Forty years on the floor of a small business.
David Willms built two companies from a single phone line into regional service leaders — and he's bringing that operating playbook to a new generation of owner-operators.
David Willms
Over four decades, David built and operated two companies in service industries where margins are made or lost in the details — a courier and delivery company, and a legal process service firm. He started both with a handful of customers and grew them into businesses that consistently outperformed the field on every operating metric that mattered.
“The work is in the details. Each business I've built came down to the same things: a clear system, the right people, and the discipline to keep both honest.”
In 2026, David sold both companies. He has set aside sufficient capital to invest from $100,000 to $1,000,000 in any single idea to back small business operators who remind him of himself thirty years ago — and to roll up his sleeves alongside them.
Built, operated, sold.
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1980s
Founded a regional courier and delivery company.
Started with a single vehicle and grew into a multi-vehicle operation serving legal, medical, and commercial clients across the region.
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1990s
Launched a legal process service firm.
Expanded into court filings, service of process, and document retrieval — leveraging the same dispatch and routing discipline from the courier business.
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2010s
Built a 3× efficiency advantage.
Working with his Willms Hall partner Tuan Nguyen, David's team rebuilt internal systems, routing, and billing — producing measured operating efficiency 3× that of direct competitors.
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2026
Sold both companies. Founded Willms Hall.
Exited both operating companies and turned full attention to backing the next generation of small business operators with capital and experience.
What David looks for in a partner.
The check is the easy part. What David offers, and what he looks for in return, is a working partnership.
Owner-Operators
Founders who run their own business day to day. We invest in the person as much as the company.
Service Industries
Transportation, logistics, legal services, field operations — industries where our experience translates directly.
A Real Bottleneck
Companies where capital, systems, or seasoned advice is the constraint — not a marketing problem we can't help with.
Patience & Honesty
David invests on a multi-year horizon and expects open books, candid conversations, and a willingness to do hard work together.