Capital raise · Industrial Services

Management Fee Structuring for Industrial Services Independent Sponsors

Independent sponsor counsel for industrial services, focused on Management Fee Structuring and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $10M to $130M EV EBITDA $3M to $22M Audience Independent Sponsor
The deal context

Management Fee Structuring on industrial services deals is one of those workstreams that looks routine on a checklist and decides outcomes in practice.

The typical industrial services platform sits at $10M to $130M EV with EBITDA in the $3M to $22M range. The thesis runs on regional consolidation of plant maintenance, specialty contracting, or rentals. An EMR over 1.0 will cost you a half-turn at close unless you fix the story upfront.

The moves

How Management Fee Structuring actually gets structured.

  1. Set the fee at 2 percent of invested capital, stepping to 1.5 percent after year three.

  2. Carve out portfolio-company services so add-on diligence is reimbursable.

  3. Allow accrual if cash flow does not support payment, with later cash catch-up.

  4. Make the fee subordinate to debt service, not to LP preferred return.

  5. In industrial services, layer in MSA renewal calendar mapped pre-LOI as part of the Management Fee Structuring workstream.

The common mistake

Pricing the fee on enterprise value instead of invested capital. EV-based fees punish you on the first add-on.

Jason's take
"The management fee pays for the firm. Underprice it and you will run a hobby, not a platform."
Jason Powell · Management Fee Structuring
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

Most independent sponsors solve the closing capital and then run into the post-close capital problem alone. The capital markets relationships that matter at month 18 are part of this practice.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
ENGAGE THE PRACTICE

Management Fee Structuring for Industrial Services, on independent sponsor terms.

Independent sponsor counsel that already speaks fluent deal-by-deal economics, structures clean LPAs, and travels with capital markets relationships for what comes after close.