For many students pursuing entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA), the primary goal is a quick exit.
But Aizik Zimerman, who enrolled in Chicago Booth knowing he wanted to find a small business to buy and operate, is in it for the long haul.
The second-year MBA student last year acquired a Chicago-based plumbing business after a lightning-fast search, becoming the first student in Booth’s ETA program to complete an acquisition while enrolled in school. Rather than flip it, he intends to grow the business into the largest home services company in the country and build training programs to create a workforce pipeline.
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“There are 100,000 plumbing companies in the U.S., and 80% will fold because the owners retire or they are too small to sell,” Zimerman said. “Who is going to service America? Who will be the next owners of plumbing companies to support our daily lives?”