I’ve always wanted to write a column about all of the reasons that deals die. It’s helpful for tire dealers to know what some of the pitfalls might be before they start their business exit planning. But since I’m only involved in so many transactions, it would only be one guy’s opinion. So I was pleased when Axial recently published their “Dead Deal Report: Unpacking 2023’s Broken LOI’s” report. Axial is a private deal network that covers the lower middle market in the United States and Canada. (Full disclosure, my firm FOCUS Investment Banking was just ranked No. 1 in Axial’s Top 25 Inve ..read more

It should seem evident that preserving confidentiality in an M&A transaction is important to everyone involved, but particularly for the seller of a tire business. It’s surprising how many people I run across who don’t have mutual confidentiality agreements or non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in place when talking with a buyer. I would think that not having your customers, employees or competitors knowing that a business is for sale would be the most important thing, followed by protecting all of your proprietary and confidential financial information. Not doing so recalls for me ..read more

In the Food and Beverage sector, the M&A scene kicked off the year with promise, marked by a steady stream of transactions, including several significant ones. Q1 of 2024 saw a slight uptick in deal count, totaling 76 transactions compared to 71 in Q4 of 2023. Notably, completed deals in the fourth quarter boasted valuations averaging 7.5x Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) adjusted EBITDA, reflecting a 0.2x increase from the previous quarter and a notable improvement from the 6.7x average observed in the second quarter. This surge in valuations sets an encouraging tone for 2024. However, dispa ..read more

You’ve spent decades building up your septic and water services business. Through dedication and hard work, you have created a legacy. Looking back to the initial investments of money, time and energy, the hard work, and long hours of providing quality service and keeping customers satisfied, to training and building a team to whom you can delegate – building your business has been a 24/7/365 endeavor for you and your family. It is the most valuable asset you will ever sell. So naturally the idea of preparing to step away from it may be daunting, overwhelming, and even emotional. However, if y ..read more

Although 2023 M&A activity was down from the high level of 2021, there are some signs that M&A activity in 2024 is picking up. We believe that the M&A market in the Photonics space is also likely to rebound this year. Some of the more notable Photonics transactions in the first quarter of 2024 include: Keysight Technologies, a US-based company that provides electronic design and test solutions, outbid Viavi Solutions to acquire Spirent Communications… CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT Q1 2024 PHOTONICS TRANSACTIONS FOCUS Investment Banking has targeted Photonics as a core practice ..read more

Washington, DC, (April 26, 2024) – FOCUS Investment Banking (“FOCUS”), a national middle market investment banking firm providing merger, acquisition, divestiture, and corporate finance services is honored to be named among the Top 25 Lower Middle Market Investment Banks of Q1 2024 by Axial. Throughout the last year, FOCUS successfully closed 22 deals spanning diverse industries, highlighting its versatility and expertise in navigating various sectors. This rate of success and the variety of industries served were key factors in our firm’s selection by Axial. To assemble this list, Axial revie ..read more

FOCUS Senior Advisor Courtney Ryan comes to our team after a career with Jabil, a global manufacturing organization, spanning more than 25 years. He is a Founding Partner of Steadfast Partners, an industrial technology advisory group led by four seasoned C-suite executives with over 100 years of combined experience in Enterprise Strategy and Operations. Steadfast provides a wide range of advisory services to advanced manufacturing companies, particularly in the fields of electronics systems, metals, and polymers. “Getting into this field didn’t happen because of any grand plan,” he notes. “Aft ..read more

FOCUS believes that the Telecom Business Services sector is an attractive (and often overlooked) segment of the telecom market. The companies in this sector perform services such as distributing communications-related products, designing and installing communications infrastructure and providing repair and other logistics services for both communications service providers and businesses. These companies often benefit from the same exciting trends that drive growth in the larger telecommunications industry. However, as professional services businesses they tend to be much less capital-intensi ..read more

As a business owner, understanding the financial ecosystem in which your company operates is crucial for making informed decisions. One aspect that is often talked about and significantly impacts the business landscape is the relationship between interest rates, private equity groups, and business valuations. The Role of Interest Rates in Private Equity Investments: Interest rates, set by central banks, are a critical factor in the economy, influencing the cost of borrowing money. For private equity (PE) groups, these rates determine the cost of capital, which is essential for their investment ..read more

Washington, DC, (April 1, 2024) – FOCUS Investment Banking (“FOCUS”), a national middle market investment banking firm providing merger, acquisition, divestiture, and corporate finance services, announced today that CMI Management, an organization that provides facilities and asset management services primarily to government agencies, has been acquired by Dexterra Group.  FOCUS represented CMI Management throughout this transaction process. Founded in 1986 by husband and wife, Abe and Azzi Abraham, CMI is an award-winning provider of turn-key facilities management services to Federal ..read more