Mark Gartner is head of investment development at private equity firm ClearLight Partners LLC, which is dedicated to the lower middle market. 

Over his years in the industry, he’s seen a sea change in how PE firms go after potential targets, from “smiling and dialing” to using CRMs and data to guide their strategy.

He talks about other elements of his approach to potential acquisitions, including how he always has a value proposition in mind when making contact. 

Part of that strategy derives from the fact that many of the ClearLight team have actually run companies and know the reality of operating a business – they’re not investors working in a vacuum.

We talk about that, as well as…

• Why 75% of companies utilize rep and warranty insurance

• The reason they focus on lower middle market companies

• The ideal target profile they’ve identified – and how it’s evolved over time

• Where he and his partners see the greatest opportunity right now

• And more