Cascade Equity partners with business owners and management teams, investing and teaming with them to help achieve their goals — in Oregon and Southern Washington.
We partner directly with business owners and management teams, investing the capital and expertise needed to help them reach their goals — whether that's a full transition, a growth chapter, or something in between.
We're selective by design. We only pursue businesses we'd be proud to stand behind for the long run, and we tailor each investment to what the owner needs next.
We start by listening — to what an owner wants next, whether that's a full transition, a partial one, or capital to grow — and build our approach from there.
Majority recapitalizations, family successions, or buyouts — we design terms around what the owner and management team need.
Post-close, we team and grow together including: management support, sales, strategic finance, talent recruitment, technology investment and implementation, operational support, and add-on acquisitions.
Focused on durable, cash-generative manufacturing and services businesses critical to customers' operations.
Designing and developing differentiated products that are critical to infrastructure and commercial operations.
Maintenance, field services, and specialty contracting supporting industrial facilities and regional infrastructure assets.
Logistics, marine services, and transportation businesses supporting customers' recurring transport or service needs.
Specialty back-office services such as accounting and IT services critical to customers' operations.
We size our timelines to the business, not to a fund clock. Good outcomes take the time they take.
Every business hits hard years. We back teams built to work through them, not just the good ones.
We only do well if the business does well. Our incentives are structured to match the owner's, not sit apart from them.
We're transparent and follow through on what we commit to — before and long after a transaction.
Not every conversation needs to start with a transaction. We also work directly with owners on a consulting basis — spanning transaction readiness, strategic finance, and operational leadership — to help strengthen a business from the inside. It's a low-pressure way to work together, get to know each other, and see if a future partnership makes sense — with no obligation either way.
Getting a business into shape for a future sale or recapitalization — clean financials, a defensible growth story, and marketing materials that hold up under buyer scrutiny.
Example: Conducted carve-out divestiture for international software and services business and managed due diligence process for 10+ prospective buyers through close and transition services period.
Independent valuation work paired with real transaction structuring — not just what a business is worth, but what structure gets a deal done for both sides.
Example: Negotiated a seller-financed stock purchase and redemption structure with a second-generation owner of a $30M-revenue manufacturer, advancing the deal to LOI.
Evaluating markets and mapping the competitive landscape to sharpen strategy — particularly useful before a growth investment, expansion, or entry into a new segment.
Example: Conducted market research to segment and size a regional trucking market and evaluate the competitive landscape for a consolidation opportunity.
Dynamic, defensible models tied to how the business operates — used to underwrite decisions, not just report on the past.
Example: Built an integrated financial model assessing valuation, capital requirements, financing structure, and investor returns across a multi-part acquisition and infrastructure development strategy.
Strategic analysis of financial statements and accounting treatment — informed by a public accounting audit background and financial due diligence for global corporate and private equity buyers.
Example: Conducted US GAAP financial statement audits and financial due diligence for acquisition opportunities ranging from $50M to over $1 billion — including quality of earnings, cash flow analyses, KPI reviews, net working capital evaluation, and net debt/liability assessments.
Building the reporting package and financial narrative that keeps investors and boards aligned and confident in the numbers.
Example: Reviewed investment KPIs, monitored investment performance, and prepared ROI updates for leadership and governance reviews across numerous software and services acquisitions.
Managing teams and coordinating with leadership across every business function — finance, operations, legal, commercial, IT, compliance — to keep complex initiatives on track, whether transaction or ongoing operational execution.
Example: Managed teams and worked with leadership across all business functions to acquire and plan integration for a 400+ employee consulting business.
Embedded, part-time finance leadership for businesses that need senior-level judgment without a full-time hire — stepping in to assess the financial picture, solve specific problems, and act as a trusted second set of eyes for ownership.
Example: Stepped into a strategic finance role overseeing disparate finance teams to prepare and evaluate historical carve-out financials, while partnering with the general manager to develop a forecast and strategic growth plan.
Cascade Equity was founded after a career in accounting, strategic finance, and corporate development at an international consulting firm — work that spanned M&A transactions and projects across a global network of businesses and industries.
The firm was built with a simple goal: bring that experience to a more entrepreneurial platform, focused on local and regional opportunities where lasting partnerships can be created.
That means channeling the same rigor and transaction experience gained on a global stage directly into the businesses of Oregon and Southern Washington — with the flexibility and attention only a smaller, owner-focused platform can offer.
Whether you're a business owner who is looking for a partner, advisor, or a conversation over coffee — please reach out.