CCG Advisors (Commerce Capital Group) Research
Advisory Approach
CCG Advisors is a boutique M&A advisory firm founded in 1997 with a mission to help business owners achieve their personal and financial goals by exiting their companies at the right time for maximum value. The firm operates with a relationship-driven philosophy, built on "relationships with people rather than on transactions with customers." This client-centric approach has enabled CCG to complete 250+ transactions across all industries, representing over $5 billion in total transaction volume.
CCG focuses exclusively on privately-held, middle-market companies with revenues typically ranging from $10 million to $300 million. The firm harnesses the powerful combination of individual attention and extensive experience to provide relationship-based service of the highest caliber. Their team includes former operators and investment bankers who understand both the financial and operational aspects of running a business.
Sector Focus
CCG has experience across a wide range of industry segments, including commercial and residential services, professional services, distribution, consumer products, manufacturing, building products, and healthcare services. What truly sets CCG apart is their unrivaled expertise in the "Green Industry"—commercial and residential landscape, lawn care, tree care, vegetation management, exterior pest control, and snow & ice management.
Since its founding in 1997, CCG has served as the leading M&A advisor to the landscape industry. The firm has completed 125+ Green Industry transactions, representing nearly half of their total deal count. CCG has closed more transactions in the commercial landscape industry than any other firm over the past 25 years, with deep expertise that has helped transition the industry from old-guard buyers to new market entrants. They have facilitated nine market-entrant acquisitions where PE firms acquired their initial platform from CCG.
Their commercial services expertise extends beyond landscape to include HVAC, plumbing & electrical, roofing, telecommunications, facility services, and other specialty trades. In residential services, they cover lawn care, pest control, tree & shrub care, and home services.
Deal Track Record
CCG has completed 250+ successful transactions across all industries since 1997, with over $5 billion in total transaction value. The firm maintains an active deal flow, consistently closing 15-25 transactions annually across multiple sectors.
Recent notable transactions include:
2025-2026:
- HighGrove Partners (commercial landscape, Atlanta) → Agellus Capital
- Perm-O-Green (residential lawn care, Texas) → Legacy Lawns
2024:
- T. L. Gowin & Company (commercial roofing, Atlanta) → Eskola Roofing
- Cambridge Landscape Co. (commercial landscape, Boston) → Sperber Landscape Companies
- Arbor-Nomics (residential lawn care, Atlanta) → Senske Family of Companies
- Best Roofing (commercial roofing, South Florida) recapitalized by Harkness Capital Partners
- Houston Landscapes Unlimited (commercial landscape, Houston) → Ethoscapes
- True North Landscapes (commercial landscape, Northern California) → Monarch Landscape Companies
2023:
- HeartLand (commercial landscape platform) → Pritzker Private Capital (from Sterling Investment Partners)
- Exclusive 30A Rentals (vacation rental management, Florida) → Nocturne Luxury Villas
- Santa Rita Landscaping (commercial landscape, Phoenix) → HeartLand
- Action Pest Control (commercial & residential pest control, Indiana) → Rentokil Terminix
- Moore Landscapes (commercial landscape, Chicago) → Yellowstone Landscape
Earlier landmark transactions include Mariani Landscape (nation's largest residential landscape company) recapitalized by CI Capital Partners (2020), HeartLand's initial platform formation with Sterling Investment Partners (2019), and the formation of major platforms like Monarch Landscape Companies and Aspen Grove.
Process & Fee Structure
CCG runs comprehensive sell-side and buy-side M&A processes. For sell-side engagements, their process includes:
- Valuation guidance and preparation of marketing materials
- Identification of potential buyer universe
- Market outreach and positioning
- Diligence process management (quarterbacking)
- Negotiation of legal documents
The firm also provides buy-side advisory (developing acquisition strategy, contacting targets, supporting execution and diligence), capital raising, evaluation of strategic alternatives, and ESOP advisory services.
CCG requires exclusivity and typically works with established, profitable businesses. Their engagement model focuses on relationship-based service rather than transactional processing, ensuring each client receives individual attention throughout the process.
Buyer Network
CCG maintains extensive relationships with private equity firms, strategic buyers, and industry consolidators across the Green Industry and adjacent sectors. Their buyer network includes firms like:
Private Equity: Agellus Capital, Pritzker Private Capital, Harkness Capital Partners, CenterOak Partners, CI Capital Partners, Audax Private Equity, ClearLight Partners, Pine Tree Equity, One Rock Capital Partners, Sterling Investment Partners, Great Range Capital, Aspen Grove, Evolution Strategy, Kian Capital, Goldner Hawn, New State Capital Partners, SMC Infrastructure Partners, Hastings Equity, Tregaron Capital, Eureka Equity Partners, Fort Point Capital
Strategic Buyers & Consolidators: BrightView (largest commercial landscape services company), Sperber Landscape Companies, Senske Family of Companies, Legacy Lawns, Ethoscapes, Eskola Roofing, Rentokil Terminix, Opendoor, Ryerson, Procter & Gamble
This deep buyer network enables CCG to identify the right strategic or financial buyer for each client and maximize transaction value through competitive processes.
Competitive Positioning
CCG differentiates from other middle-market M&A advisors through:
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Unrivaled Green Industry Expertise – 125+ landscape transactions, more than any other firm. Nine market-entrant platform deals where PE firms made their first landscape acquisition through CCG.
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Relationship-Driven Service – Built on relationships with people rather than transactions with customers. The firm maintains long-term client relationships and provides guidance well beyond the close.
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Former Operator Experience – Team members include former plant managers, operators, and business owners who understand the operational realities of running a business, not just the finance.
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National Green Industry Practice – CCG has completed more landscape transactions than any other firm and has worked with the biggest and best companies in the industry nationwide.
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Buyer Network Depth – Strong relationships with both PE firms and strategic consolidators who repeatedly return to CCG for add-on acquisitions.
Not a Fit If
CCG typically declines:
- Businesses below $10M in annual revenue
- Startups or early-stage companies
- Distressed assets or turnarounds (they focus on healthy, profitable businesses)
- Founders wanting a limited process or quick sale (CCG's value is in comprehensive market outreach)
- Pure asset sales (they focus on going-concern enterprises)
Team
CCG is led by experienced investment bankers and operators with deep sector expertise:
Brian Corbett – Founder & Managing Partner. 25+ years of M&A experience. Former COO at mid-market manufacturer. Recognized nationally for his practice in the $75 billion commercial landscape industry—over the last 25 years, CCG has closed more landscape transactions under his leadership than any other firm. Finance degree from Florida State University.
Jonathan Thomson – Managing Director. Leads deal execution team. 20-year career, previously at Morgan Keegan & Co. where he assisted middle-market companies in sell-side M&A and capital raises. MBA from Georgia Tech, BA from University of Virginia.
Bryan Donlin – Managing Director. Joined CCG in 2015. 15+ years of experience advising clients across facility services, residential services, food & beverage, telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing, and distribution. Widely recognized as one of the most active M&A advisors in the Green Industry. MBA from University of Virginia Darden, BS from Wake Forest.
Gamble Cleveland – Senior Vice President. Joined 2022. Previously VP at NextGen Capital and corporate finance at Carter's Inc. (NYSE: CRI). MBA from Emory University, BS from University of Alabama.
Steve Spina – Senior Vice President, Business Development. Joined CCG in 2007. 15+ years working with lower-middle-market companies across landscaping, distribution, HVAC, and specialty services. Previously at Cigna. JD from Northern Illinois University College of Law, BS from Berry College.
The firm also includes Associates (Ryan Andersen, Jack Kratzenberg) and Business Development staff supporting transaction execution.
Geographic Coverage
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (One Buckhead Plaza), with a Senior Vice President based in Denver, Colorado. CCG maintains a national practice, particularly in the commercial landscape industry where they work with companies from coast to coast. Recent transactions span California, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Idaho, Georgia, and dozens of other states.