Built to Last, Sold with Purpose

What Verigent’s Founder Learned About Exiting on His Terms

Kevin Kiernan didn’t start Verigent in 2002 with a “sell-by” date circled on the calendar. Like most founders, he started it to build something real: a telecom and IT staffing business rooted in long-term relationships, steady execution, and a culture that treated people like people. For years, that formula worked and it worked fast. But after weathering major market shocks, personal life curveballs, and the mental grind that comes with carrying all the risk, Kevin reached a moment many owners recognize: I can’t do this forever, and I don’t want to be rebuilding at 60.

What’s most instructive about Kevin’s story isn’t that he sold, it’s how he sold. He explored a variety of options, including an ESOP. He spoke with a long list of advisors. He even had a near-deal experience without true representation that moved fast and then collapsed at the last minute. That was the turning point that clarified something many owners learn the hard way: the deal process isn’t just about finding a buyer. It’s about protecting outcomes: price, terms, people, and peace of mind.

In the end, Verigent’s transaction closed with a strategic buyer (Allied Resources Group), with a structure that didn’t force years of earn-out risk or an extended personal lock-in. He credits having FOCUS’s experienced, industry-specialized M&A advisors, for helping him navigate the process like a businessperson, not just a deal participant.

Kevin built Verigent after spending more than a decade in staffing and seeing a model he didn’t want to replicate. In too many firms, the contract workforce is treated as a cost to be squeezed. Verigent went the other way.

Verigent offered benefits like healthcare and a 401(k) match for temp workers because Kevin believed the business had two clients: the companies buying talent and the people doing the work. That philosophy wasn’t just “nice.” It created a measurable advantage: better retention, stronger service, and less vulnerability to competitors.

Verigent grew quickly, but like many founder-led businesses, the company’s story included hard resets:

• A major concentration shock during the 2008–2009 downturn (a large client contract ended while hiring froze).
• The realization that growth required building real infrastructure: finance leadership, a deeper management team, and a broader client base.
• COVID-era strain
• The nagging truth that risk doesn’t disappear as you get older; it compounds.

Kevin’s reflection is one many founders quietly share: eventually you start worrying more about what could go wrong than enjoying what’s going right.

Before working with FOCUS, Kevin experienced what many owners do when they test the waters on their own: momentum without protection.

Kevin engaged in a potential exit process that advanced to a late stage, but the transaction ultimately did not close. The reason may have been valid, but the outcome was the same: time lost, energy drained, and confidence shaken.

That experience made the value of representation crystal clear: it’s not only about sourcing buyers. It’s about managing process risk, maintaining leverage, and not getting dragged into a one-lane negotiation where the other side controls the clock. This experience showed Kevin that he didn’t just need a buyer. He needed a process that keeps options open and outcomes protected.

Kevin spoke with 12–13 firms and narrowed it to two. The deciding factors were not generic reputation claims. They were practical:

1. Sector specialization: staffing/human capital experience mattered because staffing deals often come with earn-outs and unique diligence realities.
2. Depth beyond a “one-person shop”: Kevin wanted a team approach and organizational support, not a single individual where “if it goes sideways, you’re stuck.”
3. Experience that showed up in the work: he described April Taylor and Bob Maiden as “head and shoulders above” alternatives in knowledge and guidance.

Kevin stayed open-minded throughout the process, but he had one clear objective: he wanted the business to continue and for his long-tenured leadership team to have upside and continuity. That clarity helped filter buyer fit early and kept the process aligned with his goals.

When asked what advice he would give other owners thinking about selling, Kevin’s answer wasn’t “sell now,” it was “prepare now.”

What he believes owners should do earlier:

• Diversify customers: concentration kills value and creates buyer fear.
• Build a management team: a business that only runs with the founder is harder to buy.
• Improve margin quality: he intentionally moved away from low-margin segments, even losing staff in the short term, to strengthen the business long-term.
• Get informed: talk to your bank, accountant, attorney and learn what drives value in your space and what could derail you.
• Be honest about timing: sometimes the market is hot but your business or your people aren’t ready.

Kevin’s answer, in spirit, was clear: unlikely and definitely not with the same confidence, process control, and finish-line execution. For Kevin, having business-minded, experienced M&A advisors mattered because they understood how deals actually move, where they stall, what buyers push for in structure and terms, and how to keep momentum without losing leverage.

Kevin’s story is ultimately about alignment between value and values. He didn’t just want to “cash out.” He wanted continuity for employees, respect for culture, and relief from long-term risk. He also wanted the deal to be done in a way that didn’t turn the next several years into a performance-based grind.

For founders in staffing, telecom services, IT staffing, or other people-driven businesses, the message is simple: start preparing earlier than you think, define what matters most, and don’t go it alone when the stakes are this high.