Financial Strategy & Analysis For Leaders Navigating What’s Next.

We focus above and beyond the horizon by making clear, confident decisions through financial strategy and steady execution. Contrail's extensive experience navigates you through every phase of growth and transition.

Learn About Our Strategy & Analysis Services

Insightful Corporate Development Strategy At Mach 9 Speed.

We help business owners and leaders take informed steps toward long-term value. Our corporate development services guide growth through acquisitions, partnerships, and other complex transitions

Learn About Our Corporate Development Strategy

Guiding Leaders Through The Hardest Part Of Building A Company: Leaving It.

We navigate the emotional and financial journey of stepping away, with a trusted advisor who will honor and respect everything you’ve built.

Learn About Our Exit Planning Strategy

Highest Level Of Integrity & Ethics

We exemplify midwestern values: honesty, accountability, and hard work.

Reduce Complexity To Simplicity

We simplify the most complex decisions so you can move forward with confidence and clarity.

Proven Track Record of Success

We’ve helped dozens of companies find their true potential through sound financial strategy and long-term support

Welcome to Contrail

Piloting Smart Business Forward.

At Contrail Financial, we work with business owners and leadership teams who are serious about financial planning and analysis, growth strategy, or exit planning. With three decades of real-world experience building, managing, and selling companies, we bring strategy, structure, and financial clarity to help businesses move forward with the right next step.

Our achievements are rooted in fostering deep collaboration and cultivating a long-lasting relationship with our clients so together we may make positive contributions to the world and to one another.

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# 100

In growth advice for businesses

Our Mission.

We help business owners and leadership teams chart purposeful paths through growth, investment, acquisition, and exit with clear financial strategy, grounded expertise, and forward-focused guidance that turns complexity into confidence and momentum.

Our Vision.

To be the quiet force behind the most meaningful business growth and transitions in the United States, and leave a lasting imprint not just in the numbers, but in the lives, legacies, and futures of those we serve.

OUR APPROACH

Executions Designed To Meet You At Your Altitude.

From startups seeking seed capital to established firms planning succession, Contrail Financial has a proven flight record of helping business leaders accelerate through every stage of growth. Gaining altitude or preparing to land, you’ll have access to trusted advice backed by decades of strategic insight, so you can navigate your next step with clarity and confidence.

Lift Off - We will help you lift off with purpose, not panic.

Cruiser - We will help you move from founder-led hustle to sustainable growth.

Navigator - We will help you see further and steer smarter.

Vector - We will help you chart a course toward meaningful growth.

Landing - We will help you exit with clarity and a legacy.

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Explore our expertise

Services To Navigate Forward

We take a holistic approach to growth.

Financial Planning & Analysis

Focus on the horizon by making clear, confident decisions through sound financial strategy. Contrail's extensive experience provides steady guidance to every phase of growth & transition.

Financial Planning & Analysis

This isn’t just budgeting or forecasting, it’s strategic financial planning designed to align your numbers with your vision.

Forecasting & Budget Modeling
Cash Flow Planning & Capital Allocation
Profitability & Margin Analysis
And More

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Corporate Development

We navigate business owners through high-stakes transitions like acquisitions, divestitures, partnerships, joint ventures and restructuring, turning complexity into confidence.

Corporate Development

Our role goes beyond analysis as we are a proactive partner, helping you evaluate opportunity, manage risk, and prepare your company for what’s next.

M&A Advisory for Small Businesses
Acquisition Growth Strategy
Strategic Partnership Consulting
And More

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Exit Planning

Punch out with clarity, care, and confidence, honoring the legacy you’ve built and the future you deserve. We're alongside you every step of the way.

Exit Planning

From first-time sellers to seasoned entrepreneurs, we work alongside you as a proactive partner, helping you identify value, protect your legacy, and define your next chapter.

Business Succession Planning
Business Valuation Analysis
Transaction Readiness Audit Consulting
And More

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Industries

Industries We Serve

Discover More About Our Industries

30 Years GROWING WITH OUR CLIENTS

Plan, Grow, & Scale As Fast As You Need To.

“I started Contrail to blend the structure and precision of Fortune 500 finance with the creativity, adaptability, and speed that growing businesses need to thrive.”

Brian Faust

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CEO Contrail Financial

Trustworthy

We bring clear intentions, transparent actions, and reliable outcomes to your most important decisions.

Ease

Financial conversations shouldn’t be stressful. We make them simple and actionable.

Insightful

When the path forward is clouded, we develop solutions to help businesses see further, think clearer, and act smarter.

Forward- Moving

We guide you to move with purpose and in a meaningful direction.

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Testimonials

What Do Our Customers Say?

Long-lasting relationships mean everything to us.

Contrail Financial played a key role in guiding Krush Media from its early start-up phase through rapid growth to stable operations. They remain a vital partner in our continued success.

Jeff Chi

CEO, Krush Media

Contrail Financial brought essential expertise to our founding team—helping us refine our growth strategy, communicate it effectively to investors, and successfully raise capital. They remain a valuable member of our executive team as we scale the business.

Kip Matthews

President, Pulp Fixin

Contrail’s steady guidance was instrumental in launching NAAMCE and shaping its operations and business model. Today, they serve as our trusted outsourced CFO, helping drive our growth and scale.

Ted Angel

Executive Director, National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE)

Contrail led our capital raise from start to finish—developing pitch materials, managing investor engagement, structuring the investment vehicle, and successfully closing the deal. They now provide seamless, end-to-end investment management for our investor group.

Dave Labus

Principal, Bel Haven Development

We always give serious consideration to investment opportunities brought to us by Contrail. Knowing they serve as the outsourced CFO for a company we’re invested in gives us a high level of confidence.

Steve Roe

Founder, Groe Co

When clients need a practical valuation solution—quick, cost-effective, and without the overhead of a Big Four firm—I call Contrail. They’re a trusted resource for insider-driven deals