Kent & Tamarack helps owners of trade and service companies on Colorado's Western Slope sell their business to the right buyer. If you run a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, landscaping or septic company in Grand Junction, Fruita, Montrose, Delta, Glenwood Springs, Rifle, Gunnison, Durango or Cortez, this page is for you. We keep it private and you set the terms.
Selling a company out here is not the same as selling one in Denver. The towns are far apart and the buyers are fewer. The owner is often the person customers call by first name. Each of those things can be planned for.
A big region with a few hubs
The Western Slope covers a lot of ground. Grand Junction is the largest city on it and the seat of Mesa County. The U.S. Census Bureau put Mesa County's population at about 161,000 in mid-2024. The biggest employers in the county include the school district, St. Mary's hospital, Community Hospital and Colorado Mesa University.
Durango sits far to the south. It is about 340 miles from Denver by road, six hours or more by car, and about 215 miles from Albuquerque. Cortez is about 45 miles west of Durango. Montrose and Delta sit in between, and Gunnison is over the hill to the east. Glenwood Springs and Rifle run along I-70 in Garfield County.
So a trade company in Montrose may serve Delta, Olathe and Ridgway. A Durango company may run to Bayfield, Pagosa Springs and Cortez. A company in Grand Junction may cover Fruita, Palisade, Clifton and the Redlands. A buyer from the Front Range will not know these routes. You do, and that knowledge is part of what you are selling.
The work is different in every valley
Each part of the Western Slope earns its money in its own way, and a trade company's books show it.
In Mesa County, health care, schools and public services are large employers, and the economy has spread out over the years. The Grand Junction Economic Partnership was formed in 1984, after an energy bust left thousands of people without work. Today it describes a broader economy, with manufacturing, tourism and remote workers adding to the old base. Orchards around Palisade still bring seasonal farm work.
In Garfield County, around Rifle and Parachute, natural gas has been a big part of the story. An economic transition report by CLEER, a regional energy nonprofit, found the county had 56 percent fewer oil and gas jobs in 2019 than at its 2007 peak. If your company did oilfield work in the good years, a buyer will want to see what the business looks like without it.
In Durango, Glenwood Springs and Gunnison, tourism and second homes shape the calendar. Summer and ski season are busy. Spring and fall can be slow. Vacation-home owners may call from out of state and expect someone they trust to handle the job.
A buyer needs to see how your year really runs. We lay out your year month by month, show which customers come back, and explain the slow months before a buyer has to ask.
Roads, weather and distance are part of the business
On the Western Slope, a closed road can stop a crew for a day or a week. In the summer of 2021, mudslides from the Grizzly Creek burn scar closed I-70 through Glenwood Canyon more than once, including one closure that lasted about two weeks. Detours around the canyon added hours to every trip.
A buyer from outside the region will want to know how your company handles that. Where do your parts come from? How long does a special order take to reach Gunnison or Cortez? Who can you call when a truck breaks down on Red Mountain Pass? Clear answers to these questions tell a buyer the company can get through a hard week.
Who buys trade companies out here
The buyer pool is smaller than in Denver, so we look in more places.
A local competitor may want your customers and your techs. A key employee or family member may want to take over, often with part of the price paid over time. Someone who wants to move to Durango, Montrose or Grand Junction may want to buy a working business instead of starting from zero. A larger company from the Front Range, or from Utah or New Mexico, may want a base on this side of the mountains.
Small-town sales often include seller financing, where part of the price is paid to you over a few years. It can widen the pool of buyers. It also means you carry some risk after closing. We explain it plainly and work with your attorney on the terms.
When the owner is the business
In many Western Slope companies the owner still runs the jobs, prices the work and holds the customer relationships. If the company's license or permits run through you, a buyer needs a plan for that too.
This is normal for an owner-run company, and it can be worked out. A few months of you staying on to introduce the buyer to your customers and suppliers is common. Training a lead tech to run the day before the sale helps even more. We look at what you can change now so a buyer sees a company that can run while you are away.
Keeping it quiet in a small town
In Fruita, Delta or Cortez, people notice when a stranger walks through your shop. So the first thing a buyer gets from us is a short summary with no company name on it. A buyer learns who you are only after signing a confidentiality agreement. You decide when your crew and customers hear about it.
How the sale works
The four steps are the same as anywhere: a private first call, an honest price range with reasons, a quiet search for the right buyer, and a clean close with your accountant and attorney. Read the four steps. For landscaping and construction owners, our landscaping and construction pages cover what buyers look for in those trades.
Call when you are ready
The first call is free and private, and there is no obligation. Call (983) 900-6537. The founder answers. If your company works on the Front Range too, see our page for Northern Colorado owners.