The Dawn of a New American Dynamism
A permanent home for businesses that keep things running.
Howler Mountain is a family holding company acquiring essential service businesses across the Southeast, from septic and grease trap pumping to pest control, ITAD, and more.
Know a business owner? Earn a $10,000 referral fee →
About
Howler Mountain builds enduring businesses
We bring the energy, growth capital, and expertise for founder-owned companies to continue to thrive for decades to come. We see ourselves as catalysts for the next generation of essential services, while continuing to build on the foundation established in these great businesses.
We are not private equity, but rather a family-owned holding company.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, we buy great service companies in the Southeast and hold them for the long term, funded with our own capital. We live here, we hire here, and we love investing in our community.
- Family owned
- Not private equity
- Permanent capital
- Atlanta, Georgia
What we buy
Essential services customers can't skip
We look for businesses that show up on a schedule and do work that has to get done, whatever the economy is doing.
Recurring
Service on a schedule. Monthly, quarterly, or every few years, customers come back.
Route-based
Trucks, technicians, and dense local routes, where operations and reputation win.
Compliance-driven
Fire codes, sewer ordinances, and environmental and data-security rules make the work non-negotiable.
Septic pumping 
Pond & lake management 
IT asset disposition
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IT asset disposition (ITAD)
Secure, documented retirement of computers, servers, and data-bearing devices, with chain of custody and certified data destruction.
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Pond and lake management
Ongoing care for HOA, commercial, golf, and stormwater ponds: algae and weed control, aeration, fountains, and water quality.
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Pest control
Recurring residential and commercial service plans, termite protection, and documented programs for regulated facilities.
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Septic pumping
Routine pumping, inspection, and maintenance for the homes and businesses across the Southeast that rely on septic systems.
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FOG and grease trap pumping
Scheduled grease trap and interceptor service for restaurants and food service, driven by local FOG ordinances.
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Kitchen exhaust hood cleaning
Hood, duct, and fan cleaning on NFPA 96 schedules for restaurants, schools, hospitals, and commercial kitchens.
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Commercial water treatment (cooling towers)
Chemical treatment, testing, and Legionella risk management for cooling towers, boilers, and building water systems.
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Something close?
Run a closely related essential service business, or a smaller company that could be an add-on? We'd still like to hear from you.
Start a conversation →
For owners
What happens after you sell
Selling the company you built is personal. Here's what you can expect from Howler Mountain.
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01
Confidential from day one
Conversations with us stay private. We know that word of a possible sale getting out too early can unsettle employees and customers.
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02
We hold for the long term
We aren't a fund with a clock running. We buy durable businesses to own them through cycles and decades, not to flip them in a few years.
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03
People come first
Customers and employees. Great businesses are built by high-functioning teams, not by ruthless cost cutting, and we treat yours that way.
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04
Investment, not extraction
We invest in teams, infrastructure, and technology, and bring the growth capital and expertise to build on the foundation you established.
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05
Structures that fit you
From majority to full buyouts, including partnerships with management. Whether you want to step back or stay involved, we'll talk it through.
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Thinking about what's next?
A conversation costs nothing and stays between us.
Start a conversation
How it works
- A confidential conversationWe get to know you, your business, and what you want for its future.
- Learning the businessWe review the basics together and visit, at a pace that works for you.
- A clear proposalIf it's a fit, we put forward a straightforward offer and structure.
- Close and buildWe work alongside your team on a smooth transition and the years ahead.
Operating ethos
Focus on execution.Support employees.Delight customers.Win.
Great businesses aren't built on financial engineering, ruthless cost cutting or Harvard MBAs. They are built on relentless execution by high-functioning teams dedicated to delighting customers.
At Howler Mountain, people come first. Customers and employees.
That's how we win.
Capital
Permanent capital
We are structured to hold businesses for the long term, without the typical incentives that lead to the short holds and quick flips of private equity. We buy durable businesses that last throughout cycles and decades. We invest in our teams, infrastructure and technology.
And we fund it all with internal capital, and rarely and very selectively partner with investors who share our vision of long-term success through putting people first.
- Internal capital
- No fund clock
- Built to hold for decades
Investment criteria
Durable businesses providing essential services in the Southeast
| Industry | Essential, recurring services, focused on the seven industries above |
|---|---|
| Geography | Across the Southeast, with deeper interest in Atlanta and Georgia. We love investing in our community. |
| Revenue | $2.5 – $50 millionTypically recurring or reoccurring (smaller for add-ons) |
| Cash flow | $0.5 – $5 millionSmaller for add-ons |
| Ownership | Founder owned or long-time owner |
| Structure | Majority to full buyout, including partnerships with management |
Smaller companies are a fit as add-ons to businesses we already own.
Referral program
$10,000 referral fee
Great businesses are hard to find. If you introduce us to the owner of a company and we go on to buy that company, we'll pay you $10,000 in cash at close.
We're especially looking for owners in:
- Tell us about the company. Use the referral form below with the company name, website, and owner's name.
- We'll check the fit. If it sounds like a fit, we'll reach out to you for an introduction to the business owner.
- Get paid at close. If we close, we'll pay you $10,000 for making the introduction.
This program does not apply to brokers, investment bankers, or other financial intermediaries.
Contact
Get in touch
Thinking about selling, planning for the future, or just curious what a long-term owner looks like? Let's talk.
Have a business to refer instead? Choose "Refer a business" and tell us who to meet.
Confidential from the first conversation. We know how sensitive a potential sale is for your employees and customers. What you share with us stays between us.