What Cetane Associates does

Cetane Associates is a Houston, Texas-based mergers and acquisitions advisory firm founded in 2007 that serves owners of lower middle market residential and commercial service businesses. The firm specializes in route-based and recurring-revenue businesses across five primary verticals: Propane & Delivered Fuels, HVAC and Plumbing, Landscaping, Lawn Care, and Pest Control. Per firm materials, the firm has completed more than 135 transactions representing over $900 million in cumulative deal value and employs 25+ professionals, including CPAs and securities-licensed experts.

The firm's product platform consists of four interconnected service lines: Sell-Side Advisory (the core offering, covering valuation, positioning, buyer targeting, confidential marketing, negotiation, and closing), Buy-Side Advisory (acquisition search and execution support), Capital Raises (strategic capital positioning), and Business Valuations (quality-of-earnings and cash-flow analysis). Securities processing is conducted through a core partnership with GT Securities, Inc. (FINRA/SIPC), enabling compliant transaction execution. A supplementary Safe House Training module extends into community-facing human-trafficking awareness for home-service professionals through a partnership with Safe House Project.

Commercially, Cetane operates on a sales-led, relationship-driven model targeting first-time sellers and family-owned operators. The go-to-market motion begins with complimentary discovery calls and a downloadable Transition Planning Guide, progresses through confidential business value estimates and curated buyer selection, and concludes with managed closing. Marketing channels span the firm's website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, press releases, webinars, and published thought-leadership content. Revenue is generated through professional advisory fees tied to closed transactions, with pricing not publicly disclosed and likely structured as success-based transaction fees or retainers on individual mandates. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional ownership or external funding.

Name

Cetane Associates

Legal name

Cetane Associates

Website

https://cetane.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cetane Associates is a Houston-based M&A advisory firm that helps owners of lower middle market residential and commercial service businesses — including propane, HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, lawn care, and pest control — sell, buy, value, and raise capital.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory Services

NAICS

Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Lower Middle-Market Business Brokerage (FSAEAIAB)

Keywords

• M&A advisory
• Business brokerage
• Sell-side advisory
• Business valuations
• Lower middle market

Headquarters

HQ city

New Milford

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 Fees: The firm generates revenue through professional advisory fees associated with mergers and acquisitions transactions. As a sell-side M&A advisory firm, revenue is tied to successful transaction completion. Securities are offered through GT Securities, Inc., member FINRA, SIPC.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cetane Associates is a sell-side M&A advisory and business brokerage firm that guides owners of lower middle market residential and commercial service businesses through the full transaction lifecycle, including exit planning, confidential business valuations, curated buyer targeting, negotiation, and closing. The firm focuses on route-based service sectors such as propane and delivered fuels, HVAC and plumbing, landscaping, lawn care, and pest control.

Product overview

Cetane Associates operates as a unified M&A advisory platform offering four interconnected service modules: Sell-Side Advisory, Buy-Side Advisory, Capital Raises, and Business Valuations. The Sell-Side Advisory service serves as the primary offering, guiding business owners through the complete transaction lifecycle from exit planning through closing. The Buy-Side Advisory complements this by serving acquisition buyers. Capital Raises supports clients needing strategic capital positioning, while Business Valuations provides the foundational analysis underpinning both buy-side and sell-side engagements. The firm also offers Safe House Training as a supplementary community initiative. All services are specialized for lower middle market, route-based service businesses in sectors including propane and delivered fuels, HVAC and plumbing, landscaping, lawn care, and pest control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sell-Side Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• 135+ successful transactions completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Safe House ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetane Associates has partnered with Safe House Project through their Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, equipping home service professionals to recognize potential signs of trafficking and take action. This partnership extends the firm's protective expertise beyond business value to community safety.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Murphy Business Sales: Business brokerage and M&A firm serving the lower middle market with sell-side advisory and valuation services. Comparable in target client profile, deal size band, and professional services model.
• Sunbelt Business Advisors: One of the largest lower middle-market business brokerage networks in North America, focused on M&A for companies typically in the $1M–$50M range. Highly comparable in target market and service breadth.
• Calder Capital: Lower middle-market M&A advisory firm serving owners of private businesses across diverse industries. Comparable in transaction size focus, sell-side orientation, and personalized senior-advisor engagement.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Large business brokerage and M&A advisory franchise specializing in lower middle-market transactions across the US. Comparable in service offering, deal size range, and advisor-led engagement model.
• Generational Equity: Lower middle-market M&A advisor that helps private business owners sell their companies, frequently operating in similar service and route-based verticals. Closely comparable in business model, target deal size, and sell-side focus.
• Morgan & Westfield: Lower middle-market M&A advisor offering sell-side, buy-side, and valuation services to private business owners. Comparable in deal size range, service mix, and target customer profile.
• First Choice Business Brokers: Lower middle-market business brokerage firm offering sell-side M&A advisory and business valuation services. Comparable in target customer (private business owners), deal size range, and service mix.
• Cornerstone Business Services: Lower middle-market M&A advisor focused on private business sales and valuations. Comparable in target customer, transaction size, and full-service sell-side approach.
• A Neumann & Associates: Business broker and M&A advisory firm serving the lower middle market with sell-side, valuation, and consulting services. Comparable in service portfolio, target market, and advisor-led transaction model.
• VR Business Brokers: Business brokerage network focused on lower middle-market transactions, helping owners sell privately held businesses. Comparable in customer segment, deal size, and full-service sell-side model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cetane-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/cetaneassociates/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cetane Associates