Michael Bailey

Michael Bailey is a Partner at Argosy Private Equity, the lower middle market private equity strategy of Argosy Capital. He joined Argosy in 1999 and focuses on developing and assessing investment opportunities, strategic management support, investment management, and fundraising.

Before Argosy, Bailey held finance and lending roles including CFO/Principal at East Coast Insulation, Vice President at Corestates Bank, now part of Wells Fargo, Vice President at Meridian Capital Corp., and Credit Analyst at Mellon Bank. His background combines credit, principal investing, and operating-company finance.

Bailey earned an MBA from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business and a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Bucknell University. Outside Argosy, he is the founder and board member of Community Backstop, a 501(c)(3) that has provided financial and other assistance to local families in need since 2005.

• Argosy Private Equity invests in lower middle market U.S. manufacturing and business services companies, often family- or founder-owned, with meaningful growth potential.
• Target companies generally have $10-$100M in revenue, $3-$10M in EBITDA, and EBITDA margins of 10% or higher.
• The firm’s initial investment range is $10-$40M, with the ability to make larger investments.
• Argosy’s preferred structures include equity, preferred equity, and mezzanine debt, and the firm considers both control and minority positions.
• Sector focus includes specialized manufacturing, industrial services, aviation products and services, transportation and logistics, and business services.
• Argosy emphasizes active ownership through its Value Acceleration Methodology, described by the firm as a proprietary playbook for growing small businesses through operational improvement, professionalization, and revenue growth.
• For owners and intermediaries, Argosy highlights quick investment decisions, fair multiples, efficient closing, management-team alignment, and post-close operating support.