Navigating Business with Friends and Acquisitions

Walt Reynolds is a senior leader in the electrical supply industry with over 30 years of executive experience. In 1998, he became President of The Reynolds Company and drove its explosive growth over the next two and half decades. Under his leadership, the company became one of the largest independent electrical distribution companies in the United States with 34 locations across Texas and Southwest US.

We discuss:

- Walt’s career and building The Reynolds Company

- Acquisitions theses and buying bankrupt companies

- ESOPs

- Leadership principles

- Working with friends

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Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:04:30) - To know you is to know your father

(00:08:50) - The history of the Reynolds Company and the electrical supply industry

(00:20:39) - Walt’s career

(00:43:43) - Scaling Reynolds

(00:48:29) - Working with your friends

(00:52:16) - Pivoting into acquisitions

(01:01:47) - Selling the business

(01:08:14) - ESOPs

(01:11:55) - Walt’s role post-close

(01:16:05) - Leadership Principals

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