Similar businesses sell at 1.4x to 5.1x SDE. Compare live listings and connect with sellers.
Established in 1999, this profitable, founder-led engineering and manufacturing company designs, builds, and services custom industrial controls, test and automation systems, and hazardous gas-detection safety systems for automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, national test labs, and government research programs across the Detroit automotive corridor. Three complementary revenue lines (controls and automation engineering; custom test and automation systems; and fixed hazardous gas-detection systems) are underpinned by a recurring calibration-and-maintenance base of roughly $400,000 to $500,000 per year that renews across approximately 15 accounts. The company both engineers and manufactures its equipment in-house and owns several proprietary products (emissions canister-loading and helium leak-detection systems) that have never been actively marketed, an immediate, low-cost upside for a new owner. Financial highlights: 2025 revenue of approximately $1.23M with adjusted owner earnings (SDE) of approximately $325K; 2026 is pacing to a record year of roughly $1.66M in revenue, on approximately 62% gross margin. No company debt. The business has grown for more than 27 years almost entirely on reputation and referral, with no dedicated salesperson and effectively no marketing. A buyer who adds professional sales and marketing capability inherits deep, blue-chip relationships and a strong reputation with substantial untapped demand. Owner-occupied real estate (two buildings, approximately 4,800 sq ft on roughly 2 acres) is available with the business or via lease-back. The company is SBA-financeable, and ownership is open to a transition period and limited seller financing. Financials, customer detail, and company identity are available to qualified buyers under a non-disclosure agreement.
Established in 2016, the company is a light industrial staffing firm focused on automotive suppliers and related industries. It is one of the nation’s largest providers of legal refugee labor, with over six years of experience placing thousands of workers nationwide. Serving 40+ clients, the company delivers substantial cost savings by reducing turnover and avoiding OEM production penalties. It operates with 13 internal staff and a flexible workforce of ~275 external employees, adjusting 10–20% weekly based on demand. Services include direct hire, contract-to-hire, contract staffing, and payroll, and the company is an authorized ADP payroll reseller with signed agreements.
National transaction benchmarks for service 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 service business acquisitions.
A pest-control, cleaning, or landscaping firm with recurring agreements is worth far more than one living on one-off jobs; get the contracted share and the renewal rate.
A few large accounts can carry — and walk with — the business; review the top customers, contract lengths, and cancellation terms.
In many service businesses the owner is the salesperson and the trusted contact; understand who holds the customers and the transition plan.
These are labor-heavy; understand staffing, turnover, wage pressure, and whether key crews stay.
Pest control, security, legal, and waste businesses carry licenses and obligations that may be tied to the owner — and some, like dry cleaners, carry environmental exposure.
Low-capital service businesses are easy to dress up; scrutinize owner add-backs, vehicle and equipment condition, and whether the margins hold.
Answers to common buyer questions for this market.
