The deal
Charlotte-based private equity firm Broadtree Partners has acquired ACME Plumbing Company of Durham, N.C., a residential and commercial plumbing business in its fourth generation of family ownership. Terms were not disclosed.
The Tilley family sold the company, and Larry Tilley will stay on in an advisory role.
Broadtree plans to use ACME as the platform for a broader mechanical, electrical and plumbing services strategy, meaning more acquisitions are likely to be built around it.
Being the platform is different from being an add-on. A platform company becomes the foundation a buyer builds on, so buyers look hard at leadership, systems and reputation, and the owners often have a bigger say in what comes next. Four generations of family ownership gave ACME something hard to manufacture: a name the market already trusts.
What this means if you own a plumbing company
- Platform vs. add-on. Ask early which one a buyer sees you as. It changes the price, the terms and your role.
- Reputation is an asset. Generations of local trust can make a family business the foundation for a whole strategy.
- Plan the family's roles. Advisory roles after a sale should be defined in writing, not left to a handshake.
Source: PrivSource deal listing, Jan. 7, 2026. Summary and analysis by V2 Strategy Advisors.