Two Friends Became ETA Searchers and, Miraculously, Are Still Friends

An in-depth conversation with good friends Casey Schuler and Hutson Prioleau who, in late 2019, acquired PalCare, a healthcare technology company that powers nurse-call systems for assisted living and memory care communities. That's when the real pain began. 

What began as an exemplary Entrepreneurship-Through-Acquisition (ETA) investment quickly turned into a crisis when COVID-19 disrupted senior living facilities across the country. Within three months of the close of its acquisition, 80% of PalCare’s projects came to a halt as care facilities locked down.

However, the duo's complementary strengths—Schuler’s operational rigor and Prioleau's sales chops—helped them prove PalCare's resilience. Working (and commuting) side by side, Casey and Hutson stabilized the business, cut costs, and automated their systems. Today, the company stands as a preeminent healthcare technology platform in senior care.

In conversation with Search Party host David Snow, joined by Dustin Sellers, Managing Partner of Next Coast Legacy and August Felker, Founder of Oberle Risk Strategies, Schuler and Prioleau reflects on their journey from MBA classmates to stress-tested CEOs—and the lessons learned along their ETA journey.

Some takeaways: 

Partnership is power.  Schuler and Prioleau's experience confirmed the power of two. As Sellers notes, “When partnered searches work, one plus one equals four.” The duo’s trust in one another and delegated strengths proved decisive when “the worst-case scenario” hit.

Operator-market fit matters more than margins. Early in their search, the pair passed on seemingly lucrative opportunities in industries they couldn’t see themselves running. “What’s your life going to look like for the next half decade?” Prioleau says, and “does this business need the skillset that you have?”

Resilience beats timing. COVID put their company to the ultimate test, but it also proved the value of Palcare. "Even if everything goes to hell, people are not going to rip out their emergency nurse call systems," notes Schuler.

Now, with a new COO and CRO in place, the founders are shifting from survival to scale—spending more time on culture, vision, and how AI might redefine senior care technology. “Let's keep growing a great business,” Schuler says. “Exit will take care of itself.”

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