Craft Partners

What Craft Partners does

Craft Partners, LLC is a boutique investment banking firm founded in 2013 by Daniel Conway that provides mergers and acquisitions advisory services exclusively to the equipment rental industry. The firm is headquartered in St. Michaels, Maryland, operates as a private LLC, and self-describes as the only licensed broker-dealer exclusively servicing the equipment rental sector. Its core service is representing independent equipment rental business owners in the sale of their companies to larger strategic acquirers, with the firm operating on a success-fee basis compensated only upon transaction close that meets client expectations.

The firm's offering is structured as a single M&A advisory product applied across six equipment rental sub-segments: General Rental, Aerial Equipment, Earth Moving, Trench Shoring, and Pump & Power. The firm has publicly disclosed over $1 billion in cumulative transaction value, with disclosed deals including sales of rental companies to large strategic acquirers such as Sunbelt Rentals, United Rentals, BlueLine Rental, Empower Rental Group, and Hugg & Hall, alongside debt recapitalizations and credit facilities arranged with lenders such as Umpqua Bank and Wells Fargo. Founder Daniel Conway maintains personal involvement throughout every engagement, supported by Series 7, 14, 24, and 28 securities licenses, with regulated securities services technically delivered through a related broker-dealer entity, First Craft Securities, LLC (FINRA/SIPC member).

The firm operates with a disclosed headcount of 1–10 employees and acquires clients through direct outreach, industry referrals, and reputation-based networking rather than a structured marketing or sales development motion. There are no disclosed geographic expansion activities beyond the United States, no product expansion beyond the core M&A advisory service since founding, and no signs of institutional investment, secondary transactions, or ownership changes. The business model is intentionally narrow and relationship-led rather than scalable.

Name

Craft Partners

Legal name

Craft Partners, LLC

Website

https://craftpartnersllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking & M&A Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Equipment & Asset Finance Brokerage (FSAEAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Material Handling Equipment Rental/Leasing (Forklifts, Telehandlers, Reach Trucks) (TLABAFAF)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Investment banking services
• Equipment rental M&A
• Business sale advisory
• Broker-dealer advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Michaels

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Success Fees: Craft Partners earns fees upon successful transaction close. The firm explicitly states it does not get paid unless and until a transaction closes that meets client expectations, aligning firm interests with client outcomes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Craft Partners, LLC provides investment banking and mergers & acquisitions advisory services exclusively for the equipment rental industry. The firm helps independent owner-operators sell their businesses through a professional, confidential M&A process designed to achieve the highest and best price. Engagements cover five equipment rental segments—General Rental, Aerial Equipment, Earth Moving, Trench Shoring, and Pump & Power—and the firm is compensated solely via success fees upon transaction close.

Product overview

Craft Partners is a single-service investment banking firm exclusively focused on mergers & acquisitions advisory for the equipment rental industry. The company operates as one unified advisory service offering, providing a confidential M&A process across six equipment rental segments: General Rental, Aerial Equipment, Earth Moving, Trench Shoring, and Pump & Power. The core M&A Advisory Services product is complemented by industry segment expertise in each of these categories. The firm positions itself as the only licensed broker-dealer exclusively serving the equipment rental sector, with over $1 billion in transaction value completed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory Services Full-service investment banking and mergers & acquisitions advisory for equipment rental business owners in the United States; structured as a confidential, professional sell-side process designed to achieve the highest and best price.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 billion in transaction value completed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Generational Group: Large lower-middle-market M&A advisory firm with a multi-boutique network that frequently transacts with independent owner-operators, mirroring Craft Partners' sell-side mandate and success-fee model.
• Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Middle-market investment bank with a long-standing dedicated equipment rental coverage practice, making it one of the closest direct competitors serving the same seller profile and strategic buyer universe as Craft Partners.
• FocalPoint Partners: Mid-market M&A advisory firm where founder Dan Conway was previously a managing director. Directly comparable boutique investment banking model, though broader in industry coverage than Craft Partners' exclusive equipment rental focus.
• Morgan & Westfield: M&A advisory firm focused on lower- and middle-market business sales with a similar success-fee engagement model and independent-operator target customer.
• Cascadia Capital: Middle-market advisory firm with sector coverage that includes equipment rental and rental-adjacent verticals; comparable sell-side process and buyer outreach model for independent operators.
• Woodbridge International: Middle-market M&A advisory firm with a global buyer reach and similar sell-side process structure for independent business owners seeking exits.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Global M&A and business brokerage franchise focused on lower-middle-market transactions, comparable in serving owner-operators exiting their businesses on a success-fee basis.
• Sunbelt Business Advisors: M&A advisory and business brokerage network focused on main-street and lower-middle-market exits, overlapping with Craft Partners' independent owner-operator target segment.

Regional players

• Stax: Commercial due diligence and value-creation advisory firm; overlapping client base with M&A advisors serving equipment rental and other industrial verticals, often engaged as a sub-advisor rather than primary deal broker.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG Corporate Finance: Large advisory practice within a Big Four firm providing sell-side, buy-side, and financing advisory to equipment rental clients; competes for larger transactions where Craft Partners is capacity-constrained.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craft-partners-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Craft Partners