Cool It LLC of Media, Pennsylvania has been acquired by Trade Flex Solutions. IAG M&A Advisors represented the seller, with Ann Parsley and Holden Buckner leading the transaction alongside the client services team.
The business sold at 4.5 times EBITDA. Comparable companies in the space typically trade between 2.5x and 3x. The final price came in 20% above the initial valuation, and the transaction ran from engagement to closing in five months.
Deal highlights
- 4.5x EBITDA in a 2.5x–3x market. The multiple reflected what the business was worth to a strategic acquirer rather than what a financial buyer would have paid on the numbers alone.
- 20% above the initial valuation.
- Five months, start to finish. IAG began representation in January 2026, received a letter of intent from Trade Flex Solutions in February, and closed on June 3, 2026.
- Structured to maximize value. The buyer built the deal to include an earn-out component, giving the seller participation in the performance he had spent decades building toward.
- Staff and customers retained. Trade Flex studied how the business operated and worked collaboratively to transition the owner out of day-to-day management while keeping the team and the customer base intact.
About Cool It LLC
Cool It LLC was established in 1987 by Bill Sweeney, who owned and managed the business for nearly four decades as Owner and Managing Member. Sweeney handled strategic management directly — developing and implementing business plans, setting growth objectives, and defining long-term strategy — along with the company’s financial operations, including budgeting, cash flow management, and overall fiscal stability.
About the buyer
Trade Flex Solutions offers a comprehensive range of residential and commercial services, including plumbing, HVAC, environmental solutions, drain cleaning, sewer management, gas fireplaces, septic plumbing, and kitchen and bath remodeling. Cool It LLC fit directly into the company’s expansion plans.
How the process worked
The multiple came from the buyer, not the business. A 4.5x outcome in a market that pays 2.5x to 3x is not the result of better negotiating on the same terms. It comes from finding an acquirer for whom the business solves a specific problem — in this case, a services platform expanding its footprint, for which Cool It represented an established operation with a customer base already in place.
Deal structure created value the price alone would not have. Trade Flex structured the transaction to maximize its potential value, including an earn-out tied to post-close performance. Structure of this kind lets a buyer pay more than a straight cash valuation supports, because part of the consideration follows the results.
Owner dependence was addressed rather than discounted. Sweeney was deeply involved in both strategy and finance — the profile that often causes buyers to reduce their offers. Trade Flex took the opposite approach, examining how the business actually ran and building a transition that moved him out of the daily operation while retaining staff and customers.
A prepared business moves quickly. Steady inquiries began immediately on going to market, and a letter of intent arrived within a month of engagement.
Why this outcome matters to sellers
- Industry comparables describe the average outcome, not the achievable one. The right strategic buyer can pay well outside the published range.
- Earn-outs and similar structures are not concessions. Used well, they are how a buyer justifies a higher number.
- Retaining staff and customers through a transition protects the value both parties are counting on — particularly where an earn-out is involved.
- Owner involvement is a solvable problem when the transition is planned deliberately rather than negotiated as a discount.
Looking ahead
Cool It LLC now operates as part of the Trade Flex Solutions platform, with its team and customer relationships intact.
Congratulations to Ann Parsley, Holden Buckner, and the client services team, and to Bill Sweeney on an outstanding result after thirty-nine years of building the business.
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