Houston ETA Circle

Free ETA Circle Houston meetup (business buyer-only). Mon July 13. Register at www.ETACircle.com What does it look like to buy a small rural blue-collar business most ETA buyers would avoid and then step in as operator to modernize and scale it in real time? Tom shares lessons from acquiring Mercer Controls, a rural Texas wastewater controls company and transitioning from corporate executive into hands-on small business ownership and leadership. Key Topics: • Contrarian lessons from buying “hairy” businesses others avoid • What matters more than clean financials in small businesses • Transitioning nearly 30% of the workforce in the first 9 months • Moving from corporate leadership into blue-collar field operations • Building accountability, systems, and culture in a growing company • Actually using AI to improve workflows, troubleshooting, estimating, and operations • Why AI may create bigger advantages in industrial businesses than tech startups 5pm start. Monday July 13, 2026. Register: www.ETACircle.com. Event location to be emailed. Please contact redacted if you do not receive the location. *** Please no service providers at this event. This event is only for business buyers. Please register so we can have an accurate food count. Everyone who has not attended before must register in advance. Walk-ups not allowed. *** Special thanks to our event sponsor: ^redacted‌ leads First Internet Bank’s Small Business Administration team. They have quite a success story in itself: since 2018, they have grown to rank among the top SBA lenders nationally in both loan volume and amount financed. As a Preferred Lender, they can deliver a faster, more flexible and robust lending experience for their small business clients. About the Founder: ^redacted‌ is business buyer at Gulf Bright Partners who acquired a company in 2024 which he continues to operate. He founded ETA Circle (www.ETACircle.com) in 2023 to support the acquisition entrepreneur community.