On today’s episode of The Roadmap, host Lee Heisman is joined by Anthony Urbaites, senior principal at The Keystone Consulting Group, who shares how consulting agencies can support businesses to grow and scale.
After working in the engineering and manufacturing industry for years, Urbaites realized it wasn’t his calling. He wanted a career that pushed his limits, moved faster and offered greater flexibility. To make that shift, he enrolled in the Kellogg School of Management to pursue his MBA—all while maintaining his full-time job and driving a two-to-three-hour, 160-mile round-trip three times a week for two and a half years. After graduating, he joined The Keystone Group.
Urbaites worked at Keystone for several years before temporarily leaving to run his own consulting firm for seven years. He eventually closed the company after realizing he wasn’t building something that he could sell and exit. Not long after, Keystone invited him back to rejoin their team.
The Keystone Group is a generalist consulting firm that provides a wide range of services, including profitable growth strategies, operational improvement, restructuring and turnarounds, and mergers and acquisitions. Consultants work across multiple verticals to develop broad skill sets, which helps the company build lasting relationships and generate repeat business from clients.
The Trump administration’s stricter border enforcement has created challenges for many business that unknowingly rely on undocumented workers in essential industries such as landscaping, roofing, food service, and manufacturing. When investors seek to acquire these companies, labor issues can lead to significant disruptions. Urbaites recalls clients who lost large portions of their workforce when federal checks revealed hiring compliance issues. Without proper verification systems, such as E-Verify, these businesses were forced to replace seasoned workers with temporary staff, resulting in substantial performance decline.
Although Keystone doesn’t handle hiring, Urbaits urges business owners to use the proper systems and tools. He emphasizes that it’s far more costly to rebuild a workforce and pay fines than to invest upfront in compliance processes.
"The business relies on people, not process. When those people leave, then it creates problems... We help clients develop those processes to be able to make things repeatable and scalable."
Discussing artificial intelligence, Urbaites doesn’t foresee AI fully replacing service-based professions like plumbing, HVAC or electrical work. However, he notes that AI-powered tools are revolutionizing manufacturing. Larger firms are investing in advanced technologies such as digital twin manufacturing programs, which allow manufacturers to create and stress test digital models before production.
Since Keystone primarily serves the middle market, many of its clients can’t afford these high-end AI tools yet. He expected that as prices fall over the next decade, adoption among small and mid-size businesses would grow.
When businesses lack defined, repeatable processes, scaling becomes difficult and operational issues often follow. Urbaites recalls helping a small electronics company in Wisconsin with a mandated turnaround after it broke a loan covenant. The business had few metrics for success, unclear processes, and pursued every opportunity without evaluating profitability.
Keystone worked with the company to develop a qualifying criteria list, helping it prioritize opportunities and refocus on sustainable growth.
For entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized business owners, Urbaites stresses the importance of asking for help. He points out that even the world’s most talented and decorated athletes have coaches. Whether through peers, industry associations, or consulting firms, seeking guidance can make all the difference in achieving long-term success.
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