It was early 2016, when Jake Weston was nearing the end of his five years of service as an Army Ranger, when he quickly learned that the transition process from military to civilian life was “pretty terrible.”
“Having such a close relationship with the guys you’re serving with and spending so much time with to all of a sudden being on your own — it’s a very stark and isolating reality,” said Weston, the President and Owner of Delaware-based K.G. Lilly Fasteners and Investor and Operating Partner at The Symmetrical Group.
“There are several really powerful tools the government offers, like the G.I. Bill, but the Army doesn’t equip you with the tools to navigate what it offers, let alone discern what’s a good opportunity and what’s not to help facilitate your transition. You have some resources, but they’re pretty limited, and it’s kind of up to you to make the most of them.”
That feeling of isolation is one Weston will never forget, and it’s what fuels his desire to help veterans reach their potential in the professional world.
Today kicks off National Veterans Small Business Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of veteran-owned businesses like K.G. Lilly, which creates customized fasteners for the petro-chemical, electrical energy, construction, marine and shipboard, and mining industries.
Education, hard work, and the steadfast support of his wife helped Weston navigate the uncertainty of his post-military life. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University while bartending, raising a family, and working full-time in real estate development.
Weston’s professional path included pivotal stops at Cross Properties in Wynnewood, where he honed his skills in project management and investor relations, and later at Greencastle Consulting, an all-veteran firm in Malvern. These experiences laid the groundwork for his eventual leap into entrepreneurship.
In 2021, Weston acquired K.G. Lilly with the assistance of The Symmetrical Group, a small family office and advisory firm in Exton. It was a full-circle moment, considering how the Newark, Delaware native had once worked on the company’s shop floor before enlisting.
“When the opportunity came to buy K.G. Lilly, it felt like it was meant to be,” Weston said. “With 25 employees, a warehouse stocked with millions of fasteners, and decades of goodwill in the market, the company was strong.”
But in need of a digital transformation.
“We had incredible brand loyalty and customers, but we ran on the Dewey Decimal System for all intents and purposes — everything was on paper,” said Weston.
Under his leadership, K.G. Lilly streamlined operations. “It was a matter of combining the skills I learned in the Army, as far as being organizationally minded and action-biased, with my consulting hat and knowledge of how to optimize things,” he said.
The results have been striking: new customers, steady growth, and plans for acquisitions to expand the company’s reach.
Six months after acquiring K.G. Lilly, Weston realized that veterans — particularly those from the special-operations community — are uniquely suited to running small industrial businesses. They bring leadership, decisiveness, and operational expertise. Yet many lack the networks or resources to make the leap.
In October 2023, he partnered again with The Symmetrical Group to acquire GTS Technical Sales, a Delaware-based distributor of a variety of industrial and commercial products, including pipes, valves, fittings, and specialty products. They tapped Derrick Yant, Weston’s 75th Ranger Regiment brother, to step in as President.
“This opportunity was life-changing for me, and I want to give that to the guys I came up with,” said Weston.
The deal marked the beginning of Weston’s relationship with Firstrust Bank, which provided financing for the acquisition of GTS. Weston credits Firstrust — particularly SBA Relationship Manager Jason Showmaker, Commercial Relationship Manager Sean Dunphy, Director of Commercial Banking Bill Foxburrow, and Chief Banking Officer Matt Hein — for recognizing the potential in veteran-led enterprises and backing the vision from the start.
“What sets them apart is simple,” Weston said. “They pick up the phone. That sounds small, but it’s not. In any service — whether it’s legal, insurance, or banking — responsiveness is the easiest way to build trust. At Firstrust, everyone from the relationship managers up to executives like Matt Hein will call you back, shoot you a text, and make sure you’re heard. That kind of communication is rare.”
Equally important, Weston said, is Firstrust’s consistency: “They do what they say. That’s a massive differentiator. In this industry, you meet a lot of people who will promise the moon, but when it comes time to sign the paperwork, the story changes.”
Beyond responsiveness and reliability, Weston pointed to the depth of knowledge Firstrust brings to every conversation.
“They’re intelligent bankers,” he said. “These guys are sharp. They know what they’re doing. They think about businesses the same way that we do. Firstrust is a little more willing than a standard bank to get creative with their financing, since they look at things more holistically and are willing to go outside the box. It’s kind of a perfect partnership.”
And that partnership has been critical to expanding Weston’s mission of equipping more veterans with the resources to succeed in business ownership.
Learn more about how Firstrust Bank is helping people and businesses achieve success in the very region it calls home.
