Key Points From the Interview
aroline Chapdelaine bought a defense contracting business in October of last year.
This is a business that manufactures a piece of technology designed by a team of scientists.
Caroline, very sharp but not a scientist, is now the CEO and operator of this science-heavy, technical manufacturing business.
That’s her below, second from left, with the Northstar Photonics team.
It's a really interesting story and includes themes that Acquiring Minds hasn't touched on in other interviews:
- Defense contracting, an enormous industry but one you don't hear much about in our world of buying businesses
- Buying a carve-out, that is, a larger business selling off one of its business units
- The benefits of buying an asset-heavy business (searchers typically prefer asset light)
These first 6 months of ownership have not been easy, much of that attributable to the fact that this was a carve-out.
There was a scary cash crunch and consequently some dark moments, moments that Caroline, a veteran, says were more stressful even than combat.
As of now, things are looking much better, and I hope you'll listen closely to how Caroline navigated those dark moments, both practically and emotionally.
Here she is, Caroline Chapdelaine, owner of Northstar Photonics.
