HeyJaredThe Deal Factory
The Deal Factory, powered by 3PG Advisors, brings practical insights from the front lines of mergers & acquisitions, scaling, and exit strategies in the skilled trades and service industries.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 5
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- Sep 30, 2026
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- Jul 14, 2026
Latest episodes
Action Wins: How David Koehn Built, Sold, and Reinvented His Business (opens the original)
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What happens when the business you fought to build nearly breaks you and then becomes the vehicle for your next chapter? In this episode of The Deal Factory , Jeff Harkness sits down with entrepreneur David Koehn to unpack a journey that started with $12,000 borrowed from his father, a lawnmower, and a Ford Explorer — and ultimately led to building and selling Koehn Outdoors. David shares the mistakes that nearly put the company under, the strategic shift that transformed the business, and why b
The Inner Game of Leadership: How Great CEOs Keep Growing (opens the original)
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The skills that build a company are not always the skills required to scale one. In this episode of The Deal Factory , Jeff Harkness sits down with his own CEO coach, Chuck Gulledge , for a candid conversation about what happens to a leader as the business grows around them. After beginning his career as a CPA with Arthur Andersen, working in the capital markets, and spending years studying companies and their leaders, Chuck made a major career pivot at age 50 to become a certified executive coa
From $5M to $100M: Building a Landscaping Platform Through M&A (opens the original)
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Crystal Knafel started her landscaping business with a shovel, a wheelbarrow, and a willingness to outwork just about anyone. Today, she and business partner Krista Bontrager are building something much bigger. In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Crystal and Krista to discuss their evolution from a founder-led operation into a $5M+ multi-location business pursuing growth through acquisitions. They share how their visionary-integrator partnership works, what they lea
Inside Private Equity: How Plexus Capital Builds Winning Companies (opens the original)
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Private equity has never been more misunderstood. In this episode of The Deal Factory , Jeff Harkness sits down with longtime friend and Plexus Capital Partner Brad Pence for one of the most practical conversations yet on how institutional investors actually evaluate businesses. From defining the lower middle market to explaining fund structures, leadership, AI, operations, and value creation, Brad provides an inside look at what separates companies that attract premium valuations from those tha
How Serious Operators Build Value After Partnering with Private Equity (opens the original)
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Most entrepreneurs dream about building a business that lasts. Few ever build one capable of attracting multiple private equity partners, completing more than 20 acquisitions, and creating life-changing wealth for employees. In this episode of The Deal Factory , Jeff Harkness sits down with Jerry Shill, Founder & CEO of Schill Landscape Collective , to unpack the 35-year journey from a local landscaping company to one of North America's fastest-growing commercial landscape platforms. Jerry share
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