Jonathan Jay speaks with Chris Stone about acquiring competitors, using acquisition finance, restructuring a healthcare business, and scaling across Scotland without relying only on organic growth.
Listen to the EpisodeEpisode 238 | Runtime: 28:06 | Audio Episode
Hear how a Glasgow based hearing healthcare operator used acquisition strategy, finance, and management team development to become one of the fastest growing providers in Scotland.
Episode
238
Runtime
28:06
Topic
Healthcare
Format
Interview
Three practical lessons on acquisition led growth from a Scottish healthcare operator.
Chris explains how buying a competitor added revenue that could have taken years to build from a new site, giving the business faster regional expansion and stronger market position.
The discussion covers debt assumption, asset purchases, acquisition loans, deferred payments, and why understanding what the seller wants is central to getting a deal over the line.
Before pursuing more acquisitions, Chris had to strengthen operations, sales, and leadership so the business could integrate targets rather than overload the owner.
This episode follows Jonathan Jay's conversation with Chris Stone, a Glasgow based hearing healthcare specialist who had already acquired one competitor and was looking for further acquisitions. Chris explains how the pandemic forced difficult decisions, reduced overheads, and left the business leaner, more profitable, and better prepared for acquisition led growth.
The conversation then moves into the first acquisition, including how Chris repositioned himself on LinkedIn, generated introductions, found a distressed but valuable competitor, normalised profit, and used acquisition finance to complete an asset purchase. He also explains why supplier backed finance can create restrictions, and why a cleaner deal structure can preserve strategic freedom for future acquisitions.
Jonathan and Chris also discuss the next target, seller expectations, using business cash flow to fund deferred payments, regional expansion beyond central Scotland, and the role of peer groups in pushing buyers to take action. The result is a practical episode for acquisition entrepreneurs who want to buy established businesses, build a management team, and scale a group through disciplined deal execution.
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