Named for the Cooper River, Charleston, South Carolina
Colman and Peter met while training at Naval Nuclear Power School and Prototype in North Charleston.
These are the four things an owner should expect from us.
We are buying to operate for the long term, without a predetermined exit date. After closing, we step into the business as its day-to-day leaders and keep investing in it.
You talk to Colman and Peter. We read every message, take every call, and make the decisions ourselves. There is no analyst between you and the people who would take over.
A conversation with us is confidential and carries no obligation. We can begin with no documents at all, and we do not discuss your business outside the two of us without your permission.
We ask about the people, the customers, and how the business came to work the way it does. That history is most of what we would be taking responsibility for.
We met during naval nuclear propulsion training in Charleston, and we have carried the same habits ever since: operational discipline, technical excellence, accountability, and teams built around a mission.
Those backgrounds have given us a particular appreciation for businesses where safety, reliability, technical expertise, and trust matter. We are especially interested in essential service and industrial companies, and we remain open to an exceptional business in another field.
One company, bought outright, run by us. The marks of the business we are looking for:
An established operating history and consistent profitability.
Recurring or repeat customer relationships.
Products or services people count on — essential, not discretionary.
Skilled employees and durable operating know-how.
A strong reputation and long-standing customer trust.
Room to preserve the company's strengths while investing in its next chapter.
Located in the United States.
An owner seeking a full transition of ownership.
We are especially drawn to technical, industrial, infrastructure, government-supported, compliance-driven, and other essential service businesses. Those are affinities, not restrictions — an exceptional company in another field is welcome.
The pace is collaborative, and an introductory conversation commits you to nothing.
An email to either of us. Tell us as much or as little as you like; no documents are needed to begin.
A direct discussion of your goals, your timing, and whether we are the right next owners for the business.
A focused exchange of information so both sides can judge the fit. You look at us as closely as we look at the company.
Alignment on terms, and a thoughtful transition plan for you, your employees, and your customers.
Nothing on this page is an offer, a valuation, or a commitment.
Cooper River Partners is supported by experienced business owners, executives, and long-term investors who share our approach to stewardship. After closing, the business is run by the two of us — not by a committee.
Brokers, attorneys, accountants, and wealth advisers: if you are working with an owner thinking about succession, write to either of us. You will get a timely, discreet answer on whether it is worth a conversation, and the introduction stays confidential.
Write to either of us. One plain email is enough, and you decide what happens after that.
We read everything ourselves, and we reply.