The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection From Founder to Three Exits Building a Services Company and Selling to Private Equity
12 snips
May 5, 2026 
Robert Irving, founder-turned-operator and CEO of Buffalo Growth Partners, built and exited a fire & life safety firm and now runs an operator-led investment platform. He recounts rapid growth to scale, why people misalignment is PE's biggest mistake, how off-market, relationship-driven sales win, the power of retaining founders, and running roll-ups while staying close to frontline teams.
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People Misalignment Is The Biggest PE Mistake
- People alignment is the primary failure mode in services roll-ups, not strategy or tech.
- Robert distinguishes true experience from repeated mediocrity and prioritises matching owner goals with business needs.
Off Market Approach Led To An 18 Month Sale
- Better Fire Protection was off-market when Summit's PE firm approached Robert via a mutual board contact; the process took ~18 months and closed in early 2021.
- The deal was driven by shared vision, timing (post-COVID market dynamics), and resources to scale.
Win Deals By Crafting Owner Centric Narratives
- Do build a human-to-human narrative that answers what the owner truly values beyond price.
- Ask if they care about people, customers, legacy or brand, and craft an ownership retention and growth story that aligns with those drivers.
