> What is stopping one of the previous owners from creating another company and taking them?

You will not find any investors.

The investors that want to invest in fire trucks already invested in the PE fund and will give them money over any new start

That’s the point

There’s no money elsewhere.

How did the original businesses start to begin with? Also where is this information coming from? It isn't in the article.

	▲	AndrewKemendo 9 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Usually from a loan or they bought someone out before the PE consolidation in that market really ramped up. This is the insidious part: small markets that grow organically over about 10-20 years are specifically what PE investors look for because they are cash heavy but don’t have desire to expand. So the owner gets 3M cash out for property worth 4M. PE bundles similar businesses (boba tea shops are a popular one) and then uses the net cash to get a loan to expand. They expand, cut corners then cash out on the net profit and then sell the skeleton in the pink sheets or go bankrupt. I’ve had to deal with investors and finance for almost 15 years now. My company was bought by a PE backed company and I knew fund owners this is how the economy works