Close · Logistics & Distribution

Mezzanine Debt & Capital Stack for Logistics & Distribution Independent Sponsors

Securities and M&A counsel for independent sponsors structuring logistics and distribution transactions, from LOI to close to the capital markets that open up afterward.

EV range $12M to $140M EV EBITDA $3M to $22M Audience Independent Sponsor
The deal context

An independent sponsor closing logistics and distribution transactions in the $12M to $140M EV range has a defined set of moves at the Mezzanine Debt & Capital Stack stage. Most of them are not in a generic M&A textbook.

The typical logistics and distribution platform sits at $12M to $140M EV with EBITDA in the $3M to $22M range. The thesis runs on regional acquisitions of brokerages, 3PLs, and last-mile operators. Fuel-volatile years make for clean entry multiples. Read the math, not the narrative.

The moves

How Mezzanine Debt & Capital Stack actually gets structured.

  1. Target senior leverage at 3.0x to 3.5x EBITDA, mezzanine at 1.0x to 1.5x on top.

  2. Negotiate an intercreditor agreement that does not throttle the operator.

  3. Structure mezzanine with PIK toggle and warrants priced into the IRR model.

  4. Confirm covenant headroom of at least 20 percent at close.

  5. In logistics and distribution, layer in earnout indexed to gross margin, not revenue as part of the Mezzanine Debt & Capital Stack workstream.

The common mistake

Letting the lender pick the intercreditor terms. Those terms decide what the operator can do on day 180.

Jason's take
"The capital stack is a contract, not a spreadsheet. Read every page of every term sheet."
Jason Powell · Mezzanine Debt & Capital Stack
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
WORK WITH JASON

Bring the logistics and distribution deal. Get Mezzanine Debt & Capital Stack done right.

Direct counsel from a securities and M&A attorney with billions in structured transactions, the independent-sponsor-native playbook, and the capital markets network that opens up post-close.