Enter the Private Investor

Says Ablon: “When we buy a company, we have an idea, a strategic plan and timeframe. It’s not set in stone, but typically the hold period for an acquisition is, broadly speaking, three to seven years.”

For Riverside, the internal rate of return on investments currently averages 20 to 25 percent. “Of course, we’d always like to do better,” says Ablon. “But that’s about the industry average at present, so that’s where we’re going to look to be for our underwriting.”