AJF Growth Consultants

Executive Summary

In 2023, Anthony Friesl stepped in midstream as CEO-in-Waiting to support a $55M roofing platform build in Southwest Florida. The situation involved post-hurricane fatigue, fractured founder–sponsor relationships, and a collapsed capital stack.

Although the deal did not ultimately close, Friesl delivered a complete operational blueprint: digital marketing engine, ERP/CRM roadmap, succession plan, expansion strategy, and culture reset model.

For sponsors, founders, and investors, cultural readiness and capital certainty are just as strategic as P&L. Midstream rescue capability can preserve or unlock value even when transactions falter.

Challenge & Starting Point

The roofing company faced multiple compounding challenges that threatened the entire transaction:

Fractured Relationships – Delays eroded trust between owners and sponsors

Hurricane Fatigue – Post-storm demand left leadership stretched thin and exhausted

Capital Collapse – The original equity and debt sponsor exited mid-deal, erasing financial certainty

Founder Transition – Owners planned to step out post-close, leaving a looming vacuum

Culture Reset – A command-and-control leadership model was unsustainable for scale

The combination of operational stress, broken trust, and capital uncertainty created a perfect storm that could have destroyed the entire platform opportunity.

Strategy & Transformation Overview

Friesl applied the 5 Pillars Growth Framework, with culture transformation as the connecting thread:

Customer Acquisition

Designed a digital-first marketing engine to stabilize lead flow beyond storm-driven spikes.

Sales Execution

Introduced structured in-home sales protocols, homeowner trust-building steps, and performance-based compensation.

Operational Excellence

Scoped ERP/CRM solutions to integrate scheduling, procurement, job costing, and reporting.

Tech Enablement

Built dashboards for pipeline visibility, margin tracking, and branch-level performance metrics.

White Glove CX

Embedded install-day standards, proactive homeowner communication, and post-job follow-up.

Culture Building

Shifted from founder control to a KPI-driven leadership model with accountability and incentives.

Execution Highlights

Relationship Repair

Repaired sponsor–founder relationships to sustain deal discussions

Introduced new equity/debt sponsor to replace collapsed capital stack

Operational Design

Delivered ERP/CRM roadmap and digital marketing strategy

Created post-close org chart, succession plan, and hiring scorecards

Developed Florida expansion blueprint for both organic growth and add-on acquisitions

Culture Transformation

Defined role expectations and trained the incumbent team on professional leadership norms

Shifted from command-and-control to data-driven decision making

Created a transferable blueprint that could be applied to future roofing platform builds regardless of this specific transaction outcome.

Results

Complete operational readiness despite transaction failure

Pre-close outcomes achieved:

Operational Blueprint: Fully designed cultural and operational plan, Day 1 ready

Trust Restored: Re-established communication between founders and sponsors

Readiness Banked: Transferable blueprint created for future roofing platform builds

Deal Status: Transaction did not close due to capital stack instability and founder fatigue

The operational framework and cultural blueprint remained valuable assets for future platform opportunities, demonstrating that preparation work retains strategic value even when deals fail.

Lessons Learned

Trust Is as Strategic as P&L – Emotional capital is often as volatile as financial capital

Capital Certainty Is Non-Negotiable – Operational readiness has no value if funding evaporates

Culture Is the First Domino – Culture change must be prioritized from Day 1

Temper Year-One Expectations – Large-scale cultural transformations require patience; sponsors must align early

Midstream interventions require dual capability: operational blueprinting and trust repair. Without both, even well-designed platforms stall.

Key Takeaways

Why didn't the roofing platform close?

The primary capital sponsor exited mid-deal, erasing funding certainty despite operational readiness. This left founders exhausted and unable to complete a transaction.

What was the most transferable outcome?

A complete operational and cultural blueprint, applicable to future roofing or home service platform builds.

What can sponsors learn from this?

That midstream entry requires dual capability: operational blueprinting and trust repair. Technical readiness means nothing without relationship stability and capital certainty.

Cultural readiness and sponsor alignment are foundational requirements that cannot be retrofitted after problems emerge.

Conclusion

At AJF Growth Consultants, we help private equity sponsors navigate high-stakes integrations and culture resets. When trust erodes midstream, deals stall or destroy value.

We step in to stabilize sponsor–seller relationships, design scalable field operating models, and set realistic financial expectations that protect the deal while laying the groundwork for growth.

Even when transactions fail, the operational frameworks and cultural blueprints we create retain strategic value for future platform opportunities.

Roofing Platform Case Study – Rebuilding Culture and Sponsor Alignment