In the Beginning
In 1982, Jim Freedman led business development for an asset-based lender that financed entrepreneurial middle-market companies in Southern California. He noticed that his clients’ value was often defined by attributes built by an entrepreneurial passion and often far exceeded the levels set by widely accepted metrics.
Intimidated by the unfamiliar world of corporate M&A, these entrepreneurs often hired “establishment” investment banks. These advisors were large Wall Street firms who ran “conventional” sale processes that often failed to grasp the “uniqueness” of their clients.
Jim founded Barrington Associates, Intrepid’s predecessor, by adopting a different approach to helping middle-market entrepreneurs realize their companies’ full exit potential.