Selling an industrial business in Greater Houston is not the same as selling a retail shop or a franchise.
The buyer pool is smaller, due diligence is heavier, and deals typically involve chemical processors, CNC fabricators, pipe distributors, or oilfield service firms that most generalist brokers would struggle to value accurately.
Gentry Company has operated in this specific corner of the market since 2002, with an almost exclusive focus on manufacturing, distribution, and industrial service businesses in the Houston metro.
Key Takeaways
- Gentry Company handles industrial business sales up to $10 million as a broker and has assisted with transactions over $30 million in a consulting role.
- Founder Fred Gentry holds an MBA in Finance from UT Austin and built his early career doing M&A work for an international chemical and petrochemical firm.
- The firm's fee structure is largely contingency-based, meaning most compensation is tied to a successful sale closing.
Who Is Gentry Company?
Gentry Company is a Houston-based business brokerage and M&A advisory firm founded by W. Fred Gentry.
The firm operates out of Houston's 77094 zip code, near Katy in the western suburbs, and serves clients across the Greater Houston region.
It is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and uses Axial, a confidential deal platform that attracts private equity buyers and corporate acquirers, to reach qualified buyers for its listings.
Their completed deal list spans chemical toll processing, specialty valve distribution, CNC machine shops, pipe fabrication with assembly capability, power system design, and oilfield services.
That industry concentration is narrower than most generalist brokers in the area, and it reflects Fred Gentry's professional background before he started the firm.
Fred Gentry: Background and Credentials
Fred Gentry holds an MBA in Finance and a BBA in Transportation Management, both from the University of Texas at Austin.
Before 2002, he spent a substantial portion of his career doing M&A and business development work for an international chemical, petrochemical, and environmental services company.
His responsibilities included identifying acquisition targets, running financial valuations, and supervising due diligence across the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe.
That prior experience matters. A broker who has managed buy-side due diligence for a multinational company understands how sophisticated buyers scrutinize a target.
It is a different background from someone who transitioned into brokerage from real estate or general financial services.
Two advisors round out the team. Cheryl E. Hoffman, a Texas A&M journalism and PR graduate who runs an administrative services firm with more than 50 employees, handles marketing and HR guidance.
Karen K. Gentry, a Rice University MBA, licensed CPA, and current marketing strategy professional at a global firm, covers accounting and technology strategy.
Houston Industrial Market Context
The backdrop matters when evaluating a Houston-focused industrial broker. The region's deal environment going into 2025 is active on multiple fronts.
$3.4BHouston industrial sales, 2024
#2Nationally for industrial sales volume (behind Dallas)
6.0%Industrial vacancy, Q4 2025 (vs. 8% national avg.)
130K+Business establishments in Greater Houston
Houston ranked third nationally for industrial construction activity in early 2025, with 13.17 million square feet underway, up 37% year-over-year.
Manufacturing space specifically sits at a 2.4% vacancy rate in the metro. Private equity and strategic buyers remain active across Houston's energy-adjacent and logistics sectors.
For a broker focused on industrial sellers, the demand side of the equation is healthy.
Houston's industrial market posted positive net absorption for 59 consecutive quarters through mid-2024, according to CoStar data cited by Partners Real Estate. That's roughly 15 years of uninterrupted demand.
| Service | Who It's For | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Selling Your Business | Owners ready to exit | Full-cycle representation, valuation to closing; mostly contingency fees |
| Buying a Business | Strategic buyers and acquirers | Confidential listings plus off-market targets; directed search available |
| Consulting | Owners not yet ready to sell | Valuation, value-improvement roadmap, profitability analysis, financing assistance |
The consulting track addresses a real gap in the market. Many owners don't know what their business is worth, or they recognize that financials need work before a sale would attract strong offers.
Gentry will help map out what needs to happen before going to market, including economic analysis of improvement plans and help obtaining financing for those plans.
The Sale Process: Eight Steps
For seller clients, Gentry follows a structured eight-phase process that mirrors how institutional M&A advisors handle mid-market deals, adapted for the sub-$10M business segment.
- Initial meeting to understand company history, reasons for selling, and seller objectives
- Preliminary business assessment covering financials and a likely selling price range
- Exclusive listing agreement with a contingency-heavy fee structure
- Development of a Blind Profile for broad outreach and a Confidential Information Memorandum for qualified buyers
- Targeted marketing to broker networks, IBBA, TABB, and Axial for private equity reach
- Buyer qualification, NDA execution, and staged information release with seller approval
- Offer review and negotiation, working alongside the seller's legal and accounting advisors
- Due diligence coordination and closing support through final document execution
The Axial listing is worth noting specifically. That platform caters to deals in the $5M to $100M+ range and draws private equity firms and corporate development teams.
For a seller in the $5M to $10M range, reaching that buyer audience expands qualified offers well beyond what public listing sites provide.
Deal Size and the Buyer Side
As a broker, Gentry handles sales up to $10 million. In a consulting capacity, the firm has supported transactions over $30 million.
Businesses in the $10M to $30M range often need an advisor who can manage deal complexity without a full investment banking team, and the consulting track serves that need directly.
Buyers don't see every listing publicly. Gentry keeps many deals off open platforms to protect sellers during the process.
Buyers submit a Buyer Profile Form that Gentry uses to match them with both listed and off-market targets.
A directed search option is also available, where Gentry works exclusively for the buyer, proactively contacts potential sellers not currently on the market, and is compensated based on the outcome.
That service is particularly useful for acquirers looking to consolidate within a specific industrial niche in Houston.
Why the Industrial Niche Matters Here
Business brokerage in Houston is competitive at the lower end of the market. Most generalist brokers handle businesses across retail, food service, healthcare, and whatever else walks through the door.
Gentry's industrial concentration means their buyer network, valuation experience, and deal-side knowledge are aimed squarely at the industries that drive a significant share of Houston's economy.
Chemical plants, fabrication shops, and distribution businesses tied to the energy corridor require sector fluency that takes years to build.
IBBA membership adds a layer of professional accountability. The association sets ethics standards and continuing education requirements that not all Houston brokers meet.
Combined with Fred Gentry's direct M&A background in the chemical and petrochemical sector, the firm holds a well-defined position in the Greater Houston middle market.
Conclusion
Gentry Company is a focused, experienced option for industrial business owners in Greater Houston who are considering a sale, need to understand what their business is worth, or want help building a path to exit.
The firm's sector expertise, access to private equity buyers through Axial, and contingency-based fee model make it a practical fit for manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses in the $1M to $30M range operating across the Houston metro.