What We Look For in a Restoration Business
A transparent look at how we evaluate companies and find great partners. |
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We often get asked: “What do you look for in a restoration business?”
It’s a fair question. Many owners want to know if they’re building something that would be attractive to a future partner—or simply if they’re on the right track.
There’s no single number or magic formula, but after hundreds of conversations and dozens of partnerships, we’ve seen consistent patterns in the companies that thrive post-close.
These aren’t just financial metrics. They’re indicators of strong leadership, solid fundamentals, and future potential.
At HighGround, we’ve built an entire platform designed to support businesses with these traits—from our Brand Support Team of subject matter experts to detailed growth playbooks that condense decades of experience into proven frameworks.
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1. A Focus on Residential Mitigation
From day one, residential water mitigation work (including multi-family apartments) has been core to HighGround’s DNA. We've found that when paired with a high-touch, locally trusted service mindset, it’s the most scalable and durable foundation for long-term value creation.
While water mitigation is typically the foundation, our family of brands also offers complementary service lines, such as reconstruction, mold, and fire mitigation. This provides a full-service experience to help us better care for property owners.
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2. A Strong Local Reputation
Our most successful partnerships have founders who’ve built trust with customers, adjusters, and referral partners through quality work and consistent service.
Online reviews, repeat business, and word-of-mouth referrals are often stronger indicators than top-line growth alone. A great local reputation paired with a robust referral network speaks volumes about the quality of the company and the legacy we work hard to preserve through partnerships.
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3. A Leadership Team That Is Hungry & Humble
The best partnerships are built on shared ambition and mutual respect.
Whether the founder stays or transitions out, we look for day-to-day leaders—founders, general managers, or up-and-coming operators—who are eager to grow, open to collaboration, and grounded in operational excellence. They openly share their expertise and are eager to learn from their peers across the team.
At HighGround, we surround each brand with insights, playbooks, and proven strategies from across our family of brands. The teams that thrive post-close are the ones who bring a builder’s mindset: driven, curious, and excited to get better every day.
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4. Scale to Support Future Growth
In most cases, a certain level of scale signals a strong foundation and the ability to continue growing. That typically starts around $4M in annual revenue, which often means there’s a team in place, some functional specialization, and enough process maturity to support what comes next.
But more important than any single number is the trend line:
+ Is the business growing?
+ Is it profitable and predictable?
+ Are the fundamentals sound?
+ What are the biggest growth opportunities—and what’s standing in the way?
If the core business is healthy and there’s ambition to grow, we can help build the rest.
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What's Not a Dealbreaker
We don’t need:
+ Perfect financials
+ A polished pitch deck
+ Every KPI tracked in a dashboard
We’ve done enough restoration deals to know that real operators are focused on the work, the team, and the customer.
As long as there’s honesty, a strong foundation, and shared values, we can move fast and work through the rest together.
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Thinking About What’s Next?
Ironically, the best time to consider an acquisition partnership is when your business is growing, not when you’re burned out.
Too many owners wait until they hit a ceiling—or worse, until things start declining—before exploring their options. But by then, it’s harder to maintain leverage, harder to attract great partnerships, and harder to get the outcome you want.
If you’re wondering how your business stacks up or whether you’d be a good fit for a HighGround partnership, we’re always happy to talk.
Even if it’s not the right time, you’ll leave the conversation with more clarity about what makes a business valuable and where to focus if you want to keep building optionality for the future.
Together, we turn Chaos into Calm. |
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Griffin Brand, VP of Corporate Development |
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P.S. We recently sat down with Patrick Kinsella, HighGround's President of Mitigation, to hear his story and discuss how the Brand Support Team helps our brand leaders take their businesses to the next level. If you're curious what kind of support is possible after a partnership, check it out here.
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All previous editions of the newsletter can be accessed here. |
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