How to sell an established family business?

What started as a local company has become a major player in the field of curtain walls and facades, supplying its services to world markets. Although the company has grown significantly over the years, the owners have managed to preserve its family character. Unfortunately, however, there is no successor, either directly from the family or from the company’s team. Due to increasing administration demands and age, the owner came to the decision to sell the company.

The owners’ idea of a prospective buyer and method was clear from the beginning. They were searching for a strategic investor in the industry that would buy a 100% stake and secure the future of the company and its employees. The end result of the transaction surprised the owners very much and today it is evaluated positively, although the owners initially did not expect something like this in their wildest dreams.

The owners’ expectation versus reality and our recommendations

It took us less than two months to find the right investor to buy the company. However, it took us at least the same amount of time to convince the owner that:

• We are a good partner for finding a solution to their problem
• There were others, more appropriate investors than those they considered ideal
• It is worth considering also other entities besides those that have been choosen by the owner during the selection process

The owner accepted our expert advice and the investor – a financial investment fund – was approved. This happened despite the fact that it was not an industry investor and less than 100% stake was taken over. The new investor purchased the majority of the company and the founders retained a minority stake under the agreed conditions, with the option to appreciate part of the funds obtained through the sale.

The sale process and timeline

From selling the company to creating a new player in the market

During the course of negotiations over contracts and the future structure of the company, the opportunity to buy a plant operating in the same field emerged. We succeeded in connecting the owners of the family business, the future majority owner, and the multinational company selling part of the production plant and its assets.

The originally planned sale became a merger and at the end of the sale it became a major player in the lightweight cladding market.

The company’s founders achieved their goal – to ensure both the development of the family company and their employees’ future. They gained time and considerable financial resources. Beyond the original idea, however, they have retained a connection with the field they have helped to co-create for many years.

The investment fund acquired an interesting company with a tradition and potential for further growth in its portfolio.

Business sale in numbers