The SMB Deal Hunter Podcast He turned $100k to $6M buying landscaping businesses (here's how) | Michael Loftus
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Sep 5, 2025 Michael Loftus, entrepreneur and owner of Conor's Landscape who built a landscaping roll-up through acquisitions. He explains buying seven landscaping companies using seller financing and SBA loans. He discusses why commercial landscaping is recession resistant, how he retains 90% of customers after buyouts, building an 80-person team, and creating a business that lets him take long vacations.
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How He Bought His First Deal
- Michael Loftus scraped together $100,000 and bought his first landscaping company with about half down and seller-financed the rest over two years.
- He did the first three deals with no bank financing and later moved to SBA for larger purchases.
Why Commercial Landscaping Holds Value
- Commercial landscaping is recession resistant because properties must be maintained and many clients have service contracts.
- Recurring revenue and on-site, non-outsourcable work create built-in moats in the industry.
Buy Cashflow, Not Trucks
- Buy companies for their customers and employees, not for equipment or trucks.
- Acquiring existing customers and vetted staff avoids high marketing costs and hiring churn.