Chris Meyer didn't stumble into entrepreneurship—he trained for it. Two and a half years at Ernst & Young, 400 business plans reviewed, and a clear list of criteria for what he wanted. In 2006, he found it: a $5-6 million materials company called Mintech that specialized in turning industrial byproducts into construction and environmental solutions. He was 27, had never worked in the industry, and put everything on the line to buy it.

What happened next sounds insane on paper. Take-or-pay contracts where he paid for materials whether he had buyers or not. Expanding into markets where he had no customers. Signing liabilities before he had revenue. But Chris wasn't gambling—he was calculating. Exclusivity clauses before he signed anything. Relationships with suppliers so deep that when 2008 hit and his suppliers went offline, they worked with him instead of against him. He turned crisis into opportunity, figured out logistics on the fly, and kept his customers whole even when it cost him.

Sixteen years later, he sold to a strategic partner—a supplier he'd known for over a decade—for $72 million. Majority cash upfront, three-year employment agreement, and a piece of the upside. He and his wife shared part of the exit with the entire team. Now he's reprioritizing: time with family, giving back through the Boys & Girls Club, and staying open to whatever's next.

Here's what we discuss:

• Growing up with entrepreneurial parents and learning business at the kitchen table
• How he reviewed 400 business plans before finding the right one
• Buying a $5-6M company at 27 with seller financing and bank debt
• Why he did nothing for the first six months after acquiring the business
• Take-or-pay contracts: the calculated risk that fueled explosive growth
• How the 2008 crisis forced him to expand geographically—and why that was a good thing
• Treating suppliers, carriers, and customers all like customers
• Building storage infrastructure to smooth out the highs and lows of construction
• The oil and gas boom and how customers pulled him into new markets
• The two-to-three year courting process that led to the sale
• Why he took majority cash instead of rolling equity
• Sharing the exit with his team—and why it mattered
• Reprioritizing life after the deal: family, community, and what's next

Running a blue-collar business? Wondering how to think about value or selling? Iconic Founders Group helps founders like you explore what's next. If you're doing over $2M in profit, check us out at iconicfounders.com or send us a message at [email protected].

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Production: Lower Street https://lowerstreet.co