WEST KENTUCKY ETA · POWERED BY SPROCKET
Keeping Local Businesses
Open & Local
West Kentucky ETA is a sophisticated regional effort to help strong, legacy small-to-mid-sized businesses transition safely to the next generation of owners—protecting local payroll, preserving our tax base, and keeping our communities resilient.
The Core Numbers
190,000
Business Owners
The number of business owners in Kentucky expected to retire over the next decade
79%
Without a Plan
The percentage of operating Kentucky businesses that have no formal transition or succession plan in place.
The reality: this represents one of the largest, most quiet wealth transfers and economic challenges facing Western Kentucky communities today.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO OUR COMMUNITY
When a business closes, a community feels it.
01
Protect Your Local Jobs
Retaining an existing, viable business prevents sudden corporate layoffs and organizational disruption when an owner chooses to step away.
02
Preserve Our Tax Base
Local business revenue keeps capital circulating right here in Western Kentucky to fund critical municipal services, infrastructure, and schools.
03
Prevent Empty Storefronts
Avoid the creeping economic drag of dark commercial buildings and vacant properties that hurt the vitality of our regional Main Streets.
AN IMPORTANT Disclaimer
Sprocket is a Guide, Not a Broker.
Sprocket is a non-profit economic development convener and educational ecosystem builder. Sprocket is not a business broker, financial brokerage, legal firm, or M&A sell-side agency. We do not broker individual business transactions, list companies for sale, or represent specific buyers or sellers in legal negotiations. We focus entirely on education and connection, never the deals themselves.
Two Ways In
Whichever side of the table you’re on.
FOR RETIRING OWNERS · SELL-SIDE
Protect Your Legacy
Your business is an economic pillar of our region. When it comes time to step down, passing the torch shouldn’t mean shutting the doors or selling out to non-local corporate conglomerates. Sprocket provides a pressure-free, non-threatening educational platform to help you learn what makes a company transition-ready, keeping your business operating and local.
FOR FUTURE OWNERS · BUY-SIDE
Step Directly Into Leadership
Skip the “zero to one” startup phase. Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) allows experienced managers, operations professionals, veterans, and local executives to acquire and operate an existing mid-sized business with proven cash flows, real customers, and an active team.
FAQs