Barton Consulting Services

What Barton Consulting Services does

Barton Consulting Services is a privately-held, two-principal management consulting firm founded in 2006 and based in Michigan. The firm was established by former corporate executives Lee Gorman (Ford, Allied Signal Automotive, WriteSteps) and Mark Ritz (Ford, Siemens, United Technologies Automotive, Lear Corporation) to apply Fortune-500 operating experience to strategic problems faced by early-stage companies, established businesses, and nonprofit organizations. The firm uses a methodology combining Decision Analysis, Six Sigma, and Lean Organization concepts, and is registered as a Michigan LLC with no external investors or parent company.

The firm's service portfolio spans seven core consulting modules: Strategic Development, Organization Development, Strategic Planning, Transaction Support, Business Development, Product Planning, and Management/Governance. Two additional service modules target startups (Entrepreneurial Support, including business modeling, plan development, and investor readiness) and nonprofits (mission/vision articulation, board governance, retreat facilitation). Notable disclosed clients include the University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women, University of Michigan Health System, Michigan Radio, Coherix, WriteSteps, and a neighborhood association.

Barton Consulting Services operates a relationship-driven, sales-led, direct-to-client model. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with engagements structured as multi-year project or retainer contracts. The firm employs 1-10 staff and relies on referrals from satisfied clients, testimonials from named Michigan institutions, and partnerships with regional entrepreneurial support organizations (SPARK, GLEQ, NEF, MI-SBTDC, Techtown, University of Michigan entrepreneurship programs) to generate new business. Geographic scope is limited to Michigan and the broader U.S., with no global footprint and no disclosed revenue, funding, or growth metrics.

Name

Barton Consulting Services

Legal name

Barton Consulting Services, LLC

Website

https://bartonconsultingservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barton Consulting Services is a Michigan-based boutique management consulting firm founded in 2006 by two former Fortune-500 executives, serving early-stage companies, established businesses, and nonprofit organizations with strategic planning, transaction support, and organization development services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB), Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA), Financial Management & Performance Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAF)

Keywords

• Management consulting services
• Strategic planning consulting
• Business development advisory
• Transaction support consulting
• Nonprofit strategic consulting

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Planning Consulting: Professional consulting services for strategic development, organization development, strategic planning, transaction support, business development, product planning, and management/governance. Engagements are project-based or retainer-based consulting engagements with for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Barton Consulting Services is a management consulting firm that provides strategic development, organization development, strategic planning, transaction support, business development, product planning, and management/governance advisory services to for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations, and startup/early-stage companies. The firm applies Decision Analysis, Six Sigma, and Lean Organization concepts, combining practical planning with execution to produce sustainable outcomes. Engagements are delivered by two principals — Lee Gorman and Mark Ritz — and are project-based or retainer-based.

Product overview

Barton Consulting Services offers a unified suite of consulting services rather than a software product. The core portfolio includes Strategic Development (the overarching methodology combining planning and execution), Organization Development, Strategic Planning, Transaction Support, Business Development, Product Planning, and Management/Governance. Additional service modules include Entrepreneurial Support for startups (covering business modeling, plan development, and investor readiness) and Nonprofit Strategic Services (covering mission/vision articulation and board governance). All services are delivered through the two principals (Lee Gorman and Mark Ritz) and incorporate Decision Analysis, Six Sigma, and Lean Organization concepts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Development
• Organization Development
• Strategic Planning
• Transaction Support
• Business Development
• Product Planning
• Management/Governance
• Entrepreneurial Support
• Nonprofit Strategic Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Mark Ritz has led or been actively involved in over 30 transaction processes from inception through closure, with business deal values ranging from thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SPARK (Ann Arbor Spark)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPARK promotes the economic development of innovation-based businesses in the Washtenaw county area by offering programs, resources, and proactive support to business. Barton Consulting Services works closely with SPARK to help entrepreneurs locate the resources they need.
• Great Lakes Entrepreneurs Quest (GLEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLEQ is a non-profit program that helps entrepreneurs prepare business plans and build a management team. Lee Gorman has served as a coach and received the 2011 Coach of the Year Award.
• MI-SBTDC (Michigan Small Business Development Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMI-SBTDC enhances Michigan's economic well-being by providing counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures, existing small businesses, and innovative technology companies.
• New Enterprise Forum (NEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEF, a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1986, links entrepreneurs to management expertise, potential joint venture partners, mentors, business services, capital, and other critical resources. Lee Gorman provides coaching through NEF.
• TechtownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechtown is a business incubator/accelerator in Detroit. Lee Gorman has provided coaching for start-ups through Techtown.
• University of Michigan Center for EntrepreneurshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLee Gorman has mentored students through the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Erb Institute at the University of Michigan.
• Erb Institute for Sustainable EnterpriseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLee Gorman serves on the External Advisory Board of the Erb Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• Boston Consulting Group: Global strategy consulting firm with established practice areas in corporate strategy, organization design, and transaction support. Its mid-market client engagement model is the most directly comparable tier to Barton's positioning.
• Accenture Strategy: Global consulting firm with a dedicated strategy practice spanning corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and operating model design. Overlaps with Barton's strategic planning and transaction support services for enterprise clients.
• Deloitte Consulting: Large multi-disciplinary consulting firm with strategy, operations, and human capital practices. Comparable to Barton in offering strategic planning and organization development, but at much greater scale and broader service breadth.
• Bain & Company: Top-tier global strategy consulting firm with a strong private equity and M&A advisory practice. Barton's transaction support service overlaps directly with Bain's strategy and due diligence offerings, though Bain serves far larger clients.
• McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting firm with a substantial strategy and corporate development practice. Barton competes for the same strategic planning and business transformation engagements but operates at a much smaller scale and within a regional Michigan footprint.

Direct peers

• ghSMART: Boutique consulting firm focused on talent management, CEO advisory, and executive coaching. Comparable to Barton in providing executive coaching and advisory services to founders and senior leaders, with similar firm size and seniority-led delivery model.
• Huron Consulting Group: Mid-size professional services firm offering strategy, operations, and organization consulting. Comparable to Barton in providing change management and strategic planning services to mid-market clients, but at materially larger scale.
• A.T. Kearney (Kearney): Global strategy and management consulting firm with strong operations and strategic planning practices. Comparable to Barton in focusing on strategy and corporate development, but with a much larger global footprint and similar methodology leveraging analytical frameworks.
• North Highland: Mid-size management and technology consulting firm with strategy and organization transformation practices. Closely comparable to Barton in serving mid-market and regional clients with strategic planning and organizational change offerings.

Regional players

• Boathouse Capital (aux: regional MI biz advisory): National management and technology consulting firm with deep mid-market and consumer products expertise. Comparable to Barton in serving growth-stage and mid-market clients with strategy and operations consulting, though with broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Barton Consulting Services