Acquisition War Room | LoL #9

Acquisition War Room isn't theory -- it's full-on field strategy. Hosts Shane Pierson, Stephanie Dunn, and Brian Congelliere bring on guest Collin Trimble, a founder who's acquired five companies in the alarm/security space, to walk through the true operational, legal, and cultural chaos of scaling through acquisition.

From dealing with disorganized operations and broken SOPs to understanding post-close liabilities, Collin shares what worked, what failed, and what he'd never do again. You'll hear real stories of employee fallouts, unspoken customer arrangements (like paying for alarm service with tires), and due diligence misses that could have sunk the ship.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone using SBA loans to scale, operators thinking of buying a business, or lenders supporting acquisition clients. It's honest, unfiltered, and full of powerful tactical advice from people who've been in the trenches.

In this tactical deep dive, Shane, Stephanie, and Brian sit down with serial acquirer Collin Trimble to dissect what really happens when you scale through acquisition. From chaotic day-one takeovers to post-close surprises, this episode is all strategy, scars, and lessons earned the hard way.

Timestamps:

00:09:49 - What Strategy Looked Bulletproof (But Wasn't) 00:12:38 - 28 Minutes In: The Day One Disaster Story 00:15:55 - You Can't Prepare for Everything: Assessment Strategy 00:17:35 - The 90-Day Employee Rule: Listen Before You Lead 00:20:17 - Finding Hidden Leaders in Broken Organizations 00:27:11 - Employee Due Diligence: What to Look For 00:30:21 - Cultural Integration: Bringing Teams Together 00:35:18 - Customer Experience: From Personal Touch to Scalable Systems 00:41:07 - Not All Revenue is Equal: The Tire Story 00:42:57 - Due Diligence Providers: RMR Audits & Quality of Earnings 00:49:53 - Legal Landmines: Why You Need Transaction Attorneys 00:56:58 - Technology Infrastructure: Building Customer 360 with Salesforce 01:04:43 - Quick Fire Strategy Round: Never Do Again 01:05:42 - Essential Legal Moves & Holdback Strategies 01:10:12 - The 30-Day Liquidity Priority 01:13:18 - Next 5 Acquisitions: Geographic Expansion Strategy 01:15:07 - Closing: Resources for First-Time Acquirers