Investment Banking for the Middle Market

Trusted guidance for the middle market moments that matter
#1
Middle Market Deal Volume*
$6.7B+
Transaction Value Closed
400+
Companies Advised
23+
Years Advising
10X+
Industry Recognized Awards

A Proven Framework.

Growth Advisory: Start Your Path to Scale

Our growth advisory is Westlake Securities’ framework for middle market CEOs, developed from 23+ years of advising ~400+ companies across M&A, capital raises, and growth strategy. It is also the organizing framework for how Westlake advises every growth-stage client.

3 Decades

Experience and learnings used to develop the Intentional Growth framework.

7 Stages

Seven stages in the intentional growth cycle.

400+

Number of Companies we’ve advised and worked with over the last several decades. 

2x-10x+

Value increases we see and experience with Intentional Growth vs reactive growth.

Note From Westlake's JON D'ANDREA

“Most investment banks show up when you’re ready to sell.
We show up when you’re ready to build and are your trusted partner throughout.”
– Jon D’Andrea, Managing Director
Growth in Action

From a Stalled Long-Range Plan to a Real Growth Trajectory

For several years, an industrial company had developed long-range plans with ambitious growth targets. Time after time, results fell short. Not because the market wasn’t there, but because the plan was built on incremental thinking in a situation that demanded transformation.

When Westlake conducted a comprehensive gap analysis, the finding was clear: their current capacity and product portfolio couldn’t produce the growth they envisioned. They needed a new facility. They needed to add an adjacent product line through acquisition. And they needed to build the professionalization infrastructure to support it all.

The team built a full growth map integrating marketing, M&A strategy, capital structure, and a KPI dashboard that gave leadership real-time visibility for the first time. What had been a cycle of missed targets became the foundation for sustained, intentional growth.

Growth does not emerge from repeating the same incremental steps year after year. It happens when there is intentional planning to identify the true gaps between current capabilities and desired outcomes.

CEO, Westlake Securities

Author, Completing the Deal & Intentional Growth

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions?

Here are a few quick answers to some of our most asked questions.

What is Westlake's Growth Advisory?
Most investment banks show up when you're ready to sell. Westlake shows up when you're ready to build, and stays as your trusted partner throughout. Our Growth Advisory is how we do that.

It is a structured advisory service that gives middle market CEOs something most have never had: a clearly defined destination, a disciplined process to build toward it, and an experienced partner who stays in the room through planning, execution, and every decision along the way.

Our advisory service is not a consulting methodology imported from elsewhere. It was developed by Westlake CEO Matt Andersen through 23+ years of working directly alongside founders and CEOs, watching what created real enterprise value and what didn't. Every component of the framework reflects patterns observed across hundreds of real companies.
How is Westlake's Growth Advisory better than standard business consulting?
Unlike consulting engagements that deliver a report and exit, our Growth Advisory is a sustained advisory relationship active through planning, execution, refinement, and eventual outcome. It is also built by investment bankers, advisors who understand what buyers, lenders, and investors are actually looking for, not generalist consultants.
Who is Westlake's Growth Advisory designed for?
Middle market CEOs and founders who are serious about changing their growth trajectory. Most valuable for owners who have hit a plateau, want to grow faster but lack a defined plan, or have a specific valuation goal or exit timeline they are not on track to meet.
What is the book Intentional Growth by Matt Andersen?
Intentional Growth (Fast Company Press) is Matt Andersen's complete written framework: the 7-stage growth cycle, the Growth Map, QVG Assessment, 5 Areas of Readiness, and drivers of premium valuation. Written for middle market CEOs who want to build companies that create lasting enterprise value.
How do I get started?
Every engagement begins with a confidential conversation. Schedule at westlakesecurities.com/contact-us/ or call (512) 314-0716.

Is your company set up for real, sustainable growth?

Direct: (512) 314.0716

Our team is here to help you navigate growth, transitions, and strategic opportunities through tailored advisory solutions. When the stakes are high, our team brings the experience to move with confidence.

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