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How Much Do I Need to Sell My Business For, So I Can Retire?

So, you are a business owner who is thinking of moving toward retirement. How do you do that? What are your options? How much money do you need to sell your business for, so you can retire? These are all questions you need to fully explore when you’re ready to make this transition.

What Are My Options?

You have a couple options if you are looking to retire. First, you need to decide what your ultimate goal is. Do you want to completely exit the business? Or do you just want to take a step back and pin the majority of the responsibility on someone else? It’s up to you how you want your money to work for you and how much free time you want to have.

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Benchmark International has Advised on the Sale of Cumberland Platforms Limited to GELEV Group

Posted on March 16, 2018 By in UK Deals + UK M&A

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Cumberland Platforms Limited (CPL) to GELEV Group, trading as KLUBB.

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Tags: UK Deals, UK M&A

Benchmark International Shortlisted by Insider Media for its Young Professionals Awards 2018

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted by Insider Media for its ‘Young Professional Team of the Year’ award, along with Associate Director, Bhavina Halai, being shortlisted for its ‘Young Business Development Professional’ award.

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Benchmark International Advises on the Sale of Partner Group (UK) Limited to Fastflow Group Limited

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Partner Construction to Fastflow Group.

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Due Diligence – How it can be your Foe, but should be your Friend

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A Closer Look at Mergers and Acquisitions in 2018

Posted on March 6, 2018 By in Mergers and Acquisitions + Tips

New tax law means more capital in buyers’ pockets, so sellers should get it while it’s good!

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Why the time is now to sell your business, more than ever

Posted on March 5, 2018 By in Tax + Business Tips + Time To Sell + Tips + Tax Cut

Earlier this week, projections for increases in the Federal Funds Rate increased from three 25 basis point increases in 2018 and one in 2019 to four and two respectively. As a “basis” point is 1/100th of a percent and a “25 basis point increase” is an increase of 1/4 of one percent, this means that rater than increasing by 0.75% in 2018, experts now expect a 1.00% increase for the year and a 0.50% increase as opposed to 0.25% increase next year.

This happened because (a) the recent tax cut is expected to boost GDP by an extra 0.3%, (b) the even more recent government spending bill, which is modestly termed “generous”, is also expected to add 0.3% to GDP, and (c) the regulatory roll-back that has occurred over the last 12 months is expected to add another 0.3% to 0.6% to GDP.

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Kendall Stafford WINS the 2018 International Advisor Experts Award

Benchmark International’s Managing Director, Kendall Stafford, has been chosen as an International Advisory Expert Award recipient. International Advisory Experts is a global alliance of well-established and experienced legal, financial and consulting firms that are committed to providing clients with specialist solutions for their international business requirements.

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Benchmark International Advises on the Sale of Waste Check Limited to Reconomy Limited

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the sale of Waste Check Limited to Reconomy Limited.

Waste Check is a waste broker and management company specialising in the disposal of clinical and chemical waste materials for companies operating in numerous business sectors.

The acquirer, Reconomy, is a recycling and waste management service provider to the house building, commercial construction, infrastructure, and business & industry sectors. It was identified as an excellent fit for Waste Check, as it has allowed Reconomy to diversify into general and hazardous waste.

Reconomy has also been hot on the acquisition trail, acquiring companies in both 2015 and 2016, and through this and organic business growth the company achieved a revenue of £118m in 2016 and is predicting revenues of £135m by the end of 2018.

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

Chief Executive of Reconomy, Paul Cox, said: “This is an important acquisition for Reconomy, which enables us to extend our waste management offering into a broader range of industries and commercial sectors. We will continue to expand our business portfolio and invest in the companies we acquire to enhance both their technological and waste reporting capabilities. This will help ensure our customers receive the best possible service. Waste Check is a family-run business with an established reputation for delivering excellent customer service, so its culture will align very well with that of Reconomy. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous future together.” 

Commenting on the process, Mark Jenkins, director and shareholder at Waste Check said: “The support, direction and advice you [Benchmark International] gave us from all areas of your business was first class and professionally delivered. We would not have been able to conclude the deal at such a high value without the input of your entire team. The feeling of elation at completion was something we will always remember. A truly great decision we took to sell our company supported by a truly professional and knowledgeable team. We thank you all so much for the way you realised our dream after 10 years to sell Waste Check as a going concern, which will see it flourish further under its new owners in the waste management industry.”

Benchmark International would like to thank all parties involved and we wish them all the very best of luck for the future.

Reconomy website: https://www.reconomy.com/services/skip-hire  

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You Need an M&A Specialist, Not an Industry Expert

It’s time to dispel the myth that it’s better to use an industry expert versus a mergers and acquisitions expert for the sale of a business. At times, sellers are apprehensive about engaging with a mergers and acquisitions firm that doesn’t specialize in one specific industry, and they say they would rather use an industry expert instead. This isn’t the best strategy for a seller who hopes to gain the most value for his or her business.

The mergers and acquisitions cycle is constantly changing. That’s why it’s important for mergers and acquisitions firms to stay on top of industry trends and stay abreast of any new developments. At Benchmark International, we are M&A professionals who work in all industries. Our business is selling businesses, and we understand the industry specifics.

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Benchmark International expands in Tennessee

Benchmark International is delighted to announce our expansion into Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville has become a hotbed of mergers and acquisitions activity, and it is one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

Additionally, Benchmark International is growing exponentially, with four new regional offices opened domestically and internationally. So, it was only logical for Benchmark International to expand to this territory and be a part of this growing business culture.

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Thomson Reuters Ranks Benchmark International as One of the Worlds Top 50 M&A Companies

Thomson Reuters released their review of the mid-market mergers and acquisitions industry for 2017. In this report is a list of the worldwide mid-market rankings for companies that completed deals valued up to $500 million. Benchmark International is pleased to be listed in the top 50, worldwide, for M&A deals valued up to $500 million. Businesses named on this list include KPMG, Ernst & Young, LLP Deloitte, Goldman Sachs & Co., JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, amongst others. With the distinction of being listed in the same category as M&A industry giants, Benchmark International is showing we are an invaluable asset to any business owner looking to exit his or her business.

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Going for Gold – Benchmark International Achieves Medal Worthy Positions on Pro-Manchester’s ‘Most Active Advisers’ List

It may be the bleak midwinter for some, although for others it marks a four year long wait for the Winter Olympics which, for 2018, is being held in PyeongChang, South Korea, between the 9th February and 25th February.

It just so happens that this has coincided with the annual Corporate Finance Review for 2017, presented by Pro-Manchester, the largest business development organisation in the North West that represents business communities across the region, in association with Experian MarketIQ – a UK business database provider.

The review’s aim is to give insight into Manchester’s corporate finance market, examining the deals that Manchester-based advisers have worked on. This has shown that Benchmark International is giving Team GB a run for its money with it gaining all three medal table positions in the (cool) runnings for Manchester’s ‘Most Active Financial Adviser’ of 2017.

In gold place was Peter Kelly, who advised on a remarkable 25 deals in 2017. In second place, and gaining the silver medal, was Nick Hulme; and in joint third place was Roger Forshaw, who brought in the bronze for Benchmark International.

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Benchmark International Advises on the Sale of Atlanta Biologicals, Inc. to Bio-Techne Corporation

Posted on February 6, 2018 By in Atlanta + Deal completions + Success + Biologicals

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the stock sale of Atlanta Biologicals, Inc., and its affiliated company Scientific Ventures, to the Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH). The transaction is financed through available cash on hand.

Charles R. Kummeth, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bio-Techne, commented, "Atlanta Biologicals is a great fit with the Bio-Techne product portfolio as we continue to expand our cell culture and tissue regeneration capabilities. Many of our products are used in tissue culture applications and the Atlanta Biologicals fetal bovine serum (FBS) product line strengthens and complements our current tissue culture reagents offering and furthers our efforts to provide more complete solutions to our research customers. With the increasing interest in 3D cell cultures and other cell based clinical applications, we believe there is value in providing customers alternative and reliable sources of high quality FBS and other tissue culture reagents. Having better tools to study cell behavior in physiologically relevant environments and high quality reagents increases researchers' confidence in the experimental findings.“

Atlanta Biologicals President, Renate Gerle, added, “We are confident with the strategic fit between the two companies given our shared commitment to providing quality products and excellent customer service. Atlanta Biologicals is pleased to have Bio-Techne as a partner, enabling us to expand and enhance our products offering. Bio-Techne's resources and additional market channels will have a positive impact on our business and allow us to serve our customers more efficiently both in the North America and globally.

I would also like to take a moment and thank Benchmark International for their expertise throughout the sale. Naturally, selling a business is a major step, but Benchmark made it a truly seamless process. We had spoken with a number of industry specialist prior to engaging Benchmark; however, Benchmark’s proven ability to negotiate the best deal, their structured team approach, their numerous resources to attract both domestic and international buyers paired with their in-depth knowledge about our industry ultimately determined our decision. I will admit, I was very apprehensive when we first started but Benchmark made the process smoother than expected. They were taking an active lead from start to finish and ultimately delivered the best results we could hope for. I was surprised and impressed by the amount and quality of buyers brought to the company and how all aspects of every potential opportunity were evaluated to achieve the best outcome for the owner and the company. Looking back, I clearly feel industry specialist would not have been able to provide us with this extent of options and analysis. Hearing about the process upfront and then watching it become implemented in real-time reinforces that engaging Benchmark was the best decision and fit we could have made to sell the business. My advice to any owner who genuinely wants to achieve the best results would be to engage with a global specialist like Benchmark rather than over-focusing on industry buyers.”

Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) is a leading developer and manufacturer of high quality purified proteins––notably cytokines and growth factors, antibodies, immunoassays, as well as biologically active small molecule compounds --- which are sold to biomedical researchers and clinical research laboratories; these operations constitute the core Biotechnology Division, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Atlanta Biologicals was founded in 1992 and has focused on supplying cell culture sera, media and reagents for the life science research market. It is located in Flowery Branch, Georgia and has approximately 25 employees. The acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to Bio-Techne's adjusted earnings per share for its fiscal year 2018.

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Silexx Client Testimonial {video}

Posted on February 6, 2018 By in Client Testimonials + Technology + reviews

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Silexx to the Chicago Board of Exchange.

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Label Express Ltd Client Testimonial {video}

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A Glimpse into Enterprise Resource Planning in M&A

In the technological and global communication era we live in today, it’s no wonder that 2018 seeks to be the year of technology-based mergers and acquisitions. Corporate and private equity leaders have voiced plans for technology acquisitions at the top of their priority list this year. One market which appears to be growing rapidly and playing a more integrated role in mergers and acquisitions is enterprise resource planning (ERP).

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Benchmark International Completes Sale of Fast of Florida, Inc to Southern Air & Heat Holdings

International M&A specialist, Benchmark International, has successfully negotiated the sale of its client, FAST of Florida, Inc. (“FAST”) to Southern Air & Heat (“Southern HVAC”), a portfolio company of MSouth Equity Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm.

Based in Clearwater, Florida, FAST is a leading provider of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical sales, installation, and maintenance services to the residential and commercial markets. In 1972, the company was established as a small air conditioning repair shop by Eddie Vaughan. Eddie’s wife, Melissa, joined the company in the early 1980’s, assisting with administrative duties and bookkeeping. As the company grew, FAST evolved to expand its service offerings in order to remain competitive and add additional revenue streams. In 2005, Mr. Vaughan passed away after a long illness, and Melissa assumed ownership of the business. Under Mrs. Vaughan’s leadership, FAST has continued to experience tremendous growth while continuing to offer the same level of quality service the company was built upon. Today, the company employs nearly 50 people serving Pinellas County, Florida and the surrounding markets.

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Southern Air & Heat is a leading provider of essential maintenance, repair, replacement and new installation services for the residential and commercial HVAC markets. Currently, the Company serves over 100,000 homeowners across its target markets. Southern HVAC is financially backed by MSouth Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm that provides equity capital and expertise to support management teams of lower middle market companies. Founded in 2007, MSouth manages $1.3 billion with three active funds, and is the successor to Cravey, Green & Wahlen, which was founded in 1984.

President of FAST, Melissa Vaughan, stated, “Benchmark International played an instrumental role in helping me to exit my family legacy business gracefully. The team did an outstanding job of marketing my business toward motivated buyers, and ultimately finding the perfect fit in Southern HVAC. I would like to thank the Benchmark transaction team for the extraordinary effort in making this transaction a reality.”

“Our focus was to find the acquirer that shared FAST’s passion and commitment to providing a personalized level of service while retaining the culture that Melissa has worked so hard to preserve,” said Trevor Talkie, Senior Associate at Benchmark International. “FAST is a compelling addition to MSouth’s growing HVAC platform, and we are truly honored to have worked alongside Melissa and her team toward this successful outcome.”

Tyrus O’Neill, Director at Benchmark International added, “After the journey Melissa has been through, we’re happy to see the process reach an ideal end result. On behalf of Benchmark International, I’d like to wish both parties the best of luck moving forward.”

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We hope your holiday season is merry and bright!

Posted on December 22, 2017 By in Blog + What's happening at Benchmark

As the holidays come to an end and we venture into 2018, we want to thank you for your business. Happy holidays and happy New Year’s Day from the Benchmark International family to yours!

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Benchmark International Advises on the Sale of Henderson Site Services Ltd to Western Thermal Ltd

Posted on December 13, 2017 By in Blog

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Henderson Site Services Ltd to Western Thermal Ltd.

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Tags: Blog

Benchmark International Advises on the Sale of Jovic Plant to SRBE

Posted on December 13, 2017 By in Blog

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal between Jovic Plant and SRBE, a subsidiary of Merino Private Equity, has completed.

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Tags: Blog

Why Engaging in 2018 is Advantageous for your Business

As we embark on the year 2018, it is important to acknowledge the advantages of engaging your business for sale. Mergers and acquisitions was strong in 2017 and is expected to continue full steam ahead moving into 2018. You can count on Benchmark International to stay on top of current trends to bring you the highest level of professionalism in the sale of your business.

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Don't Kick the Can Down the Road

There are many things to consider when you are thinking of a potential exit, whether it be your own personal/business circumstances, the overall M&A market or potential tax implications.

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Engaging with Benchmark International is Not a Commitment to Sell

Engaging with a mergers and acquisitions firm is a huge emotional decision. It may feel like making a commitment to sell, and you aren’t sure if this is what you want. At Benchmark International, our purpose is to help our clients achieve their personal goals whatever they may be.

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Global M&A Activity to Reach Record Figure of £2.4 Trillion in 2018

Worldwide mergers and acquisition activity will hit £2.4 trillion ($3.2 trillion) next year, as deal-making is elevated on an increasing global economic tide, according to recent forecasts.

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Giving in Order to Receive: A Surprisingly ‘Warm and Fuzzy Glow’ in the Harvard Business Review

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review made a perhaps surprising conjecture: that as far as mergers and acquisitions are concerned, those companies that focus on what they’re going to get from an acquisition are less likely to succeed, in terms of the deal outcomes, than those companies that focus on what they can give to the process.

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What Does the Autumn Budget Mean for Businesses?

Posted on November 23, 2017 By in Blog

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, yesterday unveiled his Autumn Budget to Parliament, which grabbed the headlines with its announcements on stamp duty, housing, the NHS and the National Living Wage.

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Tags: Blog

Benchmark International Advises on the deal between Sui Generis Holdings Limited to Milbank Concrete Products Limited

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal between Sui Generis and Milbank has been agreed.

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Medical Sector M&A in Rude Health: Medisec Acquisition Part of Wider Trend for Synergetic Deals

We’ve recently been seeing at first hand the rise in medical and healthcare sector mergers and acquisitions both domestically and internationally, with Dublin-based Clanwilliam Group’s synergetic acquisition of Cheshire-based NHS technology provider Medisec (brokered by Benchmark International) the most recent example.

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Benchmark International Successfully Facilitated the Transaction Between Southern Weaving Company, an Orix USA company, and Oppermann GmbH

Posted on November 20, 2017 By in Deal completions

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the sale of Southern Weaving Company, a company of Orix USA, to Oppermann GmBH. Oppermann GmBH is a fifth-generation, family-owned business founded in 1848 and headquartered in Einbeck, Germany, where it also maintains a production facility. The company also operates plants in the United Kingdom, China and Slovakia, and Piedmont, SC (Oppermann Webbing, Inc.). Its products are used over a wide spectrum of applications in many international market segments, including industrial, transportation, construction and aviation. Southern Weaving Company was originally incorporated in South Carolina in 1924. Orix Corporate Capital Inc. (Orix USA) is the controlling shareholder and under its direction and support, the current management team has grown the business back into a leader in the webbing industry.

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Benchmark International Advises on The Sale of Levy Brothers & Knowles Limited to NNZ

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that a deal between Levy Brothers & Knowles Limited (LBK) to NNZ has been agreed.

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Greening Due Diligence: Environmental Factors to Consider in M&A Preparation

‘Green-washing’ is pretty much endemic in the business world, with every company worth its salt aiming to showcase its environmental credentials, whether rightfully or as a PR exercise.

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Benchmark International has Successfully Facilitated the Sale of Canaide Inc to Apprio Holdings, LLC.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the sale of Canaide, Inc. to Apprio Holdings, LLC.

Canaide, Inc., hereinafter referred to as Canaide, is a revenue cycle management firm located in Central Florida. They are a provider of outsourced, self-pay services to hospitals across the Southeastern United States. The acquirer, Apprio Holdings, is a provider of specialized technology solutions, particularly for the Health, Defense and Homeland Security markets. They are headquartered in Washington, D.C. and now have 11 total offices from coast to coast.

Art Seypura, owner of Canaide, stated, “Benchmark made the sales process timely and seamless. We went to market just a few short months ago and they quickly found a great cultural fit that would allow me to step away quickly from the helm while partaking in future growth under the guidance of Apprio.”

Benchmark International Director, Dara Shareef, stated, “We are really excited that we were able to successfully locate a buyer for Art Seypura and Canaide. Every facet of this process, from engagement to close, went smoothly thanks to the dedication and effort from both the sell-side and buy-side teams.”

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Benchmark International Facilitated the Transaction between Silexx Financial Systems and Chicago Board Options Exchange

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the transaction between Silexx Financial Systems, LLC and Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). Headquartered in Chicago, IL, CBOE is the largest U.S. options exchange in the nation. Silexx Financial Systems, LLC is a broker-neutral, multi-asset class trading platform in Sarasota, Florida.

Thomas Frey, president and majority owner of Silexx Financial Systems, LLC stated, “I would like to thank Benchmark International for their persistence, and focus during this transaction. As is often the case, this transaction faced numerous challenges during each stage of the process. The Benchmark team remained focused, and leveraged their experience to maintain forward progress during difficult times of the process.”

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

Benchmark International Director Dara Shareef stated, “We would like to congratulate our clients, Silexx Financial Systems, LLC, Thomas Frey, and Michael Williams, as well as the buyer, Chicago Board Options Exchange. This acquisition enhances the CBOE delivery model and provides its customers industry-leading data analytics and trade execution tools for more than three dozen global markets. The buyer truly valued our client’s existing OEMS platform and access to major global markets in North America, Europe and Asia. We feel this deal was a win-win proposition for both CBOE and Silexx, and we wish them both all the best in the future.”

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Benchmark International Advises on the Deal Between SigmaRoc and Topcrete Limited

 

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Considering the sale of your business? If so, then the time might be now!

There is still the chance for you to capitalise on the extremely low 10% capital gains tax rates which are on offer via Entrepreneurs’ Relief, whenever you fully or partially sell your company.

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Technically Speaking - M&A to Remain Strong in the Next 12 Months

Technology-related mergers and acquisitions are set to remain robust over the next 12 months, according to the recent semi-annual leaders’ poll from law firm Morrison & Foerster’s global M&A team.

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The Time For Health IT M&A is Approaching

Health IT mergers and acquisitions are now gaining traction, and at a rapid rate. While there are a number of reasons for this, the ultimate driving force is the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care.

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What Makes a Company a Likely Acquisition Target?

A fascinating report has been published by Intralinks who, in conjunction with Cass Business School in London examined 23 years of data from almost 34,000 companies worldwide to identify the factors that make companies attractive M&A targets.

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M&A Meat Processing Sector - Ireland

In spite of the uncertainty surrounding the meat processing sector in Ireland, M&A activity involving participants within the sector has continued apace in 2017, with the conclusion of some notable deals.

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