Close · Industrial Services

Working Capital Adjustments for Industrial Services Independent Sponsors

Independent sponsor counsel for industrial services, focused on Working Capital Adjustments and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $10M to $130M EV EBITDA $3M to $22M Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

Working Capital Adjustments 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 Working Capital Adjustments actually gets structured.

  1. Set the peg based on a trailing 12-month average, normalized for seasonality.

  2. Define each line item in the schedule, especially deferred revenue and accrued vacation.

  3. Cap the dispute resolution timeline at 30 days post-close.

  4. Build a true-up payment mechanism funded out of escrow.

  5. In industrial services, layer in MSA renewal calendar mapped pre-LOI as part of the Working Capital Adjustments workstream.

The common mistake

Using an unadjusted average that ignores seasonality. You pay twice for the same cash.

Jason's take
"Working capital is where deals are won or re-traded after LOI. Read every line of the schedule."
Jason Powell · Working Capital Adjustments
Capital after close

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

After close, the call list for refinancing, recapitalization, and growth equity gets short and known. Jason carries that list.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
TALK TO JASON

An LOI on the desk, a industrial services target, and a Working Capital Adjustments question worth a real conversation.

Twenty minutes of practitioner-grade input from a securities attorney whose first move is to read the deal, not the engagement letter.