preserving legacies

Business owners have spent a lifetime building. We are here for the people who built it and the generation who’ll carry it forward.

We’ve Lived this, not just studied it

Heartland Equity Group was founded by Nick Pohlenz on a simple belief: the value an owner spends decades building deserves a better second act than an auction or a stranger's spreadsheet.

Nick has spent his career in the trenches of small business — agriculture, hospitality, construction, manufacturing — not consulting on these problems from a distance, but solving them from the inside, alongside owners and their teams. Heartland Equity Group is where that experience becomes a long-term home for the businesses, people, and communities that built the Heartland.

Our Story

A Generation Is Retiring, Another Is Ready to Lead

Thousands of small business owners across the south-central states are ready to retire. Most don't want to sell to strangers or watch their team get dismantled. They don't want their life's work flipped and forgotten.

At the same time, there's a generation of capable, values-aligned operators — many from these same communities — ready to lead. They don't just want a paycheck. They want ownership, mentorship, and skin in the game.

And there's a wave of Heartland investors eager to put capital to work locally, in real businesses with real people, driving real impact.

Heartland Equity Group is the bridge between all three.

Why We Exist

Who We Are

Nick Pohlenz

Founder & Principal

Nick founded Heartland Equity Group after years spent inside small businesses, where the same constraints kept surfacing regardless of industry. He leads consulting engagements and acquisitions for the firm, working directly with owners on operating performance, ownership transitions, and the questions that come before a sale. As a Wichita native building for the long term in the Heartland, Nick brings an owner's perspective to every engagement and a conviction that good businesses deserve stewards, not just buyers.

Colton Cassell

Assistant & Business Analyst

Colton joined Heartland Equity Group as a college intern, an arrangement that never came to an end. Since completing his degree, he has continued building his career alongside Nick, focusing on internal operations and deal analysis while serving as a primary point of contact for brokers and prospective partners. As a young professional early in his career, Colton brings a hands-on, detail-oriented approach to his work and a commitment to making every interaction with HEG a welcoming one.