Terry H. O'Neal
From the factory floor to the boardroom — and back to the deal table.
Terry H. O'Neal is the Founder & Managing Partner of GrowthPhases Acquisitions Group, LLC — the M&A-focused entity he established to bring operator-led, CEO-level leadership to acquisitions in the sectors he knows best. GrowthPhases, LLC was originally established in 2000 by his predecessors Michael J. Harley and Leandro DeSa; Terry took over from them, transformed the organization, and founded GrowthPhases Acquisitions Group, LLC to focus exclusively on strategic M&A, private equity partnerships, and post-acquisition operating leadership in energy technology, industrial automation, and smart infrastructure. GrowthPhases' executive team members are experienced leaders who are highly capable in strategic and operational leadership and experienced in leading M&A projects.
Terry's most recent defining project accomplishment occurred during his tenure as President & COO of SACO Technologies, where he led the company through the design and manufacturing of the LED technology platform that is now the world's largest LED installation — The Sphere in Las Vegas. The Sphere redefined the entertainment industry with large-format media architecture and set a global benchmark that continues to drive worldwide demand for immersive LED structures.
Terry is the former President & CEO of five global product technology companies, each held by either a multinational corporation or a private equity firm — spanning energy management, building automation, industrial systems, and LED technology. Prior to SACO, he held executive leadership roles at Traxon Technologies | OSRAM Solutions Business Unit, where he oversaw landmark architectural LED installations across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, including the Shanghai Tower, Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen, Pearl Tower and MahaNakhon building in Bangkok, and the Punggol development in Singapore.
Terry's career foundation was built at Schneider Electric, where he spent 19 years in roles of progressive responsibility across sales, operations, and general management — culminating as President & COO of two companies Schneider had acquired, EFI Electronics and Kavlico Corporation. Integrating those acquisitions while maintaining commercial momentum gave Terry his conviction that deals succeed or fail in the first 90 days of operating leadership.
Across three decades of executive leadership spanning five continents, Terry has led companies and landmark projects across Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, London, Brazil, Los Angeles, and Thailand. That global perspective informs GrowthPhases' ability to identify platform opportunities in markets undergoing structural transformation.
Terry founded GrowthPhases Acquisitions Group on a simple thesis: private equity capital is abundant; what is scarce is operating expertise at the acquisition table. By partnering as the operating CEO within the deal structure from day one, GrowthPhases creates a differentiated value proposition for sellers, PE sponsors, and management teams alike.
Today, Terry also serves as President & Chief Operating Officer of Good Earth Minerals, LLC ("GEM"), headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Terry comes to GEM from a long career in electrical and electronic industries, including the recent AI data center infrastructure boom, when he made "The Leap" — a deliberate transition from technology-driven industries into the Essential Minerals market, where demand is being reshaped by critical health issues caused by toxins and PFAS, global water resource issues, land contamination, and an agricultural supply chain under pressure. Through its subsidiaries EcoGEM (eco-gem.com) and Selecor Technologies (selecortechnologies.com), GEM is focused on the development, processing, and commercialization of essential industrial minerals — including Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate (Gypsum), Calcium Carbonate (Limestone), Zeolite, Dolomite, and Bentonite. With mineral holdings and deposit positions across North America, GEM is building a domestic supply platform positioned to serve the agriculture, construction, environmental detoxification and remediation, and advanced materials industries — bringing the same operational precision Terry applied to world-class technology projects into the essential minerals economy.