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Merit Investment Bank Advises A Advanced Septic & Construction Services on Its Generational Transfer and Recapitalization

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Merit Investment Bank & Co., a leading middle-market investment bank, is honored to have served as exclusive financial adviser to A Advanced Septic & Construction Services in its sale to management.

Headquartered in Auburn, Washington, A Advanced Septic & Construction Services is a leading provider of septic and sewer services in the state. Founded by Andrew and Josh Gunia in 2006, this service-driven and quality-focused organization has grown dramatically over the past decade, employing more than 100 individuals serving residential, commercial, and municipal customers.

Sean Ostrander, vice President of Merit Investment Bank & Co., commented, “We were honored to work with the Gunia family and the A Advanced management team to create liquidity for Andrew [Gunia] while simultaneously positioning Josh [Gunia] and his team with an incredible team of advisors who will support the growth plan. Josh is excited to expand the business rapidly in the near term and we’re committed to supporting him and the team going forward.”

Merit Investment Bank leveraged its deep network of lender relationships to find the right bank that would be a true partner for A Advanced post-close, supporting organic growth and future acquisitions.

“My father, Andrew, and I started this business from nothing, and we’ve built a company and culture that we’re really proud of,” stated Josh, President of A Advanced. “Merit Investment Bank helped us navigate the shareholder dynamics and find a lending partner in Columbia Bank that allows our team to capitalize on all the opportunities we have in the pipeline right now.”

“We approached Sean and the Merit Investment Bank team after a poor experience with another firm. They were intentional and honest and did what they said they would do. I’m excited for the future of A Advanced under Josh’s leadership, and am grateful to Merit Investment Bank for making it happen,” added Andrew.

“We are both proud and pleased to work with family-owned-and-operated businesses to navigate succession matters and find optimal structures for generational transfers,” said Craig Dickens, Merit Investment Bank CEO.  “Not everyone needs to sell through M&A to create liquidity, and it was important to both Andrew and Josh to ensure that family relationships were honored and preserved throughout this process.”

Legal advisory was provided by Greg Russell and Jonathan Brodin at Peterson Russell Kelly Livengood PLLC out of Bellevue, Washington.

About A Advanced

A Advanced Septic & Construction Services is a diversified full-service provider of septic services in the Northwest Washington region, serving various municipal, commercial, and residential customers. The company executes projects from beginning to end, primarily using in-house resources. Services include septic pumping/service, civil construction, drainfield restoration, residential construction, electrical, and drain cleaning/plumbing. Learn more at www.AAdvancedservices.com.

About Merit Investment Bank & Company

Merit Investment Bank is a leading boutique investment bank focused on serving middle-market, technology-forward companies. Merit Investment Bank executes sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A and capital advisory services. In addition, Merit Investment Bank offers other investment banking services such as debt and equity capital raises, restructuring advisory services, business valuations, project financing and succession / exit planning. Merit Investment Bank Securities, member FINRA/SIPC, is a full-service broker-dealer licensed in 50 states.

1. Immediate Post-Closing Actions

  • Confirm Closing Deliverables: Verify wire transfers, escrow deposits, and payoff letters. Ensure all signed documents are stored and circulated appropriately.
  • Communications: Issue press releases and internal announcements. Host internal debriefs to clarify deal implications and next steps. Share FAQs to address employee and client concerns.

2. Financial & Tax Considerations

  • Tax Planning: Review capital gains implications and possible elections (e.g., 338(h)(10)). Optimize allocation of proceeds among trusts, estates, and investment vehicles.
  • Wealth Management: Establish an investment strategy for sale proceeds, factoring in liquidity, diversification, and risk tolerance. Revisit estate and philanthropic plans.

3. Operational Transition

  • Integration Roadmap: Define Day 1, Day 30, and Day 100 milestones. Align IT systems, compliance, and reporting frameworks.
  • Governance & Management: Clarify new reporting lines, identify key management for retention, and set up transition service agreements where necessary.

4. Employee Retention & Culture Integration

  • Retention Programs: Offer stay bonuses or performance incentives to key employees.
  • Culture Alignment: Host integration workshops to harmonize values and workflows between merging organizations. Use pulse surveys to monitor morale and engagement.

5. Customer & Partner Management

  • Customer Retention: Conduct proactive outreach to major clients to reassure them about service continuity. Offer transition incentives if needed.
  • Supplier & Partner Relations: Reaffirm contracts, introduce new leadership, and mitigate potential disruptions in the supply chain.

6. Legal & Compliance

  • Ongoing Obligations: Track escrow releases, earnouts, and indemnification timelines. Update registrations, licenses, and insurance policies.
  • Dispute Preparedness: Maintain a documentation log and standardized process for handling any post-closing disputes.

7. Long-Term Strategic Planning

  • For Sellers: Outline reinvestment strategies—whether in new ventures, passive investments, or philanthropic initiatives.
  • For Buyers: Execute synergy realization plans and monitor KPIs to measure integration success. Refine strategy as market conditions evolve.

8. Key Deliverables for Merit Investment Bank

  1. Post-Sale Communication Playbook – For employees, customers, and press.
  2. Tax & Wealth Planning Roadmap – Personalized for sellers.
  3. Integration Milestones Tracker – With Day 1/30/100 progress indicators.
  4. Retention & Culture Alignment Plan – Ensuring people continuity.
  5. Escrow & Earnout Monitoring Checklist – For legal and financial oversight.

Merit Investment Bank as a leading boutique investment bank is focused on entrepreneurial middle-market companies. Merit Investment Bank Executes sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, and capital advisory services, debt and equity capital raises, corporate finance, and valuation services.

Securities offered through Finalis Securities LLC Member FINRA/SIPC. Merit Investment Bank and Finalis Securities LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities.

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