#130: Structuring the Deal: Equity, Debt, Mezzanine, Notes and more

Matt Boettner is the CEO and President of All Safe Global, a compressed gas company. Matt came into the business in 2009 and bought it from his brother in 2013. Matt shares his story about approaching his brother about joining the company. He came into the company with the mutual understanding that he would buy the company.

Matt studied the art of the deal at brokerages he worked for and learned how to build a complex deal structure that benefits everybody. We discuss some of these lesser-known equity tools and how Matt used them to create his deal with his brother.

We also discuss the future of All Safe Global and what Matt gives advice for business owners considering finding equity partners.

What you will learn:

• Matt’s first attempt and failure in the tech sphere.
• What he learned from this failure.
• The lessons learned from his jobs afterward.
• What he learned from his time at a brokerage firm.
• Matt’s opinion about brokerage firms and how to find a good one.
• Matt’s time with WinMark.
• How he became involved in All Safe.
• A brief history of the company.
• Why Matt saw opportunity in the compressed gas industry.
• The beginnings of the deal structure he made with his brother.
• The methodology they agreed upon.
• How Matt’s M&A background came in handy.
• The capital stack they agreed upon.
• The types of debt that are available.
• Why debt can work well for a company.
• The levels of debt Matt used in his deal with his brother.
• The importance of an intercreditor agreement.
• Matt’s strategy to repay his creditors.
• Why you need a cushion in a deal.
• How Matt found equity partners.
• Lenders are not one-size-fits-all, do your homework.
• Matt’s goal for his business in 2019.
• The importance of good financial records.

Takeaways:

There are tons of tools out there to create a deal structure. As a business owner, you need to know about those tools. Understand what options are available to you and create a deal structure that suits your situation.

Links and Resources:

GEXP Collaborative
Matt on LinkedIn

About Matt:

Matt Boettner began his career in the tech industry. After his first company failed he embraced his talent for financials. He learned how to structure deals at a mid-market brokerage firm and became quite comfortable with complex deal structures. In 2009, Matt joined his brother at All Safe Global. He came into the business with the understanding he would buy his brother out. In 2013, that buy out went through.

Matt is an accomplished leader with experience in start-up, private and public company roles. He is an expert in general management and leading growth initiatives for mid-size operations. He has experience with leading acquisitions, IPOs, business valuations and public/private company debt and equity financing.