Confluence Holding Company

Why Confluence

Together, more than the sum.

There is a phenomenon in draft horse competition that surprises most people. A single Shire horse can haul about a ton on its own. Put two together and common sense says output doubles. It does not. Two horses pulling in tandem consistently generate three times the force of one. The whole exceeds the sum of its parts by a factor that defies simple arithmetic. That principle is the foundation of this firm.

Nina Ohiku

Operations. Distribution. Capital Markets.

Nina started her career inside industrial businesses -- consulting to oil refineries and chemical plants at Sage Environmental Consulting, then moving into applications engineering and distribution at Parker Hannifin. There she led CNG fueling infrastructure projects for commercial vehicle fleets, launched a $10M+ product line, and grew a 2,800+ account distribution territory across the Midwest.

She then crossed into investment banking at Credit Suisse's Global Industrials Group, executing $2.6B+ in M&A and capital markets transactions in the same industries she had operated in. She knows these businesses from the inside -- and knows how to value and buy them.

Princewill Ohiku

Engineering. Strategy. Risk.

Princewill spent four years as an electrical and electronics systems engineer at Ford Motor Company, designing specifications and system behavior for complex vehicle platforms. He then joined Boston Consulting Group's Principal Investors and Private Equity practice before moving into corporate strategy at Arthur J. Gallagher, one of the world's largest insurance and risk management firms.

He thinks about how businesses are structured, where they are exposed, and what makes them durable. That lens changes what you see in a diligence process -- and what you build after close.

Together they cover the ground that acquisition requires: operational credibility with sellers, analytical rigor on deals, and the strategic and risk frameworks to build something lasting. Not addition -- multiplication. That is what Confluence means.

About Confluence

A lasting home
for great businesses.

Chicago

Anchored. Community-rooted. Here for the long term.

Owners.

No fund lifecycle. No investor pressure to exit. We answer to ourselves.

Family.

Co-owned by Nina and Princewill Ohiku.

Confluence Holding Company was built around a simple conviction: the best thing we can do for a great business is own it for a long time. Not buy it, improve it, and sell it. Own it. Operate it well. Build on what the founder created.

Most lower-middle-market businesses in Chicago are owned by people who built something meaningful over decades. When they are ready to step back, they want more than the highest bid. They want to know their employees will be taken care of, their customers will be served the same way, and that someone who understands what they built will be in the room for years to come.

That is what we offer. We are not a financial sponsor managing to a return horizon. We are a family that buys businesses to hold them, grow them, and be proud of them -- for as long as it makes sense to do so.

The long-term vision is to open Confluence to other families building generational wealth alongside us -- patient capital, community-rooted, no artificial exit pressure. Ownership as a vehicle for lasting change, not a transaction.

Our Approach

Continuity, not disruption.

We are a holding company built around long-term ownership. We do not acquire businesses to reposition and resell them. When we buy a company, our intention is to hold it, invest in it, and grow it over time -- which matters to owners who care about what happens to their employees, customers, and legacy after they step back.

We work with sellers to structure transitions that fit their needs, whether that means a gradual handoff, seller financing, or continued involvement during a transition period. Our goal is continuity, not disruption.

What We Acquire

We look for businesses
built to last.

Before we think about industry, we look at the business. The profile we gravitate toward shares a few common traits.

Recurring Revenue

Service contracts, repeat customer relationships, or regulatory requirements that bring customers back year after year. Revenue that doesn't depend on winning new business every cycle.

Essential Services

Businesses that solve a problem their customers cannot ignore -- compliance obligations, equipment that must stay operational, facilities that need routine service. Non-discretionary demand holds through economic cycles.

Business-to-Business

Commercial customers with procurement processes, longer relationships, and higher switching costs than consumer-facing businesses. B2B revenue tends to be stickier and more predictable.

Owner-Operated

A founder or long-tenured owner who has built something real and is thinking about what comes next. We are particularly drawn to businesses where the owner cares about continuity for their employees and customers, not just the purchase price.

Capable Internal Team

A business with people in place who know how to run the day-to-day. We are owner-strategists, not day-to-day operators. A strong internal team is not optional -- it is how we protect what the founder built.

Chicago and Midwest

We are based in Chicago and focused on the Midwest market. We want to be close to the businesses we own -- present for employees, accessible to customers, and connected to the communities these businesses serve.

Industries We Know Well

Our backgrounds give us a natural edge in industrial distribution, industrial services, environmental testing and compliance, industrial hygiene and indoor air quality, and commercial equipment repair and maintenance. We also look seriously at commercial B2B pest control, specialty trade services, property management, transportation services, and life moments businesses such as funeral homes. If your business fits the profile above and you are thinking about a transition, we would welcome a conversation regardless of industry.

Business Type

Lower Middle Market

Ownership

Founder-Led

Where We Operate

Chicago & Midwest

Hold Period

Long-Term

Why Sell to Confluence

For sellers who care
about more than price.

We hold. We do not flip.

We are not a fund with a return horizon or an investor looking for the next buyer. When we acquire a business, our intention is to own it for the long term. There is no lifecycle pressure, no forced exit, and no financial sponsor waiting in the wings. Your customers will still be served by the same business years from now.

Your employees matter to us.

The people who built your business alongside you are one of the most important things we are acquiring. We invest in retaining your team and creating a workplace where they can grow. We are not coming in to cut costs. We are coming in to build.

Legacy and community, not just capital.

We are Chicago people. The communities these businesses serve are our communities. We are particularly committed to supporting the continuity of Black-owned businesses and businesses embedded in neighborhoods that have been underserved by institutional capital. If you want your business to outlast you and serve your community for the long term, we are the right buyer.

Flexible, structured deals.

We work with seller financing, SBA debt, and creative structures that make the transaction work for both sides. We do not require you to walk away immediately. We prefer a gradual transition where you train us, meet your employees, and feel confident the business is in good hands. You set the pace.

Our Team

The people behind Confluence.

Nina Ohiku

Co-Founder & Principal

Nina is Co-Founder and Principal of Confluence, where she leads deal sourcing, diligence, and acquisition structuring. Her career arc runs through the businesses Confluence targets: she started as a chemical engineer at Sage Environmental Consulting, consulting to oil refineries, chemical plants, and industrial facilities on environmental compliance and infrastructure.

She moved into Parker Hannifin -- first in the Veriflo Division, focused on high-purity fluid control systems, then in the NGV group developing compressed natural gas fueling infrastructure for commercial vehicle fleets -- where she led a $10M+ product launch, managed distribution operations, and grew a 2,800+ account territory. She then joined Credit Suisse's Global Industrials Group, executing $2.6B+ in M&A and capital markets transactions in the same sectors she had operated in.

She currently leads business development and institutional partnerships at Finix, a payments infrastructure company, and serves as Director and Advisor of the Cap Table Coalition, an organization focused on expanding ownership and investment access. She holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is a Robert Toigo Foundation Fellow and Series 79 holder.

Industrial Distribution Capital Markets Environmental Services Booth MBA Toigo Fellow

Princewill Ohiku

Co-Founder & Principal

Princewill is Co-Founder and Principal of Confluence. He currently serves as Senior Manager of Corporate Strategy at Arthur J. Gallagher, one of the largest insurance brokerage and risk management firms in the world, where he works on strategic planning and operational transformation.

Before Gallagher, Princewill spent two and a half years as a Consultant at Boston Consulting Group within the Principal Investors and Private Equity practice, advising on market evaluation, growth strategy, and investment decisions. He began his career as an Electrical and Electronics Systems Engineer at Ford Motor Company, where he designed electrical specifications and system behavior across multiple vehicle platforms based on more than 30 customer focus groups.

Princewill holds an MBA in Strategic Management, Economics, and General Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Northern Illinois University. He and Nina studied at Booth together.

Corporate Strategy BCG Alumni Systems Engineering Booth MBA Risk & Insurance

We buy businesses
to keep them.

A lasting home
for great businesses.

Continuity, not disruption.

We look for businesses
built to last.

For sellers who care
about more than price.

The people behind Confluence.

Start a conversation.

We buy businessesto keep them.

A lasting homefor great businesses.

Continuity, not disruption.

We look for businessesbuilt to last.

For sellers who careabout more than price.

The people behind Confluence.

Start a conversation.

We buy businesses
to keep them.

A lasting home
for great businesses.

We look for businesses
built to last.

For sellers who care
about more than price.