EP 115: How We 10X'd EBITDA in 7 Years

EP 115: How We 10X'd EBITDA in 7 Years

From $100M Exits with Jason Kirby by Jason Kirby

May 21, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 115

About this episode

Eric Wiklendt shares insights on transforming underperforming manufacturing businesses into valuable companies.

From buying a messy manufacturing business with 26 plants to building a $100M EBITDA powerhouse, here's how it really happened. For two decades, Eric Wiklendt has bought manufacturing businesses most PE firms avoid—and turned them into massively more valuable companies. Eric Wicklendt, Partner and Managing Director at Speyside Equity, has built a career around acquiring underloved, underperforming manufacturing businesses and transforming them into platforms worth exponentially more than what they paid. In this episode, Eric breaks down the real story behind Speyside's origin, their signature "fix and build" strategy, and the Opta deal that became a masterclass in manufacturing transformation. He shares why most PE firms rely on hope as a strategy, how free cash flow tells the truth EBITDA can hide, and what it actually takes to turn around a business with 26 manufacturing plants in 18 months. If you're a founder, operator, or investor in the manufacturing space, this episode is packed with hard-earned, battle-tested insight. What you'll learn in this episode: How Speyside turned a $300K 401(k) bet into a manufacturing PE firm Why other PE firms avoided Opta—and why…

People in this episode

Host: Jason Kirby

Guest: Eric Wiklendt

Topics covered

  • manufacturing
  • private equity
  • business transformation
  • EBITDA
  • investment strategy

Keywords

  • EBITDA
  • manufacturing
  • private equity
  • business turnaround
  • Speyside Equity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Speyside Equity, Opta

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