Get In Touch
Get In Touch

John Phillips

John Phillips is an M&A advisor and accomplished executive who brings a strong legacy of excellence to Walden. John leverages his broad experience as a business leader and decorated US Army Retired Colonel to build, turn around, stabilize, and drive growth and value for mid-sized companies and organizations.

Takeaways from the Georgia Manufacturing Summit Panel

Manufacturing EBITDA Value Drivers in Middle-Market M&A: Takeaways from the Georgia Manufacturing Summit Panel

Building a regional manufacturing enterprise requires relentless operational discipline and decades of capital and sweat pouring into an owner’s legacy. However, spending every day working strictly in the business rather than on the business creates severe vulnerability during a future sale. Many founders fall for a dangerous myth: top-line revenue growth automatically creates high enterprise […]

Read More
Navigating Q2 Middle-Market M&A Trends: AI Expectations and PE’s Downstream Shift

Navigating Q2 Middle-Market M&A Trends: AI Expectations and PE’s Downstream Shift

When I sit down with business owners, they almost always ask the same question: what are acquirers actually prioritizing right now? Whether we are representing founders seeking an exit or advising acquirers on the buy-side to identify strategic targets, two distinct middle-market M&A trends are shaping the current dealmaking landscape: shifting expectations around artificial intelligence […]

Read More
Selling a Business Division: Strategic M&A Steps

Precision Divestiture: Strategic Steps for Selling a Business Division

Strategic growth often requires the courage to narrow your focus. A well-executed carveout represents a sign of immense strength and strategic clarity for firms in the $20M–$200M range. This process, which we often call “The Strategic Prune,” allows leadership to focus resources on the core mission while unlocking capital from a unit better suited for […]

Read More
Why the Southeast Is One of the Strongest M&A Markets

Why the Southeast Is One of the Strongest M&A Markets

While national headlines focus on economic uncertainty, we see the Southeast as a powerful engine of American growth. The region’s massive manufacturing footprint, pro-business policies, and aggressive reinvestment are driving this momentum. It is not merely anecdotal; current data show Florida and South Carolina reaching 3.1% GDP growth, significantly outperforming the national average of 2.1%. […]

Read More
The Strategic Advantage of a Sell-Side Quality of Earnings

Navigating the Strategic Advantage of a Sell-Side Quality of Earnings

Most business owners we work with at Walden M&A have spent decades turning a vision into a profitable reality. When the time comes to transition, they naturally want the purchase price to reflect every ounce of hard work. However, a significant gap often exists between how an owner views their financials and how a sophisticated […]

Read More
The Love-Hate Relationship with M&A Earn-outs:

The Love-Hate Relationship with M&A Earn-outs: From the “Multiple Myth” to Strategic Optimization

We often see founders walk into the Walden M&A office with a single number in their heads. They have heard about a competitor selling for 10x EBITDA, and they expect the same “clean” exit—100% cash at closing, with no strings attached. While this was a common dream in years past, the 2026 M&A trends have […]

Read More