Forty-Two Years In: What This Year Has Taught Me About Beginnings and Endings in Family Business
By Trip Holmes, President, Sabre Capital
This year Sabre Capital celebrated its 42nd anniversary. First, let me say wholeheartedly that this stuff–advising families across multiple industries in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia in planning for and making their exits–never gets old!
Four decades of advising business owners teaches you that every year has its own personality. This one has been defined by two kinds of transitions: the ones founders plan for, and the ones nobody does.
As we head into the final quarter of 2026, we've had a big year. We’ve closed more than 10 transactions and advisory engagements this year. Most look like the work we've always done: sell-side advisory for founders who built something valuable and are ready to hand it off. But a meaningful share of this year's work has come from a harder place. These were families working out what comes next after the death of the founder who held it all together.
The Planned Exit
For a founder who is ready, a sale is the culmination of a career. It's usually the largest financial transaction of their life, and they get one shot at it.
Our job is to make that shot count. First, we prepare the business well before it goes to market and anticipate what buyers will question. Next, we position the company around what actually makes it valuable to the ideal buyer. We run a time-tested process to find a buyer that’s the right fit for the business. Finally, we stay with clients through diligence, where deals tend to wobble, and on to the closing.
This year's founders shared one priority: they cared about what happened after closing. They cared about their employees, their customers, and their name on the door. The right buyer isn't always the highest bid.
The Unplanned Transition
The other side of this year's work doesn't make for easy headlines.
Sometimes a founder dies without a clear succession plan, or with one that never accounted for how the family would actually get along. When that happens, the business often becomes the center of grief and competing interests. One sibling works in the company and another doesn't. A spouse depends on the income. Employees, customers, and lenders all start asking questions.
In these situations, we are financial advisors, but we're also a steady, neutral voice in the room. We help families understand what the business is worth and weigh their realistic options. Then we negotiate a path that protects both the company's value and the relationships around the table. The best outcome is rarely the fastest or easiest one.
Built Around Your Family, Not a Template
No two families or businesses face the same situation. So we don't offer a one-size-fits-all engagement. Depending on what you need, Sabre Capital can serve as:
Sell-side advisor, running a full process to find the right buyer at the right value
Buy-side advisor, helping you acquire and grow
Valuation resource, giving your family an objective view of what the business is worth
Succession planner, mapping the handoff to the next generation or leadership team
Transaction architect for management and partnership buyouts that keep ownership close to home
Family mediator, bringing structure and neutrality to difficult conversations
Some clients need one of these roles. Many need several over the life cycle of an engagement.
Whether you're five years from retirement or facing a transition you never expected, let's talk. Every founder eventually leaves their business. The only question is whether they, and their family, get to decide how.
Reach out to me today at 919-847-0099 or holmes@sabrecapital.com to start a conversation on the best outcome for your family business.