Inspect the equipment and the capex runway
Tour the floor with someone who knows the machines. Ask the age, maintenance history, and remaining life of every major asset, and budget for the replacements the seller has been deferring.
Similar businesses sell at 1.6x to 5.0x SDE. Compare live listings and connect with sellers.
National transaction benchmarks for manufacturing business businesses.
Under $500K
$500K to $2M
Over $2M
A variety of factors can cause businesses to trade outside this range, including earnings quality, operational transferability, key-person risk, growth trajectory, and geography, so a listing priced above or below the typical multiple usually reflects real differences in the underlying business.
Cofounder & CEO
Key diligence, valuation, financing, and transition considerations for buyers evaluating manufacturing business acquisitions.
Tour the floor with someone who knows the machines. Ask the age, maintenance history, and remaining life of every major asset, and budget for the replacements the seller has been deferring.
Many manufacturers have one or two accounts that make up most of revenue. Get a customer-by-customer breakdown and understand the switching costs that keep them.
Inventory, work-in-process, and receivables tie up real cash. Establish how much working capital the business needs to run and whether it is included in the deal.
Skilled operators and a plant manager are often hard to replace in the short run. Identify who holds the know-how and what retention looks like after close.
Process chemicals, waste streams, and older facilities carry liability. A Phase I assessment and a review of permits and safety history are standard.
Scrutinize the add-backs in seller discretionary earnings. Equipment leases, related-party rent, and deferred maintenance can make the margins look better than they are.
Answers to common buyer questions for this market.