He Closed 90 Deals in 5 Years—Here's What He Learned with Sam Silverman cover art

He Closed 90 Deals in 5 Years—Here's What He Learned with Sam Silverman

He Closed 90 Deals in 5 Years—Here's What He Learned with Sam Silverman

Listen for free

View show details
In this episode of the Acquisitions Academy Podcast, Mike Abramowitz sits down with Sam Silverman of Silverman Capital, who, in roughly five years, has completed over 90 deals and allocated more than $120 million of investor capital—largely as a solo operation. Sam traces his path from buying single-family rentals to investing as an LP to landing on a tightly focused paving roll-up (three companies acquired, a fourth merging, a fifth under contract). He explains why paving stood out among 50–100 industries he studied: federal road-spending tailwinds, autonomous-vehicle demand, a wave of aging owners without successors, and a large spread between what mom-and-pops sell for and what scaled platforms trade at. Along the way, he delivers a candid master class on capital and risk—why he's cautious on SBA leverage, why "bigger is easier" than buying a tiny business, and why you should carry far more working capital than you think you need. He closes on legacy: doing one thing exceptionally well for decades, with a dream of a ranch and a dog rescue down the road. Best Quotes from the Guest "Leverage works both ways—it amplifies your outcome, whether good or bad." "Whatever size you think you want to buy, go bigger; your life will be dramatically easier." "The people who've made the most impact have done one thing for a very long time and been the best at that one thing." Takeaways Match the business to your goal—a cash-flow lifestyle business and a multi-company roll-up are completely different buys, so define the outcome you want before you shop. Paving is compelling for the valuation spread: buying at 3–4x that can trade at 12x+ once integrated and scaled, supported by federal road spending and a wave of retiring owners whose kids don't want the business. Synergies create real value—bringing previously subcontracted concrete work in-house added eight figures of revenue to a newly acquired company on day one. Bigger is easier than smaller—larger companies bring better debt, more levers to pull, and less key-man risk than a $1M business. Be cautious with leverage, especially SBA. It lets you in at ~5% down, but a post-acquisition dip is common, so build in ample working capital—roughly 2x what you think you'll need. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro and Sam's background 01:46 – From single-family homes to a paving roll-up: the origin story 03:25 – Why paving? Tailwinds, demographics, and the valuation spread 06:06 – Building the buy box: aligning the business to your goal 08:18 – How the roll-up actually works (multiples and synergies) 11:18 – Sourcing capital and why Sam is cautious on SBA 16:04 – "Buying yourself a job" vs. building a platform 18:02 – Four ways to fund a deal (and securing working capital) 20:48 – Biggest lessons from 90+ deals: optionality and control 24:00 – Investing alongside operators: Silverman Capital's vehicles 26:54 – Legacy: building something sustainable for the long haul Conclusion This conversation is a grounded, no-hype look at growth through acquisition. Sam makes the case that the smartest path isn't the smallest or easiest deal, but the one aligned to a clear goal—and he backs it with hard-won lessons on leverage, working capital, and the operational control that businesses offer over real estate. His core message for anyone eyeing their first or next acquisition: buying a business is one of the best moves you can make, but only if you go in eyes wide open, give yourself room to survive the inevitable bumps, and think in decades rather than months. For listeners ready to build something durable, this episode is both a reality check and a roadmap. Links Silverman Capital: https://www.silvermancapital.com Sam Silverman on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamSilvermanOfficial Email: sam@silvermancapital.com Mobile: 917-575-3523 Community: jvdeals.cbrcapitalgroup.com
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet