Tom Hartel

Tom Hartel spent more than 30 years leading a specialty contractor based in the western suburbs of Chicago. Working alongside a dedicated team and an experienced Board of Directors, he helped grow the business from a local operation into a multi-state company serving five states and employing more than 100 team members.

Throughout his career, Tom and his teams managed more than $1 billion of mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection construction work, supporting approximately $20 billion in aggregate new construction building value. Tom earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and combined that foundation with decades of hands-on experience in finance, operations, risk management, business development, and strategic growth.

In addition to operating his primary business, Tom has formed, acquired, and successfully sold numerous businesses and real estate ventures over the past three decades. He also led expansion into multiple states, developed successful growth strategies, maintained strong employee retention through changing economic conditions, and achieved industry-leading safety performance.

Today, Tom works with business owners to improve operations, increase enterprise value, prepare for ownership transitions, and successfully monetize the businesses they have spent years building.