textbook approach and the most effective approach." Experience adds the context that frameworks can’t: people, culture, and customers. Frameworks provide direction. Experience sharpens judgment.
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