Our Stories

Photo of Co-CEO Jordan Carr

Jordan Carr

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, my childhood was full of “character building” that paid respect to my blue-collar roots. With one side of my family supported by working in steel mills and the other from a small farm in Texas, my parents constantly reminded me and my four siblings of where we came from and instilled the values of hard work and persistence. As a small business owner himself, my dad set the example of how rewarding, yet undoubtedly challenging, it was to operate a small business.

Despite studying mechanical engineering at Auburn University, I became captivated with working on Wall Street in New York after learning about investment banking – I remember thinking to myself: a job that is physically demanding with long hours and high responsibility… and it pays well! Sign me up.

I hoped to learn how things were done in the "big leagues” and bring that expertise back to Main Street. After relentless networking, one bank, Moelis & Company, finally gave me a shot, which was all I needed. In my time at Moelis, I helped a host of companies, many family- and founder-owned, navigate the delicate process of selling their businesses.

However, I wanted to move closer to the operations side of companies which led me to Berkshire Partners, a growth-oriented investment firm. During my time there, I completed several investments, and more importantly, worked directly with companies to grow businesses across services, distribution, and manufacturing. I enjoyed the work, and even more so the people, but I knew it was time to look into doing something on my own, following in the footsteps of my dad. Business school afforded me the opportunity to crystallize my entrepreneurial plans and start work on this next venture, which has led us here. Paying homage to my blue-collar roots, it’s now time to bring what I’ve learned across operations and business transactions to continue growing a small business.

MY PERSONAL INTERESTS
With a family of 7, it’s tough to get everyone together but always a blast when we do. We’re frequent attendees of Auburn football games.

Recreationally, you can find me spending time outside doing a variety of things – running marathons, hitting the ski slopes, or surfing (at least, trying to). Next on the list is a trip with my dad and older brother to hike Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Photo of Co-CEO Michael LeGrand

Michael LeGrand

I’m originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I grew up in a family that embodied both hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. My grandfather was a rodeo cowboy and farmer in Oklahoma, which showed me what work ethic and grit was from a young age (imagine getting tossed by a 1,500-pound bull as a normal part of your day job!). The other side of my family were small business owners, who founded and operated disparate “Buhl’s” dry cleaners across South Dakota, giving me my exposure to entrepreneurship at a young age.

An eleventh-grade economics class and a high school trip to New York piqued my interest in the stock market, and I decided to study finance at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota to New York isn’t a common path, but through persistence, cold calls, and showing up unannounced to offices, I hustled my way into Perella Weinberg, where I helped companies execute mergers and acquisitions.

Wanting to be involved in making strategic decisions versus just advising on deals, I joined an investment fund, General Atlantic, where we bought and helped build growing companies. While at General Atlantic, I worked with CEOs and management teams on operational initiatives across companies like Torchy’s Tacos, Tory Burch, and Open Farm Pet Food.

However, I still had the itch to do something entrepreneurial – despite realizing my dream of working in New York finance, I wanted to get back to my roots. My time in New York taught me invaluable lessons, but I was ready for a career shift back to American small businesses, so I decided to go to business school to figure out how to do so.

There’s much I have yet to learn about operating a company, but I’m excited to bring my personal experience in finance and strategy to whatever business we partner with.

MY PERSONAL INTERESTS
Family has always been a big part of my life – I love getting up to my parents’ place in Chippewa Falls, WI, and I am fortunate to live in the same neighborhood as my sister and her husband, who are expecting their first child! The whole family is excited about it.

I’m an avid snowboarder and skier, and I enjoy boating and watersports out on the lake. In the fall, most Sundays I’m watching the Minnesota Vikings, even though they often break my heart.

Our Values

DO THE RIGHT THING

We care about winning the right way, even if it’s difficult.

OPERATE AS ONE TEAM

We operate as a team, in which everyone shares in successes and in failures.

INVEST FOR THE LONG TERM

We are building a company for the long term, which means investing in team culture, organizational structure, and appropriate incentive systems.

ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY

We invest in the local communities in which we operate, supporting local causes that align with our Company values.