For business owners For investors For bankers & advisors
Dubuque, IA · Orlando, FL lgibbs@bluecollartg.com
Independent sponsor · Agriculture & the trades

Operators building the next generation of blue-collar businesses.

We acquire and grow companies in agriculture and the commercial trades, and we keep the name, the team and the roots that made them great. We're a different alternative to traditional private equity and strategic buyers.

Thinking about selling? Read our story
Lincoln Gibbs, Founder & Managing Partner

Lincoln Gibbs, Founder & Managing Partner. Raised on a dairy farm near Dubuque, Iowa.

For business owners
Thinking about what comes next?
Sell all or part of your business to a buyer who keeps the name, the team and the roots.
How we partner with owners →
For investors
Invest deal by deal, alongside an operator.
Direct exposure to essential, cash-generating businesses. You choose every deal.
How we work with investors →
For bankers & advisors
Bring us a business.
A credible operator-buyer with a focused mandate, and a fast, clear answer on fit.
Send us an opportunity →
Aerial view of the Gibbs family dairy farm near Dubuque, Iowa
Lincoln Gibbs

Lincoln Gibbs
Founder & Managing Partner

Our founder

Raised on a dairy farm. Trained in private equity.

Lincoln Gibbs grew up milking cows near Dubuque, Iowa, and knows firsthand the pride, sacrifice and grit it takes to build something from the ground up. He then spent more than a decade in M&A, operations and finance, including work with J.P. Morgan, Parthenon Capital and Brightstar Capital Partners.

BCTG was built to give owners in agriculture and the trades a buyer who speaks their language and has the institutional discipline to back it up.

Lincoln Gibbs comes from a hands-on, blue-collar background. He was raised on a dairy farm near Dubuque, Iowa, where the work didn't stop for weekends, weather or holidays.

Dubuque, Iowa
Raised on a dairy farm

Early mornings, hard work and a family business that depended on everyone pulling their weight. That's where the respect for pride, sacrifice and grit comes from.

Wall Street
Learned the institutional side

Lincoln built his finance foundation with work at J.P. Morgan and Parthenon Capital, learning how capital, diligence and deal structures really work.

Private equity
Built a dealer group from the inside

At Brightstar Capital Partners, he helped build Gateway Dealer Network into the 2nd-largest Bobcat compact-equipment dealer group in North America: 30+ locations and $350mm in revenue.

Operator
Ran M&A and finance in the field

Led acquisitions, integrations and financial strategy for companies from $10mm to $6B+ in revenue, from an engineering platform to a global device-protection business.

Today
Founded Blue Collar Trades Group

BCTG brings that institutional discipline back to the kinds of businesses Lincoln grew up around, as a long-term owner rather than a fund on a clock.

Lincoln isn't a private-equity fund or a corporate consolidator. He partners directly with owners to protect their legacy, support their team and grow the business with a long-term view.

Equipment dealership facility

Past results reflect the founder's role at prior private-equity platforms and are not a guarantee of future BCTG performance.

Helped build the 2nd-largest Bobcat dealer group in North America
30+ locations · $350mm revenue
Acquisitions and integrations from $10mm to $6B+ in revenue
M&A, FP&A and operations
Backed by CEO, CFO and family-office advisors
Operators who have run these businesses

Past results reflect the founder's role at prior private-equity platforms and are not a guarantee of future BCTG performance.

Why BCTG

A different model than traditional private equity.

As an independent sponsor, we raise capital one deal at a time from investors who back the specific company. There's no fund clock, so there's no forced sale on someone else's timeline.

Operators, not financiers
Run by people who have built and led these exact businesses.
Long-term capital
No forced fund clock. We buy to build, not to flip.
Legacy & community preserved
Keep the name, team and roots that made the company great.
Speed and certainty to close
A credible buyer with a clear mandate and straight answers.

Traditional PE & strategics

Financial engineering and multiple arbitrage first
A 5-year fund clock forces a sale on someone else's timeline
Strip costs, centralize, often relocate or rebrand
Sellers are a transaction, with little industry empathy

Blue Collar Trades Group

Operators, not financiersRun by people who have built and led these exact businesses
Long-term capitalNo forced fund clock. We buy to build, not to flip.
Legacy & community preservedKeep the name, team and roots that made the company great
Speed and certainty to closeA credible operator-buyer with a clear, focused mandate
How a partnership comes together

Plain steps, no surprises.

01
First conversation
Confidential and informal, directly with Lincoln.
02
Getting to know you
We learn the business, your goals and what matters to you.
03
Letter of intent
A clear offer and structure, explained in plain terms.
04
Diligence & close
Focused, respectful of your team's time, and on schedule.
05
Building together
Long-term investment in people, systems and growth.
Where we invest

Essential businesses in communities we understand.

Control investments in profitable, founder- and family-owned companies.

$1.5–$15mm
EBITDA
>10%
EBITDA margin
FCF+
Free-cash-flow positive
Control
Majority or full buyout
See our sectors
Agriculture
Commercial Trades & MEP
Industrials & Fabrication
Equipment Dealerships
Trucking & Waste
Water Filtration & Treatment
Investment criteria

What we look for in a partner company.

$1.5–$15mm
EBITDA
>10%
EBITDA margin
FCF+
Free-cash-flow positive
Control
Majority or full buyout

Beyond the numbers

Essential, durable demand
Mission-critical products and services with recurring revenue.
Founder or family transition
Owners seeking succession, liquidity or a true partner.
Clear operational upside
Reporting, pricing, sales and process improvements we can lead.
Communities we understand
Ag and trades markets where our network and roots run deep.

Transactions we do

Full buyouts Majority recapitalizations Founder & family succession Partial transitions with rollover

US-based companies only. Not sure if you fit? Most of our best conversations start with "I don't know if this is right for you." Get in touch.

Where we invest

Six themes, one common thread: essential work.

These are the industries we grew up around and have operated in. Demand is durable, the work is mission-critical, and the customers come back.

Agriculture
Ag services, inputs, processing and the businesses that keep farms running.
Commercial Trades & MEP
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors with recurring service work.
Industrials & Fabrication
Metal fabrication, machining and specialty manufacturing for industrial customers.
Equipment Dealerships
Construction and ag equipment dealers with parts, service and rental revenue.
Trucking & Waste Management
Regional hauling, logistics and waste services with contracted routes.
Water Filtration & Treatment
Water treatment, filtration and related services for commercial and municipal users.
For business owners

You built it. We'll help carry it forward.

Whether you're ready to retire, want to step back from the day-to-day or need a partner to grow, we'll work out a transition that respects what you've built and the people who built it with you.

Have a confidential conversation
Compact equipment at work
What stays the same

The things that made your company great.

Your name
The brand your customers trust stays on the trucks and the door.
Your team
The people who built it with you are why we're interested.
Your community
We don't relocate businesses that are rooted where they are.
Your role, if you want one
Step back completely, stay on, or stay invested. It's your call.
What to expect

A straight conversation, owner to operator.

You'll talk directly with Lincoln, not a junior associate. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you quickly and point you to someone who might be.

Direct with the decision-maker
Every conversation is with Lincoln.
Confidential from day one
Happy to sign an NDA before you share anything.
A clear answer, fast
You'll know early whether we're a fit.
A fair deal
Structured around your goals, not just the headline price.
For investors

Invest deal by deal, alongside an operator.

We partner with family offices, high-net-worth individuals and institutions who want direct exposure to essential, cash-generating businesses in agriculture and the trades.

Choose every deal
No blind pool. You see the company, the plan and the terms before you commit.
Operator-led value creation
Returns built on reporting, pricing and operations, not leverage alone.
Essential, cash-generating businesses
Profitable, FCF-positive companies with durable demand.
Aligned sponsor
We co-invest and earn alongside our investors.

Join our investor network.

We share opportunities privately with investors we know. Reach out and we'll set up a call to understand what you're looking for.

Request a conversation See the track record
Team & advisors

Operators, investors and industry experts.

Lincoln Gibbs
Founder & Managing Partner

Lincoln Gibbs

Raised on a dairy farm near Dubuque, Iowa. More than a decade in M&A, operations and finance across companies from $10mm to $6B+ in revenue, including work with J.P. Morgan, Parthenon Capital and Brightstar Capital Partners, where he helped build Gateway Dealer Network into the 2nd-largest Bobcat dealer group in North America.

Advisors

John Hopper
CEO Advisor
CEO of the 2nd-largest Bobcat dealership group in N.A. ($350mm revenue, 32 locations). Former Director of Training at Ingersoll-Rand; U.S. Navy officer.
Jack Negro
CFO Advisor
CFO of VMG Health (Incline Equity). Former CFO of Likewize, a $6B global device-protection company in 35 countries.
Jacob Herschend
Family Office / LP
Leads the Family Business Practice at Marsh McLennan Agency; insurance expert focused on multi-generational, family-owned businesses.
Stuart Mason
Advisor
Carol Russ
Advisor
Clayton (CJ) Gibbs
Industry Advisor · Construction
Owner of Great River Fabric Structures, with 15+ years building, recovering and repairing fabric buildings for farms and rural businesses. Grew up in dairy farming and runs a cow-calf operation alongside the business.
Great River Fabric Structures
Frequently asked questions

Straight answers.

An independent sponsor finds, buys and operates companies without a committed blind-pool fund. We raise equity for each acquisition from investors who back that specific business. For owners, that means no fund clock forcing a sale in five years. For investors, it means you choose every deal you're in.
Our team has deep experience in acquisitions across agriculture, construction, fabrication and the specialty trades. We partner directly with owners so their vision, team and legacy are set up for long-term growth. Many of our partners built their companies from the ground up. We share their pride in their employees and families, and we believe employees should share in the value we create together.
We come from the blue-collar work ethic ourselves. Lincoln grew up on a dairy farm, and our advisors have run dealerships, service businesses and family companies. We believe in fair deals, lasting partnerships and long-term investment, and we'll tell you plainly if we're not the right fit.
US-based businesses in agriculture, the commercial trades, industrials and fabrication, equipment dealerships, trucking and waste, or water treatment. Typically $1.5–$15mm of EBITDA with margins above 10%, a loyal customer base and an owner seeking a full or partial transition. Not sure if you're a fit? Reach out anyway.
That's our intent and our model. We buy companies because of the name, people and community they've built, and we have no reason to rebrand or relocate a business that's working.
Yes. Every inquiry comes directly to Lincoln and stays between us. We're happy to sign an NDA before you share anything sensitive.
Yes. We value intermediaries and respond quickly with a clear answer, so your client gets a credible, focused buyer and a fast read on fit.

Still have a question? Ask us directly.

Let's talk

Let's build something that lasts.

Whether you're an investor, banker, business owner or advisor, the first conversation is confidential and comes straight to Lincoln.

Start a conversation Read the FAQ
Contact

Start a conversation.

Every message is confidential and goes straight to Lincoln. We'll reply within two business days.

I am a

Opens your email app to send to lgibbs@bluecollartg.com. Or email us directly.

Thank you. Your message is on its way to Lincoln.

Expect a reply within two business days. If your email app didn't open, write us at lgibbs@bluecollartg.com.