How This Private Equity Veteran Is Quietly Buying Businesses With His Own Money
After 20+ years leading private equity deals at one of Canada’s most respected firms, Mark walked away. He helped build ONCAP from scratch, scaled 30 platform companies with 150+ add-ons, and generated 4x+ returns across multiple funds. But now? He’s quietly buying overlooked small businesses—using his own capital—and unlocking massive yield without the institutional noise.
In this candid conversation, Mark reveals:
Why fund managers are paying 15x EBITDA for companies worth half
The real reason value investing "died" in private equity
How he uses real estate-heavy businesses and dealer networks as hidden cashflow machines
The only 3 business models he’ll invest in now
And the one phrase he never wants to hear from a founder: “We’re growing 20% a year.”
Whether you’re raising a search fund, doing your first acquisition, or already own a portfolio of small businesses—this conversation will sharpen how you think about value, structure, and risk.
00:00 – Intro & Background
01:00 – Building ONCAP & 20+ Years in PE
03:00 – Why He Left Institutional Private Equity
06:00 – What Value Investing Looks Like Today
08:00 – How to Think About Fund Size vs. Deal Strategy
12:00 – Platform vs. Add-On Strategy
16:00 – Mistakes in Fund 1 and Learnings
20:00 – Fund 2’s Car Wash Roll-Up That 8x’d
24:00 – How China Changed Manufacturing Investing
27:00 – Deal Flow vs. Homework Projects
31:00 – His Favorite Business Models (Explained)
35:00 – Why “Reason to Be” Matters More Than Growth
38:00 – Why PE Firms Can’t Touch These Hidden Gems
42:00 – How He Buys Real Estate-Backed Businesses With No Outside Capital
47:00 – Solving for Cycles with Structure
50:00 – What Institutional Capital Gets Wrong About Small Biz
56:00 – The Best Deals He Sees Right Now
01:00:00 – How to Partner, What He’s Looking For Next
→ Join our community - https://www.acquisitionscollective.biz/
→ Follow for more - @AcquisitionCollective
→ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acquisitioncollective/
→ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@acquisitioncollective
→ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquisitions-collective
#PrivateEquity #BusinessAcquisition #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SearchFund #ValueInvesting #BuyThenBuild #BusinessBuying #MicroPE #DealMaking #CashFlow #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessForSale #SMB #SmallBusinessOwner #FinancialFreedom #InvestorMindset #BusinessGrowth #AcquisitionEntrepreneurship #FundlessSponsor #SelfFundedSearch #BusinessStrategy #BusinessModel #RealEstateInvesting #PassiveIncome #CashFlowBusiness