FedEx & Fencing: A Pivot into Ownership

April 3, 2025
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oday's guest is 2 for 3 on his business acquisitions.

His first was a small FedEx route that he eventually parlayed into 9 routes, then exited them during the go-go Covid years when ecommerce, and therefore logistics, boomed.

A nice 7-figure outcome for someone who just four years earlier had been working in equipment sales.

Matt O'Brien then got back into the game with his acquisition that is the subject of today's interview, a commercial fencing contractor.

It was doing about $2.5m when Matt bought it in 2022; he's since almost doubled it.

He explains how.

So those are Matt's two wins...but recall I said he's 2 for 3.

He also shares with us what happened with the unhappy third acquisition, on which Matt lost about half a million dollars in a year's time.

Painful? Extremely. But the lessons learned, invaluable.

(Including: take your time when stacking acquisitions. Looking at you, holdco dreamers.)

OK, here is Matt O'Brien, owner of Professional Fence.

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FedEx & Fencing: A Pivot into Ownership

After his foray into SMB ownership went well with FedEx routes, Matt O'Brien bought & doubled a $2.5m fencing business.

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Introduction

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oday's guest is 2 for 3 on his business acquisitions.

His first was a small FedEx route that he eventually parlayed into 9 routes, then exited them during the go-go Covid years when ecommerce, and therefore logistics, boomed.

A nice 7-figure outcome for someone who just four years earlier had been working in equipment sales.

Matt O'Brien then got back into the game with his acquisition that is the subject of today's interview, a commercial fencing contractor.

It was doing about $2.5m when Matt bought it in 2022; he's since almost doubled it.

He explains how.

So those are Matt's two wins...but recall I said he's 2 for 3.

He also shares with us what happened with the unhappy third acquisition, on which Matt lost about half a million dollars in a year's time.

Painful? Extremely. But the lessons learned, invaluable.

(Including: take your time when stacking acquisitions. Looking at you, holdco dreamers.)

OK, here is Matt O'Brien, owner of Professional Fence.

About

Matt O'Brien

Matt O'Brien
Olivia Rhye
Product Designer

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