As Tampa Bay Founders Retire, Private Equity Moves In

HVAC business owner meets with private equity investors as Tampa Bay founders consider succession and selling their companies.

For years, Tim Coop watched Tampa Bay entrepreneurs build companies, borrow money from his bank and run their operating accounts through it. Then private-equity firms began buying them at an increased pace, repaying the loans at closing and taking the banking relationships along with the businesses. “I can remember five years ago discussing the high … Read more