About our firm

We have deep expertise as owners, operators, and investors across a range of sectors, including healthcare and consumer. Working in tandem with business owners, we leverage our unique resources, relationships, local market experience, and operational capabilities to create substantial value for all stakeholders.

Our team has built and invested behind businesses from idea to platform. We understand intimately what it takes to be effective operators, engaged owners, and responsible actors in our local communities. We provide customized capital and operational solutions and leverage our experiences as Founders, CEOs, CFOs, and Entrepreneurs to take a hands-on approach in supporting management teams to build great, sustainable companies. We are committed to preserving and enhancing stakeholder outcomes across the value chain – owners, clinicians, employees, and patients.

Approach

We believe that exceptional results are the result of hands-on, collaborative partnership.

We leverage our world-class industry experience and functional expertise to invest behind high-potential businesses on a selective basis. In addition to partnering with management teams of well-established businesses, we also incubate companies that have a strong probability of maturing into successful platforms.

Local Market Knowledge

Our leadership lives and works in New England and is focused exclusively on the markets we know well. We are hyper-active in our neighborhoods and communities and have deep local networks. As a result, we understand the nuances among various sub-markets that make the difference in supporting our businesses.

Operations Discipline

We are CEO’s and CFOs with capital, and as experienced buy and build investors, we aim to grow our companies through strategic investments and organically through enhancements to back-office and front-office capabilities. We take on an operating partner role, often assuming an executive role within the company and supplementing with additional talent as needed. We provide expertise and dedicated resources in a variety of areas, including finance, accounting, human resources, IT, marketing, compliance, and supply chain.

Long-Term Time Horizon

Dock Square does not have inflexible exit expectations and timelines and works with its partner companies to construct the appropriate investment structure and operational partnership that preserves and grows value over time. We have extensive and permanent sources of capital, which uniquely positions us as a long-term, value-add investor and partner.

Customized Solutions

We have structured and financed numerous transactions, no two being the same. In addition to being hands-on operators, we invest our capital alongside other capital sources to align interests. We believe that exceptional outcomes are only achievable when you create alignment among all stakeholders across the value chain, from founders, shareholders, and management teams to investors and employees. As a result, we craft tailored, flexible solutions and structures that align incentives and position our partner businesses for long-term success. Everything we do is centered around relationships, transparency, trust and delivering on shared expectations and commitments.

Partnership Criteria & Custom Solutions

Our firm is intensely focused on partnering with a limited number of high-potential companies. We appreciate that no two businesses are the same. As a result, we have a flexible range of solutions for our businesses that are responsive to both current needs and future aspirations and potential. While our preference is to acquire a majority interest in portfolio companies, we are equally adept at structuring transactions involving significant minority interest and aligned incentives.  While our overall approach to partnership is flexible by design, our portfolio companies tend to share the characteristics described below.

General Characteristics

  • Well-positioned to grow and benefit from a strategic partnership with our team
  • Willingness to embrace strategic partnership
  • Strong alignment and congruent value systems
  • Aspiration to become category leaders in their addressable market

Financial Characteristics

  • Annual sales of $20M+ and positive operating margin
  • Resilient business model
  • Strong revenue cycle management
  • Not highly levered

Solutions

  • Strategic partnership and investment for closely-held businesses to support growth, optimization, and owner liquidity
  • Management buyouts
  • Partnership restructuring
  • Special situations

Our Team

Our team’s experience set is deep and diverse – our professionals have significant experience as founders, CEOs, CFOs, operators, investors, advisers, and industry experts.

Executive Leadership

Rishi Shukla, Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Matthew Rhoades, Co-Founder & Managing Partner