Principal · Woodford

Blake
VanDeGrift

Operator & Acquirer  ·  Southeast United States
I About
I don't manage capital.
I build and acquire businesses.

As Principal at Woodford, I acquire, operate, and grow commercial real estate and operating businesses across the Southeast. My focus is on finding good companies in the hands of owners who are ready for their next chapter — and making sure the transition is clean, fair, and certain.

I source and evaluate deals directly. I'm not a fund, a family office, or a broker. I'm a buyer with infrastructure already in place, and I move with the decisiveness that comes from having skin in every deal I close.

II Acquisition Criteria
Deal Size
$1M – $5M
Enterprise value or asset price
Business Types
SMB & Operating Co's
Light industrial, trades, service businesses, medspa, waste removal
Real Estate
Commercial & Mixed
Properties with operational upside or anchor tenants
Geography
Southeast US
KY · TN · NC · SC · GA · AL · FL — open nationally
Deal Structure
Flexible
Asset or stock purchase, seller carry, earnouts considered
Ideal Seller
Retirement or Transition
Owner-operated, no private equity involvement required
III What I Bring
01
Operator, Not a Financial Buyer
I run businesses. I'm not looking to flip or restructure — I'm here to grow what you built and ensure your legacy holds.
02
Speed & Certainty
No committee approvals or fund timelines. I make decisions directly and close when I say I will.
03
Existing Infrastructure
Through Woodford, I have operational systems, management depth, and a team already built for scale.
04
Discretion
I understand what's at stake in a sale. Conversations remain confidential until you're ready to move forward.
IV Let's Talk
If you're ready to have a
serious conversation,
so am I.
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