Collin County is one of the most active lower middle market M&A markets in the country. What business owners in Frisco, McKinney, Prosper, and Allen should know before starting a sale process.
Beachfront property in 1990 was a real opportunity. Not because everyone said it was. Because the math was right. The population was heading toward the coast. The infrastructure was being built. And the owners who understood that window, who sold when demand was accelerating rather than after it had peaked, those are the ones who tell the story a certain way at dinner.
Collin County right now is that kind of window. Not permanent. Not forever. But real.
Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Celina. One of the fastest-growing counties in the United States for over a decade. That growth has created something unusual in the M&A market: buyers who specifically target North Texas, not just buyers who will consider it. There is a difference. I have seen it across dozens of conversations in this market.
If you own a business in this corridor and you are thinking about selling in the next two to five years, the conditions are in your favor. But only if you understand why, and position accordingly.
Population growth that is not slowing down is driving sustained demand across the sectors buyers care most about: specialty contracting, healthcare services, professional services, and business services. These are not cyclical tailwinds. They are structural.
Collin County added more residents in the past decade than many entire states. That growth requires electrical work, HVAC, roofing, plumbing, healthcare providers, accounting services, and IT support. These services are sticky, essential, and local. Buyers who understand this are actively approaching businesses serving this market before any formal sale process begins. I have watched that happen. It changes the seller's negotiating position entirely.
Three types of buyers are active in Collin County right now, and they operate very differently.
Strategic acquirers are larger companies buying competitors or adjacent service providers. They move slowly but pay well when they find the right fit. They are most interested in businesses with $5M or more in revenue.
Private equity-backed platforms are roll-up buyers consolidating specific sectors, roofing, HVAC, home health, accounting. They have defined investment criteria, move quickly, and want either strong management businesses to use as platforms or solid add-ons with a local market position they can build from. There are also, it should be noted, a remarkable number of private equity firms that have "just opened a DFW office" in the past 18 months. The market has their attention.
Independent sponsors like Berkman Woods raise capital deal-by-deal rather than from a blind pool fund. We bring SBA financing and private capital to acquisitions in the $2M–$10M enterprise value range. We move fast, prefer to work directly with owners, and are genuinely interested in understanding your business before a formal process begins.
In Collin County, the most active buyer interest right now is in specialty contracting, electrical, HVAC, roofing, healthcare services, home health, staffing, pharmacy, professional services, accounting, engineering, IT, and business services with recurring revenue.
The common thread is not sector. It is the combination of essential services, local relationships, and the ability to serve a market that is structurally, not cyclically, growing.
Calling a broker before understanding what their business is worth. A broker can help run a process. A broker cannot tell you what to optimize for before the process starts. A direct conversation with a buyer, before you sign an engagement agreement, is often more valuable than anything a broker does in the first ninety days.
Assuming a fast-growing market compensates for a poorly prepared business. The market creates buyer demand. It does not make up for messy financials, owner dependence, or undocumented processes. Buyers are sophisticated. They know the difference between a great market and a great business.
Not understanding SBA eligibility. SBA eligibility affects the entire buyer pool available to you. Buyers who can use SBA financing are able to pay more and close faster than those relying on private equity capital alone. If your business does not qualify, you need to know that early and understand why.
Waiting too long. I have seen the owner who waited two years and sold into a softer market. I have also seen the owner who understood the window and moved while conditions were working in his favor. Those are not the same story. Owners who start thinking seriously about a sale 12–24 months before they are ready consistently get better outcomes than those who call a broker when they are already burned out and need to be done in six months.
SBA 7(a) loans are the dominant financing mechanism for business acquisitions in the $2M–$10M range. Collin County has active SBA lenders who know this market well. For sellers, that matters because it expands the qualified buyer pool considerably. You are not just selling to someone with $3M in cash. You are selling to any capable operator who qualifies for SBA approval.
Berkman Woods is an active acquirer of lower middle market businesses in Collin County and the broader DFW metro. We use SBA 7(a) financing and private capital and prefer to talk to owners directly before a formal process starts. If you want to know what your business is worth, that conversation starts here.
Related: For Business Owners · LMM Private Equity
