Our approach
Buy the team and the company they built. Don’t wreck what’s working.
We buy established businesses to operate them. The people and the way the work gets done are why the company is worth buying.
The work
Buy carefully. Stay involved.
I spend the first few months in the business after a close, then a general manager runs the day to day, with us still involved. We plan to hold for the long term.
We treat the owner’s reputation, the people in the company, and the way the work already gets done as reasons to buy carefully.
That’s our philosophy, not a contractual promise. Every company is different. We’ll be honest about what we can and can’t commit to in writing.
What matters first
Start with the people.
Owner, then people, then processes, then numbers.
I’ll ask about you, your team, and how the company actually runs before we get deep into a spreadsheet. If that part doesn’t feel right, the rest usually doesn’t matter.
You will deal with me directly. If it isn’t a fit, I’ll tell you. If it is, we’ll work through the next steps together.
Who I am
Alex Brost.
I’m Alex Brost. I live in Orono, on Lake Minnetonka.
I was born in Sweden and raised in Minnesota. I built idol surf from a garage into an internationally distributed surf brand, with in-house and contract manufacturing. We sold it in 2024.
The longer personal story, including the surf and the travel, is at alexbrost.me. This site is for the company work.
The name and the work
A long way here. A reason to stay.
Vidfarne comes from the Old Norse vidfarne, “far-travelled.” It fits the life I’ve already lived. It also fits the work now: stay put, buy carefully, and take care of what we buy.
We’ll talk honestly about a handoff that respects the owner and fits the company. The plan depends on the business, the team already there, and what the owner wants to do next. We won’t ask you to disappear overnight, or pretend one plan fits everyone.
Next step
Let’s talk.
A short note is enough to start. Tell us a little about the company and what you have in mind.