EP 115: How We 10X'd EBITDA in 7 Years

<p>From buying a messy manufacturing business with 26 plants to building a $100M EBITDA powerhouse, here&#39;s how it really happened.</p><p><br></p><p>For two decades, Eric Wiklendt has bought manufacturing businesses most PE firms avoid—and turned them into massively more valuable companies. Eric Wicklendt, Partner and Managing Director at Speyside Equity, has built a career around acquiring underloved, underperforming manufacturing businesses and transforming them into platforms worth exponentially more than what they paid.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, Eric breaks down the real story behind Speyside&#39;s origin, their signature &quot;fix and build&quot; strategy, and the Opta deal that became a masterclass in manufacturing transformation. He shares why most PE firms rely on hope as a strategy, how free cash flow tells the truth EBITDA can hide, and what it actually takes to turn around a business with 26 manufacturing plants in 18 months.</p><p><br></p><p>If you&#39;re a founder, operator, or investor in the manufacturing space, this episode is packed with hard-earned, battle-tested insight.</p><p><br></p><p>What you&#39;ll learn in this episode:</p><ul><li><p>How Speyside turned a $300K 401(k) bet into a manufacturing PE firm</p></li><li><p>Why other PE firms avoided Opta—and why Speyside leaned in</p></li><li><p>How operational improvements alone drove a 10X EBITDA increase</p></li><li><p>Why free cash flow reveals what adjusted EBITDA hides</p></li><li><p>What founders should know before choosing PE over a strategic buyer</p><p><br></p></li></ul><p><strong>Raising capital?</strong></p><p>Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here:<a href="https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders"> </a><a href="https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=EP+115&utm_campaign=%24100M+Exits"><u>https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=YouTube&amp;utm_medium=EP+115&amp;utm_campaign=%24100M+Exits</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips:</p><p><a href="https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=EP+115&utm_campaign=%24100M+Exits"><u>https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=YouTube&amp;utm_medium=EP+115&amp;utm_campaign=%24100M+Exits </u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>ABOUT ERIC WIKLENDT </strong></p><p>Eric Wiklendt is a Managing Director and Partner at Speyside Equity, where he leads the sourcing, execution, management,