Independent by choice. Ahead by design.
Vantage Restoration Alliance is a small, non-competing, geographically exclusive group of independent owners who work through the hard decisions together — so you can compete with national platforms without giving up ownership.
Is my margin actually healthy — or am I just guessing?
One seat per territoryFounding cohort forming now
- 10+years running this exact peer-group model with independent owners
- 2Xaverage member revenue growth over the past decade
- 30%+increase in gross profit percentage across the member group
- $250M+in private equity value provided collectively to members since 2023
Results reflect E Squared’s garage door & dock member group; individual member outcomes vary.
What independent owners are actually asking.
Not generic advice. A room of peers who have already worked through the same problems — and numbers that show where you really stand.
Register your interest01Is my margin actually healthy?
Margin pressure is now the top concern in the industry — 19% of owners report margins under 20%, up from 12% a year earlier — yet almost no owner can see whether their own number is normal.
In the group, members compare real figures with peers at their scale: margin by service line, days sales outstanding by carrier, technician turnover and more. You stop guessing and start deciding.
Source: 2026 Cleanfax Restoration Benchmarking Survey.
02How do I pay my leadership team so they think like owners?
Incentive plans that tie pay to the numbers that actually drive the business are one of the biggest levers an owner has — and one of the hardest to design alone.
Members share what has worked (and what backfired), and benchmark pay structures against peers running businesses their size.
03Are we growing the right way — or just getting bigger?
Growth that outruns cash and staffing breaks good companies. The group works through carrier and TPA mix, direct-to-consumer demand, technology spend and capacity planning with owners who have made the same calls.
04What’s actually working for owners like me?
No theory and no vendor pitch. A small group of non-competing owners at similar scale, sharing wins, losses and needs in a format built for candor. One owner per territory means you can say what you really think.
05Can I stay independent and still compete?
Consolidators and franchise systems win on scale, systems and discipline. Independents can match that discipline together — shared playbooks, stronger leadership teams, clearer financial visibility — without selling equity or giving up control.
And when you do start thinking about what’s next — a family handoff, an internal buyout, or an eventual sale — you will have built a business that can be transferred on your terms.
Squeezed from two directions.
Private-equity-backed platforms are buying scale. National franchise systems are buying brand. Independent owners need a third option.
Go it alone
Compete against national platforms and franchise systems with more capital, more technology and bigger carrier programs — by yourself.
Survive and grow, together
Benchmark against real peers, professionalize your financials, and build a business that doesn’t depend on you — so you decide what’s next, on your own timeline.
Sources: PE Stakeholder Project; The Deal Sheet, Restoration Industry M&A & Business Valuation Report 2026.
One rhythm, all year.
A small, structured group with real meetings, a private channel between them, and numbers you can act on.
Founding kickoff
A two-day in-person launch: group bylaws, an industry briefing, first benchmarks and working sessions.
Two annual meetings
In-person sessions each year — member business reviews, best-practice deep dives and site visits.
Always-on private channel
A peer channel for wins, losses, needs and fast answers between meetings.
Quarterly benchmarking
Updated KPIs so every member always knows where they stand against peers.
One-on-one financial support
Hands-on help with your own numbers, available on demand when you want it — never required.
Optional- Non-competing owners
- One seat per territory
- Built for candor
- Facilitated by E Squared
A decade of results in Door & Dock.
The same model, proven over 10+ years with independent garage door & dock owners facing the same consolidation pressure. Members doubled revenue and lifted gross profit percentage by more than 30% — and built the capabilities behind it.
Leadership teams built
Members developed leadership teams that can run the business.
Geographic expansion via M&A
Members expanded into new markets through acquisitions.
Formal training programs
Members built formal training programs for their teams.
Stronger incentive pay plans
Improved incentive pay that aligns the team with company results.
Enterprise-grade ERP systems
Members implemented solid ERP systems.
Outsized valuation growth
Substantial growth in business valuations across the group.
Transitions to the next generation
We’ve seen generational transitions to family — sons and daughters stepping into ownership of the businesses their parents built.
In private equity value provided to members
Collectively, since 2023 — the result of building companies with transferable value, on the owner’s timeline.
Results reflect E Squared’s garage door & dock member group; individual member outcomes vary.
What door industry leaders say about E Squared.
Owners and presidents from our garage door & dock peer group, in their own words.
E Squared has been one of the most impactful partnerships in my time in leadership. The network of other garage door dealers E Squared has connected me to has fostered mentorships and friendships that I value tremendously and otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to create.
Over the past 10+ years, being part of E Squared’s peer group has been awesome for our business. Meeting twice a year with other company leaders gives us fresh, big-picture ideas. … E Squared has helped us make real progress, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner to work with.
My company went from performing good to performing elite. This was a direct result of working with [E Squared]. I’ve always had the grind and hustle, but [they were] able to give clear direction and guidance with strategic planning, details and data.
Working with E Squared over the past several years has been an invaluable part of my development as President of Broten Garage Door Sales. The network of experienced and successful industry leaders … has given me people I can turn to when making important decisions for my business. I’ve seen the value of E Squared show up not only in our bottom line, but also in our company culture and continued growth.
[E Squared] has created a unique network that brings together a select group of successful door companies, and an environment where we can openly share ideas, experiences and best practices. I come away from every meeting with something valuable that I can implement to improve our business.
Testimonials are from members of E Squared’s garage door & dock peer group and have been lightly edited for clarity and length; bracketed text clarifies the speaker’s reference.
Who we’re looking for.
Founding members are comparable in scale and economics, so every conversation in the room is relevant to every owner in it.
- $5M – $20M in annual revenueThe tier where real management structure — dedicated project managers, multiple locations — typically emerges.
- $750K+ EBITDA, or 15%+ net marginA profitability floor so peers are comparing genuinely similar businesses.
- 35–40%+ water & fire mitigation mixKeeps a reconstruction-heavy company from sitting beside a mitigation-heavy one at the same revenue.
- Active IICRC & carrier / TPA standingEstablished certifications and preferred-vendor program eligibility.
- Independently ownedNot a franchise location and not owned by a consolidator.
- One exclusive territory per memberNo two members compete for the same customers or the same carrier programs.
Not sure you fit every line? Register anyway and tell us about your business — the first conversation is how we find out.
Straight answers.
Anything else you’d like to know before you register? Ask us on your first call.
Who else is in the group?
Independent owners of comparable scale — one per exclusive territory — so you are never sharing a room with a direct competitor.
Do I have to be thinking about selling?
No. Vantage is about making independent businesses stronger. Succession and transition planning — a family handoff, an internal buyout, or an eventual sale — is part of the conversation when you want it, but it is never the starting point.
How much time does it take?
A two-day founding kickoff, two in-person meetings each year, quarterly benchmark updates, and a private channel you use as much or as little as you like.
Is this a franchise or a buying group?
No. It is an independent peer group. You keep full ownership and control of your business.
Who runs it?
Vantage is facilitated by E Squared, which has run peer groups for independent owners in the garage door & dock industry since 2015.
What happens after I register?
A short, confidential conversation to confirm fit — territory, scale and service mix — and answer your questions. From there: an NDA and application, territory confirmation, and the founding kickoff. Details on founding-member terms are shared on that first conversation.
One seat per territory. Check yours.
Register to start a confidential conversation about your market and whether Vantage is the right fit.
Find out more & register
Facilitated by E Squared. We have run peer groups for independent owners since 2015, and we are bringing the same model to restoration. Learn more at esquaredconsultants.com.
© 2026 E Squared Consulting. All rights reserved.