In Partnership with Richard Sperber
Preserving local landscaping businesses
Join Richard and the American Operator team to protect local landscaping businesses. Sell your business while preserving its local identity, become an operator with a path to majority ownership, or advise a local business with equity upside.
In Partnership with Richard Sperber
Preserving local landscaping businesses
Join Richard and the American Operator team to protect local landscaping businesses. Sell your business while preserving its local identity, become an operator with a path to majority ownership, or advise a local business with equity upside.
In Partnership with Richard Sperber
Preserving local landscaping businesses
Join Richard and the American Operator team to protect local landscaping businesses. Sell your business while preserving its local identity, become an operator with a path to majority ownership, or advise a local business with equity upside.
A shared conviction
Throughout his career building nation-wide landscaping businesses, Richard Sperber has seen firsthand how destructive traditional private equity rollups can be when retiring owners sell the local businesses their communities rely on.
That's why he's partnered with American Operator to offer a different path: helping owners sell to a buyer committed to preserving their businesses' independence and putting ownership in the hands of the local operators who lead them.
Whether you're looking to sell your landscaping business, become an owner-operator, or share your expertise, connect with Richard and the American Operator team.
Throughout his career building nation-wide landscaping businesses, Richard Sperber has seen firsthand how destructive traditional private equity rollups can be when retiring owners sell the local businesses their communities rely on.
That's why he's partnered with American Operator to offer a different path: helping owners sell to a buyer committed to preserving their businesses' independence and putting ownership in the hands of the local operators who lead them.
Whether you're looking to sell your landscaping business, become an owner-operator, or share your expertise, connect with Richard and the American Operator team.
“No matter how large my companies grew, small, local businesses were always our greatest competitors. They're the heart of their communities, but too many are disappearing. We want to preserve them for generations to come.”
“No matter how large my companies grew, small, local businesses were always our greatest competitors. They're the heart of their communities, but too many are disappearing. We want to preserve them for generations to come.”
Introducing
american operator
American Operator buys businesses directly from retiring owners and backs proven industry operators to lead as CEO, gain ownership on day one, and become the majority owners over time. Each business keeps its name, team, and local identity, with our support for long-term growth.
American Operator buys businesses directly from retiring owners and backs proven industry operators to lead as CEO, gain ownership on day one, and become the majority owners over time. Each business keeps its name, team, and local identity, with our support for long-term growth.
American Operator buys businesses directly from retiring owners and backs proven industry operators to lead as CEO, gain ownership on day one, and become the majority owners over time. Each business keeps its name, team, and local identity, with our support for long-term growth.
Explore opportunities
Work with Richard & American OPerator
Sell Your business
Sell Your business
We offer owners of landscaping, tree care, lawn care, and related home service businesses an exit that keeps their business locally owned with a trusted successor to carry it forward.
Explore an exit with a fair offer, a discreet process, and a transition on your timeline, knowing an exceptional local operator will lead your business and carry your legacy forward.
We offer a confident close
We acquire businesses directly using our own committed capital, without reliance on outside financing or lending contingencies.
We place and support your successor
We offer an ownership opportunity to a leader within your organization or find a proven operator to lead the business and become its majority owner.
We offer an ownership opportunity to a leader within your organization or find a proven operator to lead the business and become its majority owner.
Your businesses stays independent
We preserve your business's name and local identity, never rolling it into a larger platform or selling it to another buyer.
We preserve your business's name and local identity, never rolling it into a larger platform or selling it to another buyer.
Your employees keeps their jobs
We keep your team working, creating opportunities for them to grow in responsibility and leadership.
We keep your team working, creating opportunities for them to grow in responsibility and leadership.
Become an owner-operator
Become an owner-operator
We partner with experienced landscaping operators who have led teams, managed a P&L, and driven growth for successful landscaping companies. Through our Operate-to-Own model, we acquire a business and back you to lead it as CEO, with a path to become the majority owner.
Explore an exit with a fair offer, a discreet process, and a transition on your timeline, knowing an exceptional local operator will lead your business and carry your legacy forward.
We fund the acquisition
Our capital makes the purchase possible, while your industry experience and leadership make the transition work.
Our capital makes the purchase possible, while your industry experience and leadership make the transition work.
You step in as CEO
Lead an established business with an existing team and reputation, taking responsibility for its long-term growth.
Lead an established business with an existing team and reputation, taking responsibility for its long-term growth.
You build a company you own
Start with a meaningful equity stake from day one, with a path to majority ownership as you grow the business.
Start with a meaningful equity stake from day one, with a path to majority ownership as you grow the business.
We equip you with world-class support
Work with our team and an experienced industry advisor for strategic guidance, hiring, technology, and growth support.
Work with our team and an experienced industry advisor for strategic guidance, hiring, technology, and growth support.
Become an advisor
Become an advisor
Partner with American Operator as an industry advisor to share your expertise, mentor an owner-operator as they grow their business, and take an equity stake by serving on its Board of Managers.
Explore an exit with a fair offer, a discreet process, and a transition on your timeline, knowing an exceptional local operator will lead your business and carry your legacy forward.
Evaluate acquisition opportunities
Use your hard-earned industry expertise to evaluate landscaping business and identify opportunities for growth.
Refer owners and operators
Introduce owners looking to sell or operator candidates in your network, earning compensation for referrals.
Introduce owners looking to sell or operator candidates in your network, earning compensation for referrals.
Mentor with equity upside
Guide an owner-operator as a board advisor, with an equity stake in the business and a share in its success.
Guide an owner-operator as a board advisor, with an equity stake in the business and a share in its success.
Preserve local business
Help keep landscaping businesses locally owned while creating ownership opportunities for the next generation.
Help keep landscaping businesses locally owned while creating ownership opportunities for the next generation.
Richard’s Story
A commitment
to people
A commitment
to people
Richard Sperber is a veteran landscape industry entrepreneur with over three decades of experience building some of the nation's largest landscaping companies.
The son of ValleyCrest founder Burt Sperber, Richard began his career in the family business and assumed leadership in 2000, expanding ValleyCrest to over 125 locations worldwide. In 2014, ValleyCrest merged with The Brickman Group to form BrightView, the industry's largest landscape services company.
In 2019, Richard founded Sperber Landscape Companies, building another nationally recognized landscaping business.
Through decades of building and leading some of the industry’s largest companies, Richard has seen firsthand how outside investment and platform expansion can shift priorities away from the people and values that made those businesses successful. This experience has strengthened his conviction that there is a better way to sell, grow, and preserve great landscaping businesses.
Today, Richard is committed to protecting the independence of local landscaping businesses, preserving their founders' legacies, and creating meaningful pathways to ownership for the next generation of operators.
Richard Sperber is a veteran landscape industry entrepreneur with over three decades of experience building some of the nation's largest landscaping companies.
The son of ValleyCrest founder Burt Sperber, Richard began his career in the family business and assumed leadership in 2000, expanding ValleyCrest to over 125 locations worldwide. In 2014, ValleyCrest merged with The Brickman Group to form BrightView, the industry's largest landscape services company.
In 2019, Richard founded Sperber Landscape Companies, building another nationally recognized landscaping business.
Through decades of building and leading some of the industry’s largest companies, Richard has seen firsthand how outside investment and platform expansion can shift priorities away from the people and values that made those businesses successful. This experience has strengthened his conviction that there is a better way to sell, grow, and preserve great landscaping businesses.
Today, Richard is committed to protecting the independence of local landscaping businesses, preserving their founders' legacies, and creating meaningful pathways to ownership for the next generation of operators.
Start a conversation
Connect with Richard & Our team
Whether you’re considering an exit or have the experience to lead a business as its next owner, reach out to Richard and the American Operator team to explore the opportunity.
Reviving the
American Dream
Reviving the
American Dream
Reviving the
American Dream
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Follow along for launch updates, stories and insights from our mission to keep businesses in the hands of local owner-operators — for the benefit of employees, communities, and customers alike.
Follow along for launch updates, stories and insights from our mission to keep businesses in the hands of local owner-operators — for the benefit of employees, communities, and customers alike.