Merwood Partners is a Toronto firm acquiring a single privately-held company — to own, operate, and steward for the long haul. No fund timelines. No outside investors. Just two operators who plan to walk into the building on day one and still be there a decade from now.
What makes us different isn't a deck of bullet points — it's the simple fact that we're self-funded, we answer only to ourselves, and we plan to spend the rest of our careers inside the company we buy.
We aren't a fund with five-year holding periods or LPs waiting for a return. We're in it for the long-haul. The business we acquire will have one owner — us — for as long as we're able to steward it well.
With 30+ years of combined senior leadership experience at KPMG and BMO, we've run teams, budgets, and complex projects. We step directly into leadership — preserving what already works and investing carefully in growth.
No investment committee. No approval theatre. Whether it's deal structure, your ongoing involvement, or anything else that matters to you — we move quickly and shape the deal to fit your life, not the other way around.
We understand that your business represents more than financial value — it represents relationships, responsibilities, and a legacy built over years of hard work. Our job is to honour that.
We look for straightforward businesses with loyal customers, capable people, and room to grow carefully. Here's the profile we're focused on.
We know your time is valuable and your information is sensitive. Here's how a conversation with us typically unfolds, from hello to handover.
No. Search funds raise capital from LPs, acquire a company, and typically exit in 5–7 years. We're self-funded and have no investor timeline. The business we buy will have one owner — us — indefinitely.
Our capital is our own. We may use bank debt as part of a deal structure, but we do not answer to an investment committee or outside fund. That means no approval delays, no pivot mid-deal, no surprise vetoes.
Faster than most strategic buyers. A typical process runs 10–14 weeks from introduction to close — but we adapt to your pace, not ours. If speed matters, we can match it. If you'd prefer to take your time, we'll take it with you.
We preserve what works. Long-tenured employees, supplier relationships, customer relationships, the name above the door — these are the reasons the business is worth buying. Our thesis is stewardship, not restructuring.
Directly and respectfully. We sign NDAs promptly, respond within the business day, and give clear, honest feedback on fit — no ghosting, no slow-walking. If it's not a fit, we'll tell you why. If it is, we'll move.
We steer away from distressed turnarounds, businesses built around a single key person who's unwilling to transition, heavy cyclical exposure, and anything facing imminent technological disruption. Everything else we'll look at on its merits.
A 30-minute call — no teaser, no formal deck required. We ask about the business, you ask about us, and we both leave knowing whether the next conversation is worth having.
A first conversation is always informal, confidential, and without obligation. We'd rather learn about the business from you than from a teaser.
