John Norton

Services

Four ways I help Pacific Northwest owners.

Delivered through ACT Capital Advisors, a firm that has closed 250+ transactions and $2.5B+ in deal value since 1986 — but you'll deal directly with me.

Sell-side

Selling your business

Most owners sell exactly once. My job is to make sure that one time goes well.

I represent owners of privately held companies in confidential sale processes, from initial positioning through closing. ACT's competitive Auction Process is built to create real tension between qualified buyers rather than negotiating with one at a time.

That typically means a better price, better terms, and — just as important — a buyer who's a good fit for your team and your legacy.

  • Confidential marketing and buyer outreach
  • Curated buyer universe: strategic, financial, and family office
  • Positioning, CIM, and financial packaging
  • Structured Auction Process to drive competitive bids
  • Negotiation of LOI, purchase agreement, and closing

Buy-side

Acquiring a company

For strategics, family offices, and search funds pursuing targeted acquisitions.

Whether you're looking to add capability, geography, or scale in the Pacific Northwest, I help identify, approach, and negotiate with owners who aren't publicly for sale.

The best acquisitions rarely appear in a banker's inbox. They come from relationships and patient sourcing.

  • Acquisition thesis development
  • Proprietary target sourcing across Oregon and SW Washington
  • Outreach to owners on your behalf
  • Valuation, structuring, and LOI negotiation
  • Coordination with legal, tax, and diligence advisors

Valuation

What is my business actually worth?

A real answer, grounded in what buyers are paying today.

Owners routinely hear wildly different valuation opinions — often from people who won't be the ones writing the check. I ground valuations in recent comparable transactions, current buyer appetite, and the specific quirks of your company.

This is often the starting point for a sell-side engagement, but it's also a healthy standalone exercise.

  • Market-based valuation using recent comps
  • Range of expected outcomes, not a single number
  • Identification of value drivers and detractors
  • Confidential — no obligation to sell

Exit planning

Getting ready to sell (in 1–3 years)

Most of the value created in a sale is created before the process starts.

If a sale is 12 to 36 months out, we have time to actually move the number. That might mean cleaning up financials, diversifying customer concentration, developing the management team, or documenting the operating playbook.

The goal is to walk into a process with fewer surprises and more leverage.

  • Readiness assessment across financial, operational, and commercial
  • Prioritized list of value-creating moves
  • Quarterly check-ins as the sale window approaches
  • Warm handoff into a sell-side process when you're ready

FAQ

Questions owners ask about these services.

Which M&A services do you offer to Portland and SW Washington owners?
Four: sell-side M&A advisory for owners selling a privately held company, buy-side advisory for strategics and family offices making acquisitions, market-based business valuation, and exit planning for owners 12 to 36 months away from a sale. All four are delivered through ACT Capital Advisors, and you work directly with me.
What size companies do you work with?
Lower and lower-middle-market companies, generally $2M to $100M in enterprise value, across technology and IT services, construction and specialty trades, manufacturing, roofing, and business services. Owner-operated and founder-led businesses are the core of the practice.
How is a valuation different from a broker's opinion of value?
A valuation here is grounded in recent comparable transactions and current buyer appetite, and it is delivered as a range of expected outcomes with the specific drivers and detractors that move your number — not a single figure designed to win a listing. It is confidential and carries no obligation to sell.
Do I have to sell to work with you on exit planning?
No. Exit planning is a standalone engagement: a readiness assessment across financial, operational, and commercial areas, a prioritized list of value-creating moves, and quarterly check-ins as your sale window approaches. If and when you decide to go to market, it becomes a warm handoff into a sell-side process.
Will a sale process stay confidential?
Yes. Buyers see a blind profile first, sign a non-disclosure agreement before receiving anything identifying, and are screened for financial capability before meeting your management team. Nothing about your company is publicly listed.
Where do you provide these services?
Greater Portland, Oregon — including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Tualatin, and Oregon City — plus Southwest Washington: Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, and Ridgefield.

Not sure which one you need?

That's what the free lunch is for. Bring questions, leave with a clearer picture — no obligation.

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