How Brian bought a trailer company for $125K

Brian is a product manager at an energy company in Edmonton, Alberta.

He’d been searching for businesses to buy for years but kept spinning his wheels without guidance or accountability.

Then, less than three months after joining Acquisition Ace, he closed his first deal: a niche trailer manufacturing company he’s now relocating and scaling.

Here’s how he did it 👇

Finding the deal

Brian found the listing on a Canadian business-for-sale site and spent weeks researching before reaching out.

When he finally emailed the seller (using ChatGPT to craft a thoughtful message), it stood out from the 600+ generic responses the seller received.

The 71-year-old owner had been running businesses for 40 years but had a brutal year…

He lost his wife and daughter, broke his foot, and spent two weeks in a coma after falling off a ladder.

The business had basically been shelved, but there was a ton of potential there for someone who had the energy to take it over.

(Getting your outreach right can make or break a deal. Inside the Acquisition Ace community, members learn how to find on and off-market opportunities just like this one, and get help closing deals from start to finish. If you’d like to learn more about how to join, you can book a call with our team here.)

The deal breakdown

Original asking price: $420,000

Final purchase price: $125,000 (negotiated down due to the shelved operations)

Seller financing: $25,000 over two years (seller volunteered this to ensure the business succeeds)

Out of pocket: $100,000

The business had done $420K in revenue with $240K cash flow before the owner’s difficult year, so Brian bought it at a fraction of its proven potential.

It came with healthy inventory, all the manufacturing equipment, six trailer designs, two patents pending, and a former contract with the National Police Service for four trailers per month.

What he’s doing now

Brian kept his day job and brought on a trusted journeyman welder he’s known for 12 years to handle the manufacturing.

He’s moving the operation from rural Alberta into Edmonton for better road access and visibility, digitizing everything (the seller ran everything on paper), and reactivating old wholesale contracts.

His goal here is to get the police contract running again and start wholesaling to Edmonton-based trailer companies.

Brian’s key lesson

He’s the first Canadian in Acquisition Ace to close a deal (and Canadians don’t even have access to SBA loans like US buyers do).

What made the difference for him?

Finding accountability and support instead of trying to figure everything out alone.

If you’re ready to find your first deal and want support buying your first business, join the Acquisition Ace community.

We have over 2,000 members learning how to find, finance, and close deals just like Brian’s.

👉 To see if you’re a good fit, book a call with our team here.

Onward,

— Ben Kelly