Case Studies

Troy Oral Surgery

The Situation

Dr. Rob John had already done it once.

In the early 2000s, he built a practice from scratch — grew it, ran it, and eventually sold it to a corporate dental group. The next chapter was supposed to be easier: stay on as an associate, let someone else carry the operational weight, collect a predictable paycheck.

It didn’t feel right.

For years, Rob worked inside the company that bought his practice — and for years, he thought about ownership again. Not out of nostalgia, but out of clarity. He knew what it felt like to build something that was his, and he knew he wasn’t going to be content without it.

But coming back wasn’t simple:

• He had a non-compete that defined where he could and couldn’t practice
• He needed a market that made clinical and demographic sense
• He wanted a long-term home — not a stopgap

The Process

• This wasn’t a quick search. It was a disciplined one.
• Rob had already been through the startup experience once. He knew what mattered and what didn’t. That meant no shortcuts, no compromises on location, and no rushing into the wrong deal just to get back into ownership.
• We toured properties across Southeast Michigan together — evaluating each opportunity against his non-compete boundaries, demographic requirements, and long-term vision. Some were close. None were right.
• Until we found it: a compelling space in Troy, comfortably outside his non-compete — and inside one of the most visible commercial corridors in the state.

The Turning Point

• The property sat on Big Beaver Road.
• For anyone who doesn’t know the Detroit market: Big Beaver is among the most coveted commercial real estate addresses in Michigan. Traffic counts are enormous. Visibility is exceptional. The corridor is anchored by Fortune 500 headquarters, premier office towers, and some of the highest-performing retail in the state.
• This wasn’t just a location — it was a statement.
• The building itself was large. Rob’s suite, by comparison, would occupy a relatively small footprint within it. On paper, a tenant his size wouldn’t typically command premium signage rights or outsized landlord concessions.
• That’s where the negotiation began.

The Solution

• We structured the deal around three non-negotiables: financial terms that made the startup economics work, signage that matched the quality of the location, and a long-term ownership position Rob could build equity around.
• What we secured:
  • A generous tenant improvement (TI) allowance that materially offset buildout costs
  • Two sides of facade signage on a building where his occupied square footage didn’t justify it on paper — among the most visible signage on Big Beaver Road
  • An ownership stake in the building itself — turning a startup lease into a real estate investment
• The signage outcome alone is rare. Landlords of large, Class A office buildings protect their facade real estate carefully — signage rights are typically reserved for anchor tenants occupying multiples of Rob’s footprint. We made the case, negotiated hard, and won terms that most tenants his size never get a shot at.
• The building ownership component turned the entire project from a practice launch into a long-term wealth strategy.

The Result

• Today, Dr. Rob John is back where he belongs: running his own practice, on his own terms, in a location that most practice owners can only admire from the road.
  • Prime Big Beaver Road visibility — a location patients can’t miss
  • Two sides of facade signage on a prominent office building
  • A TI package that significantly reduced the out-of-pocket cost of getting open
  • Equity ownership in the building itself — building long-term wealth alongside the practice
  • A clean path outside his non-compete, with no compromises on market quality
• What started as an unhappy associate role ended with something better than the first time around — a second practice built with the benefit of experience, and a real estate position designed to pay dividends for decades.

Final Word

• A lot of dentists who sell to corporate never come back.
• The security is real. The operational load lifts. The paycheck keeps coming. And for many, that’s enough.
• For the ones it isn’t enough for — the ones who know they’re meant to own again — the second time around can be sharper, smarter, and more valuable than the first. But only if the deal is structured to reflect the lessons of the first one.
• Rob didn’t just start a new practice. He secured a premier address, negotiated terms that punched well above his size, and turned a lease decision into an ownership position. That’s what a second act should look like.

Congratulations, Dr. Rob John. Troy — and Big Beaver — are lucky to have you back.