We buy, build, and hold exceptional Vancouver Island businesses. Forever.
Vancouer Island Proof
Bottle Depot - our local platform
Footprint: 3 Victoria locations plus Sooke, Squamish, and Vancouver.
Active add-ons are expanding the networrk across Western Canada.
- Recent add-ons: Bottle Guys (Vancouver), Squamish Bottle Depot, Sooke Bottle Depot.
- What we seek: materials recovery facilities, waste collection, recyclable material wholesalers.
- Size guide: EBITDA C$500k+ for add-ons.
Four acquisitions. Four businesses still running.
All operated from Vancouver Island.
We started with Bottle Depot in Victoria in 2023 — the largest beverage container recycling operation on Vancouver Island, diverting over 10,000 metric tonnes of material from the waste stream annually. Since then we’ve added Sooke Bottle Depot, Squamish Bottle Depot, and Bottle Guys in Vancouver, expanding our recycling platform across coastal BC while keeping headquarters, teams, and decisions on the Island.
Meet Taylor Love
Founding Operating Partner, Lab One Vancouver Island
Taylor Love is the Founding Operating Partner of Lab One Vancouver Island and President & CEO of Bottle Depot – the largest beverage container recycling operation in British Columbia.
Born in Whitehorse and based in Victoria, Taylor is a self-made entrepreneur who has founded, bought, and exited multiple businesses over the past decade. He has founded five companies, manages over $20M in operating assets, and has developed more than $200M in real estate projects across Western Canada. He’s an Action Canada Fellow, an MBA, and a proud father of two.
Taylor lives on the Island, runs our Island businesses day-to-day, and is the operator you’ll meet for coffee, walk your floor with, and hand the keys to when you’re ready to transition.
Working with Tyler Atkinson
Tyler is the Founder and Managing Partner of Lab One Capital and leads every acquisition. Before founding Lab One, Tyler spent nearly a decade as a Director at Roynat Equity Partners — a Scotiabank-owned PE firm with $300M of committed capital — where he led private investments and exits with founders and management teams across Canada. He’s a CPA and Chartered Business Valuator. He and Taylor built Lab One Vancouver Island together.
What We Buy
Business Profile
- Geography: Vancouver Island based on headquarters.
- Cash Flow: Between $750k – $4.0M (starting at $250k if in the recycling/waste industry).
At least a 3-year history within this range. - Industry: Industry agnostic except commodity-driven businesses & real estate.
- Ownership: Control preferred (51–100%). Minority or growth possible.
- Vendor Category: Founder or family-owned preferred, often closely held and seeking retirement or liquidity. Occasional carve-outs.
- Diversification: Stable earnings with a broad customer base (no single customer >20% of revenue).
We typically look for at least two of:
- Enduring moat (switching costs, strong brand, exclusivities)
- Healthy non-owner management layer
- Established niche expertise
- Regional leader in a fragmented market
- Recurring or highly predictable revenue
Whether owners are looking to fully exit or step into a new role, we are committed to being the purchaser of choice for retiring business owners in Western Canada.
Transaction Types
Legacy Buyout
Business owner seeking to transition ownership (100% sale) while preserving the team, culture, customer relationships, and community.
Legacy Transition
Business owner/operator contemplating a personal exit in the next 2-7 years and seeking to transition ownership (majority ownership over two separate sale steps) while preserving the team, culture, customer relationships, and community.
Growth Partnerships
Business owner/operator seeking a collaborative partner bringing either growth equity or partial liquidity (typically retaining 25-49%), but plan to stay actively involved and continue growing the business.
Add-on Acquisitions
Acting on behalf of Lab One’s particular platform company, seeking to identify horizontal M&A, vertical M&A, or other growth-focused expansion initiatives.
Why Sell To Us
We stay here. Every business we’ve bought still operates from where we found it. No relocation, no hollowed-out teams.
Operators run our companies, not spreadsheets. Taylor runs the Island businesses. You’re not handing your life’s work to someone in a Toronto office who’s never set foot in your shop.
We’re not on a clock. No LPs demanding an exit in five years. We use our own capital we have earned through our own entrepreneurial endeavors, and plan to hold and operate each business with no intention to ever sell.
Our
Process
We're ready when you are - though a simple, transparent, and thoughtfully managed process, we can buy your business in under 90 days.
Typical Steps
A short conversation to understand your business, your values, and what a successful transition looks like. Our goal is to see if we’re the right long-term fit — or, if not, to be a helpful sounding board and point you toward other trusted professionals.
We sign a straightforward two-way confidentiality agreement so both sides can speak openly and share information safely.
We request only the essentials — basic financials and a high-level overview of operations. We respect your time and focus on what truly matters.
After reviewing the information, we present a clear term sheet outlining valuation, structure, and key terms. If everything aligns, we both sign a short Letter of Intent (LOI) — a mostly non-binding agreement that confirms our mutual understanding of price and terms before entering due diligence. It ensures both sides are aligned early, reducing surprises later.
Over the next 30 – 60 days, we verify the key drivers of your business. In the first few weeks, we focus on the one to three areas that matter most to confirming our understanding of the business. Once those are validated, the rest of diligence is largely confirmatory. We keep requests concise and minimize disruption for you and your team.
We finalize the purchase agreement and complete the transfer of funds. From there, our focus shifts to continuity — ensuring your people, customers, and community are well supported for the long run.
Ready to talk?
Tyler leads our buying process – start the conversation with him. Once we’re aligned, you’ll meet Taylor, who’ll run the business with you through transition and beyond.
Contact details: tyler.atkinson@labonecapital.com · (604) 764-5171