Carleton Advisors
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCleveland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Carleton Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carleton Advisors
- Legal name
- Carleton McKenna & Co., LLC
- Website
- https://carletonmckenna.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carleton Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Middle Market Investment Banking
- NAICS
- Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps) (FSAEAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE), Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB), Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)
Keywords
Where Carleton Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cleveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Carleton Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory Fees: Success-based advisory fees for sell-side M&A representation. Engagement fees typically include a monthly or one-time retainer (often $25,000 to $100,000 total, credited against the success fee at close) plus a success fee at closing, typically expressed as a percentage of transaction value (1% to 5% depending on deal size). Securities placed through Carleton McKenna Advisors, LLC, a FINRA registered broker-dealer and SIPC member firm.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Engagement retainer + success fee structure |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Carleton Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carleton McKenna & Co is a Cleveland-based middle market investment bank retained exclusively by founders, owners, and operators to sell their businesses. The firm provides exclusive sell-side M&A representation, capital advisory (sourcing and structuring senior debt, subordinated financing, mezzanine, and equity), strategic advisory (benchmarking and value gap identification), and ESOP advisory for construction and engineering owners. Every engagement is custom-built and led by senior bankers from first call through closing table.
Product overview
Carleton McKenna & Co is a Cleveland-based middle market investment bank offering a unified advisory platform with three core service lines: M&A Advisory (exclusive sell-side representation), Capital Advisory (debt and equity structuring), and Strategic Advisory (pre-sale planning and benchmarking). The firm operates specialized sector practices for B2B Services, Construction and Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Industrials, and Consumer sectors, with sub-sector practices for Engineering Firms and Infrastructure. ESOP Advisory is offered as a distinct service particularly suited to construction and engineering owners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- M&A Advisory
Quantifiable outcome
- 20%+ average price increase from indication of interest to letter of intent since 2020
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Carleton Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Carleton Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Carleton Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FINRAcoreSecurities products and services are offered through Carleton McKenna Advisors, LLC, a FINRA registered broker-dealer. FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) is the primary regulator for securities firms and brokerage accounts doing business in the United States.
- SIPCcoreSecurities products and services are offered through Carleton McKenna Advisors, LLC, a SIPC member firm. SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) provides protection for securities customers of member firms in case of firm failure.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Carleton Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Fifth Third Securities: Midwest-anchored investment banking arm of Fifth Third Bank with M&A and capital advisory practices. Comparable as a regional competitor serving similar middle-market clients.
- KeyBanc Capital Markets: Cleveland-headquartered investment bank with strong Midwest M&A and capital markets franchise. Comparable as a regional competitor with overlapping buyer relationships and industry coverage.
Direct peers
- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Middle-market investment bank serving M&A and capital advisory needs across industrials, consumer, and business services. Closely comparable in size, sector mix, and deal type to Carleton McKenna.
- Generational Equity: Middle-market M&A advisor specializing in sell-side representation for owner-led businesses. Comparable in target customer profile and engagement economics.
- Lincoln International: Middle-market M&A advisory firm with deep sector coverage and global reach. Comparable due to its focus on sell-side representation for founder/owner-led businesses in the same size band.
- Stout (Stout Roto): Middle-market M&A advisory firm with sector-focused practices. Comparable because it pursues similar sell-side mandates for founder-owned businesses in industrials and business services.
- Mirus Capital: Boutique M&A advisor focused on middle-market sell-side engagements. Comparable due to similar boutique scale, senior banker-led model, and middle-market deal focus.
- Houlihan Lokey: Global middle-market investment bank with strong M&A advisory, capital markets, and valuation practices. Comparable because it competes for the same middle-market sell-side mandates Carleton pursues.
Broad incumbents
- Robert W. Baird & Co. Diversified investment bank with a well-established middle-market M&A practice. Comparable due to overlapping middle-market client base and sector coverage, despite broader service mix.
- Raymond James Investment Banking: Diversified financial services platform with a sizable middle-market M&A advisory practice. Comparable because it competes for similar sell-side mandates, though it operates at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Carleton Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carleton Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Carleton Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carleton Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carleton Advisors
What does Carleton Advisors do?
Carleton McKenna & Co is a Cleveland-based middle market investment bank retained exclusively by founders, owners, and operators to sell their businesses. The firm provides exclusive sell-side M&A representation, capital advisory (sourcing and structuring senior debt, subordinated financing, mezzanine, and equity), strategic advisory (benchmarking and value gap identification), and ESOP advisory for construction and engineering owners. Every engagement is custom-built and led by senior bankers from first call through closing table.
Is Carleton Advisors a public or private company?
Carleton Advisors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Carleton Advisors founded?
Carleton Advisors was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Carleton Advisors based?
Carleton Advisors is headquartered in Cleveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Carleton Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: M&A Advisory Fees.
Who are Carleton Advisors's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Fifth Third Securities and KeyBanc Capital Markets. Direct peers are Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, Generational Equity, Lincoln International, Stout (Stout Roto), Mirus Capital and Houlihan Lokey. Broad incumbents are Robert W. Baird & Co. and Raymond James Investment Banking.
Does Carleton Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carleton Advisors.
What industry is Carleton Advisors in?
Carleton Advisors's product category is Middle Market Investment Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAE, Corporate Finance Advisory (Strategic Finance, Capital Structure & Recaps), with a secondary code of BPAHAOAE, Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital). Its NAICS code is 523 and its SIC code is 6211.