In late 2022 I learned about ETA and “searchers” - people who buy operating companies instead of starting them. I read “Buy then Build” by Walker Diebel. I found a community of people (on Twitter!) who had done it successfully. I rang my old boss, Chris Harper, and we decided to try to find a company to buy ourselves. Our search led us to Athco, a manufacturer's rep based in Kansas and Missouri. For over 70 years, Athco has been a leader in playground, athletic and recreation equipment. The owner wanted to retire and there was a historic wave of investment occurring in school facilities. Systems needed updating, but the opportunity was clear. Having spent countless happy hours at playgrounds with our three boys, I knew the impact this work could have (and it would be fun!). Our customers are Parks & Recreation departments, School Districts, and Pay-for-Play developers across Kansas and Western Missouri. Our manufacturers are the best in the business. I’ve visited the factories of our playground and splashpad partner https://www.playlsi.com/ and our gymnasium equipment supplier https://www.gillporter.com/porter/ - both have world class facilities.We create destination playgrounds and splashpads - places families stay for hours. We sell scoreboards that high school crowds cheer for, and basketball hoops that are professional grade. We’re now a year in and it’s been a fantastic, if often humbling experience. Small businesses are not start-ups. “Move fast and break things” does not apply. We have been lucky that we have a great team with deep experience and we've hired some great new people too. We are getting our arms around it and starting to see the benefits of some of the changes we’ve made.I’m excited to have found what I want to do for the rest of my career, the search is over.If you’re contemplating a search of your own, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I'd be happy to talk through any aspect of it. And of course - if you need a playground, splashpad, shade structure, scoreboard, basketball net…give me a call!