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Benchmark International Facilitated the Transaction of Vintage Park VIP Lounge One, LLC dba Barcelona Restaurant & Lounge to a Private Investor

Benchmark International facilitated the sale of Vintage Park VIP Lounge One, LLC d/b/a Barcelona Restaurant & Lounge in Houston, Texas. It has been acquired by private investor Holssam El-Assal.

Vintage Park VIP Lounge One, LLC d/b/a Barcelona Restaurant & Lounge, was founded by Mark Evans in 2014, at Vintage Park, one of Houston’s premier destinations for shopping and dining.

Benchmark International proved its value in finding a buyer with experience in the upscale dining industry through its proprietary multi-medium marketing strategies. In addition, Benchmark International incorporated several campaigns with local, regional, and national associations.

 

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Owner Mark Evans commented, “Benchmark International’s team was able to accurately represent my business to the market and find a buyer that could continue providing the level of service our clients desire. Most importantly, they valued the confidentiality of the transaction deeply to not disturb any on-going operations. They were involved every step of the way and were able to deliver on their promise of bringing in a buyer that would take care of our team post-close.”

Deal Associate, Amy Alonso commented, “Benchmark International added value by negotiating this deal. We saw throughout the entire process that the buyer, Holssam, wanted to become involved with the restaurant and be a hands-on operator. With this knowledge, the team was able to negotiate a deal that would allow for the existing owner to successfully transition the business to a capable buyer in a swift and expedited manner. We wish Holssam and Mark the best of luck in their future endeavors.”

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Benchmark International has Successfully Facilitated the Transaction Between BrightOffice Limited and ClearCourse Partnership

Benchmark International has advised on the transaction between cloud-based CRM developer, BrightOffice, and ClearCourse Partnership, a group of technology companies, for an undisclosed sum.

BrightOffice was founded in 2004 and has developed a customisable, cloud-based software platform through which it delivers specialised CRM products for around 300 clients across a variety of sectors.

ClearCourse is a growing partnership of innovative technology companies providing membership and payments software platforms to groups, organisations and small businesses. A highly acquisitive company, BrightOffice marks ClearCourse’s 14th acquisition since October 2018 and the second CRM purchase after it acquired not-for-profit CRM Protech earlier this month.

Do you have an exit or growth strategy in place?

ClearCourse has the financial backing of Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London-based private equity firm with AUM of approximately $3.5bn.

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Global Government Contractors And M&A

Mergers and acquisitions in global government contracting (specifically the technology, aerospace, defense, and government services industries) is a market that tends to remain stable and ripe with opportunity. This sector offers many positive qualities such as revenue transparency and predictability. Strategic buyers seek products, services, sales channels, and geographical presences that broaden capabilities and make them more competitive. Companies with advanced technologies are in an especially advantageous position for acquisition.

Yet, even in an environment that consistently sees a strong flow of defense M&A deals, there is a heightened level of risk with plenty of opportunity for errors and setbacks. The business of government contracting is highly regulated and can be extremely complex, with a great deal of challenges. It is also subject to the effects of government spending budgets—and budget cuts.

Governments enforce intricate legal and regulatory requirements. Failure to adhere to these requirements can result in government actions that include contract termination, suspension, debarment, damages and penalties. Suspension and debarment, which means that a company can no longer conduct business with the government, can be a result of unfair trade practices, fraud, commission of crimes, and even a lack of business integrity or honesty. There is also a great deal of emphasis placed on conflicts of interest.

 

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With so many possible risks, careful planning is imperative when considering a transaction in this space. It is recommended that sellers engage M&A experts with a strong reputation, transaction experience in their sector, and strong connections within the global buyer community.

It is also recommended that sellers prepare for a sale from the perspective of the buyer.  

  • Determine areas of exposureDue diligence is always important in determining an accurate valuation of a company, and this is even more so in the case of government contractors. It demands a meticulous level of scrutiny. The company’s level of compliance can directly impact the valuation. Often, many contracting companies also run commercial businesses and have less strict compliance programs versus pure government contractors, yet carry the same risks.
  • Assess risk and successor liabilitySerious risk mitigation strategies are necessary when it comes to proper recordkeeping regarding compliance, including cyber-security and socio-economic topics, as well as a lack of negative factors such as prior suspensions or debarments, tax violations, investigations, and claims. Additionally, what is the exit strategy that is in place, and how can it improve the quality of buyer conversations and increase valuation?
  • File regulatory notices and approvalsBe prepared for the filing of government notices, regulatory approval prerequisites, and post-M&A integration. These filings should be identified in the agreement, and the parties should preemptively agree to a process for securing government approvals.

Other important considerations regarding government contracts mergers and acquisitions that any seller should anticipate include:

  • Analysis of existing and prospective government contracts held by the entity to be acquired and assignment of contracts to the buyer
  • Any potential socio-economic impacts as a result of the transaction
  • The transfer of facility and top-secret clearances, as well as intellectual property rights
  • Assessment of conflicts of interest that could exclude the buyer from future contracts
  • Whether the target company is compliant with specific government regulations
  • Any existing subcontracts and teaming agreements
  • Past performance of the target company and its impact on the buyer’s ability to win other government contracts

 

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Foreign transactions may face additional challenges in completing M&A transactions in the government-contracting sector. These include more stringent due diligence processes, export law compliance, security clearances, cultural differences, and foreign investment scrutiny. This applies even further regarding higher risk regions, such as Africa.

In the case of cross-border deals, there are key concerns as to:

  • Whether the seller is considered an inverted domestic corporation and no longer eligible for future government contracts
  • If there should be inclusion of a board of directors as part of a mitigation plan to allow continuation of the seller’s facility clearance

Proper due diligence can identify risks in a transaction, create accurate representation and certifications, confirm that the adequate disclosures and indemnifications are obtained, and secure necessary government approvals, resulting in a successful and profitable acquisition.

Contact Us

If you are interested in making a move in this sector, please consult with our international M&A specialists, as we have the desired experience in transactions involving government contractors and companies that support them.

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Understanding The Inverted Yield Curve

The inverted yield curve is a situation that occurs when the interest rates on short-term bonds are higher than the interest rates paid by long-term bonds. It basically means that there is enough concern about the near-future markets that people move their money into less risky long-term investments. Any time this scenario arises, investors get nervous because it typically warns of a recession.

Short-term vs. Long-term Bonds

In thriving economies, bondholders demand a higher yield (profit) for longer-term bonds versus short-term bonds.

  • Short-term bonds mature in less than five years and carry a lower interest rate risk. These funds do not yield large returns. They give investors a safe way to earn higher yields than they would with extremely low-risk investments and do not require money to be tied up for a long period of time.
  • With long-term bonds, there is a much longer maturity period and people are required to invest their money for greater lengths of time. While these types of bonds yield higher returns, there is also an increased risk that higher inflation could reduce the value of payments, and that higher interest rates could cause the bond's price to drop. A longer-term bond also carries a higher risk of default.Basically, the longer it takes to be repaid, the greater the risk that inflation will swallow your investment.
  • Most investors choose to have a mix of both short- and long-term bonds.

 

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Treasury Bonds

Government debt securities are known as Treasury bonds or T-bonds. These types of bonds are considered to be virtually risk-free. They earn fixed interest until they mature (a period of 10-30 years). Once they mature, the owner is also paid the face value of the bond. Treasury bonds make interest payments semiannually and the income earned is only taxed federally.

The Inverted Yield Curve

Treasury bonds help to form the yield curve, which includes the full range of investments offered by the United States government and diagrams yields by maturity. It usually curves upward, with longer-term bonds having a higher yield. The yield curve becomes inverted when long-term bonds are in high demand and the rates are shown to be lower than those of shorter-term bonds.Essentially, in this scenario, investors expect that they will make more money by holding onto a longer-term bond than a short-term one.

The yield curve inversion can also point toward expectations by investors that the Federal Reserve will cut short-term interest rates in an effort to boost the economy.

A Predictor of Recessions

Although it can happen months or years before a recession begins (usually an average of 18-22 months), the inversion of the yield curve has been a consistent predictor of every recession since the 1960s. For that reason, any time it happens, there is heightened anxiety and anticipation of slowed economic growth.

The last time the yield curve inverted was in 2007, prior to the financial crisis and recession of 2008, which was the worst recession since the Great Depression. The yield curve also inverted prior to the recessions of 2001, 1991, and 1981.

In this latest case, the yield curve first inverted in December of 2018, and inverted even further in March of 2019. Then, the 10-year yield hit a three-year low of 1.65% on August 12, 2019.On August 15, the yield on the 30-year bond closed below 2% for the very first time in history. Fears of the ongoing economic effects of the trade war between the United States and China are fueling the market concerns around the world. 

The science of forecasting financial futures is never a 100% certainty, and while the inverted yield curve has proven to be a reliable indicator of things to come, it does not necessarily guarantee that a recession will happen. As of August 2019, the Federal Reserve has said that there is only around a 35% chance of a recession.

 

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What It Means for M&A

An inverted yield curve can have implications for mergers and acquisitions, especially if you are aiming to grow your company.

For example, let’s say that part of your growth strategy requires funding for building expansion or new equipment. Under an inverted yield curve, short-term interest rates become higher than long-term interest rates. Some businesses may find this to be good news because they can lock in a good rate for the long term.

It may be impossible to predict financial futures, but enlisting the help of experience M&A advisors can help you formulate growth and risk management strategies for your company that make the most of available capital for expansion and lower your risk in all yield-curve situations.

Contact Us

Are you ready to make a move? Call our M&A experts at Benchmark International to start the conversation about your growth strategies and future opportunities.

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The Global Technology Industry and M&A

The trillion-dollar technology industry is inherently subject to massive growth, disruptive mega-trends, and voracious corporate and investor appetite. Companies such as Internet software and services, e-commerce, telecom, financial tech, cybersecurity, data analytics, social, travel tech, and auto tech are the world’s major players.

The main drivers for M&A in this sector are the creation of revenue growth, improved efficiencies, acquiring key talent, and staying ahead of competitors. It can be more efficient for a big tech firm to buy a smaller technology company in order to gain new functionality or services without creating them itself. It also serves as a pathway to ease into newer areas, as non-technology companies look to acquire technology companies to avoid disruption.

Mergers and acquisitions are commonly used as exit strategies for businesses in the technology industry. Company owners tend to prefer to cash in through M&A versus IPOs because IPOs can take longer and involve more regulatory authorities. 

 

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The Software Sector

Enterprise software and software as a service (SaaS) companies comprise a major segment of the technology industry. IT, data and cloud-based services have permeated every field of business in the world. Traditional and legacy software providers are using M&A in order to remain relevant. Healthcare, financial, and customer relationship management services software are continually in high demand. And digital marketing deals play a key part in the software M&A landscape.

Tech Company Valuations

Technology businesses that garner the highest company valuations for M&A typically share the same set of qualities:

  • Reliable growth metric performance
  • Good product/market fit
  • Above-average margins
  • Strong and predictable cash flows
  • Positive key performance indicators
  • Low owner involvement
  • Streamlined operations
  • A formulated exit plan

Additionally, investors are usually willing to pay more for businesses that have well-built brands because they are able to focus on long-term growth strategies without worrying about being eclipsed by intense competition while changes are being made.

Due Diligence

In the technology sector, careful due diligence is especially important to coordinating a successful deal. In an industry where lifecycles can be short and technologies can change quickly, there is great risk. Understanding the future relevance of the product or service is key. If a company is profitable today, it does not mean it will be tomorrow, making growth potential a larger motivating factor for M&A than current profitability. Therefore, in addition to financial due diligence, there needs to be a high level of technical and commercial due diligence. There are intellectual property issues, and due diligence must fully assess patents, copyrights, trademarks, domain names, trade secrets, and mask works

 

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Cross-border M&A

Technology has completely blurred global borders, which greatly increases opportunities in M&A. While acquirers can expand their worldwide reach, this can also make the processes more complicated and time consuming for several reasons.

  • Countries have varying and evolving regulations regarding technology and privacy, as well as tax and labor-related factors.
  • Integration becomes more complex because of cultural differences, language barriers, and variances in corporate philosophies.
  • The geographical distance between the companies can also make coordination difficult when trying to communicate in opposing time zones.
  • Geopolitical factors can cause uncertainty and influence the feasibility of deals.

All of these circumstances change the implications for M&A strategies and calls for heightened expertise in dealing with cross-border transactions.

Contact Us

If you are considering a merger or an acquisition, you will love the way we do things at Benchmark International. We are motivated to achieve all of your aspirations and will never present you with a deal that we think will fall even the slightest bit short of your wants and needs. Count on our industry experts to use their global connections to deliver the right options for you.

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6 Ways to Make Your Offers More Successful

At Benchmark International, we see hundreds of letters of intent (LOI), term sheets, and heads of terms every year. And though the title of the document changes from location to location, we see acquirers making the same mistakes across the globe. These mistakes cause delays, lead to good LOIs not being signed, and lead to LOIs being signed but then resulting in nothing more than blown deal costs (and angry sellers). We would like to offer a little advice from the sell-side about how to make your offers come across in the best possible light.

1. Do not include an automatic extension to the exclusivity period.

When there are no conditions on an extension other than your sole discretion, our clients see that for exactly what it is. Unless either (a) they have some veto right over any extension or (b) it kicks in only if certain material and tangible milestones have been hit, extensions cause our clients to get a bit suspicious of the other terms in the LOI. Its one of the easiest clauses for an M&A novice to understand so if they feel weary of that clause, you can imagine the effect it has on their reading of the more complex sections.

2. Do include a sources and uses of funds table.

Missing the table is problematic for a few reasons. Our clients often have a hard time following the complexity of a structured offer and the table can clear up some things for them. In addition, when the client is rolling over an interest and you are using the target company (or newco) to undertake the acquisition debt, a clear picture of the debt is necessary to ensure the rollover is correctly valued and, more importantly, for us to best explain to our clients the magic of leverage. Our clients tend to be less comfortable with debt than you are. When they learn later in the process that the company will be taking on large amounts of debt, it serves no one's interests for them to feel they have been left out in the dark or that they are suddenly facing a riskier proposition than they thought—even when they are not going to retain any interest in the business.

 

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3. Do not get too specific on the net working capital when the closing date is not yet known.

Our clients' business' have seasonality. Most of them don't have the same working capital in June that they have in October. With a two, three or even four-month window for the closing date, setting the target at the time of LOI is a recipe for disaster. Most acquirers have an adequate enough understanding of our client's business at the time of presenting an LOI to allow them to set the balance sheet line items to be included in the definition. But setting an amount causes extra pains both when trying to get the LOI signed and later if the closing date moves.

4. Put the total purchase price in the first paragraph.

Sellers look for the headline number. Why not put your best foot forward? Starting off with a nice sentence or short paragraph outlining the total benefit to be received by the sellers is a great way to get the momentum rolling for the offer. It is surprising how many acquirers do not put their best foot forward in this way.

5. Avoid being too specific on indemnification and other legal terms.

Sellers like our clients do not want to engage legal counsel at the time your LOI arrives. When an LOI comes in with the baskets, caps, timing limitations of indemnification and the list of the fundamental reps, our clients either (a) feel inclined to engage legal counsel—which slows everything—or (b) later hear from their counsel that they should not have agreed to such terms in the LOI, prior to engaging counsel. These extra details create a lose-lose proposition.

6. Send the offer to the broker first, not the client.

The error rate on sellers reading LOIs in the dark is astronomically high. Let us give your offer a read and come back to you with anything we think our client will misunderstand. As this is such an emotional and important process for sellers like ours, it can be difficult to get them unstuck from a misreading of your offer. It's best to do whatever is possible to get them started in the right frame of mind and we can (and are motivated to) help you ensure that happens. After we have had a chance to give it a once-over with our professional eye and provide some feedback, feel free to send it directly to the seller if that is important to you.

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Finance and Banking Industry Outlook

The financial industry is an ever-evolving industry dealing with constant regulatory adjustments, scrutiny, competition, etc. The financial industry is also one of the first industries to look toward for a current health report on an economy as well. Numerous factors impact the financial sector, such as changing customer behaviors, macroeconomic cycles, data protection legislation, political climate, etc. 

M&A activity in the banking and finance industry has been on the rise in the last few years. This trend looks to continue as we head towards the end of 2019, and begin to take a peek around the corner in 2020.

Key Industry Trends

Look for M&A activity in the finance industry to continue to place a major focus on improving technology, product offerings, and overall customer satisfaction. 

  • At the base of much of the M&A activity, we currently see a technology arms race in the finance industry. Banks and financial institutions have identified a strong need to enhance their technological features, and this has become a focal point for M&A activity in this industry.

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

  • One interesting factor to watch for as we move forward is the continued entrance of non-traditional players into the finance industry, commonly referred to as fintech. The fintech group is an emerging group that heavily utilizes technology to deliver financial services, unlike their more-traditional counterparts. Fintech disruptors are the technologically innovated companies that are competing head to head with the traditional financial methods we have grown accustomed to for years. As this relates to M&A activity in the finance industry, one might assume a combination of financial services and technology would make for an attractive acquisition or merger opportunity.
     
  • Customer service remains a high priority for all banks and financial institutions. However, customer service can theoretically split into two parts: The first part involves people and relationships, which smaller banks tend to tout as an advantage over larger banks. The second part is more strategic, involving product offerings that will better keep customers satisfied. Larger banks tend to win out with more product offerings over their smaller counterparts based on economies of scale, and access to significantly more resources. M&A opportunities allowing a bank to enhance its product offerings is an attractive feature as well as acquiring talent and relationships through acquisition.  For smaller banks and financial institutions that find it harder to keep up, being acquired by a larger bank may be an attractive strategy to explore as we look toward the future. 

Debt Financing and Interest Rates

Lastly, M&A transactions typically involve some form of debt financing, which a lot of times will make up the majority of the cash at close. Interest, which is the cost to borrow money, can severely impact an M&A transaction from a funding perspective, and certainly an economy for that matter.  Though they are trending higher, interest rates remain reasonable for the time being, and not far above historical standards.

It appears a significant portion of private equity firms are financing a large percentage of their M&A transactions with nonbank debt. In comparison, other groups are using cash reserves, which end up lowering the dependency on debt financing.  A movement in valuations, rates, and funding could cause a shift either way in M&A activity, though for now, the environment appears stable.  Should interest rates continue to rise, eventually causing equity market volatility, one would assume this would force buyers to focus on consolidating their strategic positions more than pursuing opportunistic acquisitions.

 

Author
Neal Wilkerson
Senior Analyst
Benchmark International

T: +1 615 924 8607
E: DWilkerson@benchmarkcorporate.com

 

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Happy World Entrepreneurs' Day!

"There's lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there's only one good legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is; it's to change the world." - Phil Libin

Happy World Entrepreneurs' Day to all the innovators and business owners out there who are changing the world and making a difference! At Benchmark International, we're here to help you explore your business strategies and deliver desired results, so your company can continue to help others everyday. Check out our latest workshops and see if you'd like your business to be featured in the upcoming events we will be attending.

 

Valution Workshop

Join us in Columbus, Ohio, for a one-to-one Valuation Workshop tailored to help you understand the current value of your company. Sign up here.

 

AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum

On November 12th, 2019, Benchmark International will be attending the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum in Hong Kong. If you are interested in being featured at this event,
click here.

 

We Are Ready When You Are.

It's never too late to explore your company's growth strategy and exit plan. The experts at Benchmark International are here to help with unique growth strategies for your company and begin your exit planning process.

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10 Facebook Pages About M&A To Follow

Benchmark International

@BenchmarkCorporate

Benchmark International is a leading worldwide M&A advisory firm that specializes in the lower to middle markets. On the company's Facebook page, you will find regularly updated news and information regarding the organization and its involvement in the world, as well as relevant topics and insightful articles regarding different industries, topics in M&A, and additional useful information for entrepreneurs, business owners, business buyers, and anyone eager to learn more about M&A.

 

M&A Leadership Council

@MALeadershipcouncil

The M&A Leadership Council is a global alliance of companies and experts in everything related to mergers & acquisitions, including best practices, training and certification, resources, and information about M&A companies. Their Facebook page offers a nice compilation of content that is relevant to people working in M&A, as well as CEOs and business owners, and it keeps followers updated on interesting events.  

 

The Middle Market

@themiddlemarket

This M&A-focused page offers breaking news, in-depth commentary, and helpful analysis about deal making in the burgeoning middle market. It is frequently updated with information regarding current deals that are being made or have been made, and articles that focus on other happenings in certain industries, as well as M&A events.

 

Entrepreneur

@EntMagazine

This popular publication caters specifically to entrepreneurs and topics relevant to them, offering tips, tools, and insider news to help businesses grow. Here you will find occasional articles regarding M&A news and insights mixed in with a wealth of other quality information that is relevant to business leaders.

 

Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions & Alliances

@imaa.institute

IMAA is a global, non-profit M&A think tank and educational provider. They offer M&A trainings and workshops for executives worldwide, and offer the only globally oriented M&A Certificate Program. Their Facebook page is frequently updated with information and coverage regarding their events, as well as news and opinions on M&A from around the world.

 

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Harvard Business Review

@HBR

Founded in 1922, Harvard Business Review promotes smart management thinking for business professionals worldwide through reliable insights and best practices, with the ultimate goal of making leadership more effective. Their Facebook content spans a myriad of business-related topics and news, including happenings in the world of M&A.

 

Morningstar, Inc. 

@MorningstarInc

With a mission to power investor success, Morningstar is a top provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. It provides data and research insights on a range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, and real-time global market data, and their Facebook page reflects these related topics.

 

Investopedia

@Investopedia

For 20 years, Investopedia has provided educational information on complex financial concepts, investing, and money management. While not exclusive to M&A, on their Facebook page you will find a variety of topics covered that are relevant to businesses of all types, stocks and the economy, including articles that delve into mergers, acquisitions, trends, and historical transactions.

 

CNBC International

@cnbcinternational

The self-proclaimed "home of all things money" network is a leading business and financial news organization that reports stories from around the world. Here you can access real-time market coverage and news related to careers, entrepreneurship, leadership, personal finance, and mergers and acquisitions.

 

Seeking Alpha

@Seekingalpha

Seeking Alpha is a substantial worldwide investing online community, and their Facebook page is a great extension of their online presence. The platform connects millions of investors and money managers every day regarding news and investment ideas. They handpick articles and podcasts from the world's top market blogs, money managers, financial experts, and investment newsletters, publishing approximately 250 articles daily. 

 

Contact us

Contact one of our analysts if you are ready to start a conversation about M&A for your business.

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Benchmark International Has Successfully Facilitated the transaction between OQEMA and Rocara

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of the group of Rocara companies, Rocara Limited and Rocara Ireland, to global chemical manufacturing and distribution company, OQEMA, for an undisclosed sum.   

Rocara, with operations in Belfast and Dublin, provides a wide range of general and speciality chemicals, solvents and surfactants. Since its foundation in 2006 the group of companies has been a driving force in the chemical distribution and manufacturing market in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, representing global manufacturers.

With headquarters in Mönchengladbach, Germany, and a base in Oxfordshire, OQEMA is a global chemical manufacturing and distribution company. It is one of the five largest chemical distributors in Germany and one of the top ten in Europe with almost 1,100 employees currently working for OQEMA at 40 locations in 20 countries.

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

This is a major strategic acquisition for the companies, providing an opportunity for customers across both businesses to benefit from existing supplier relationships and giving OQEMA a significant footprint in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, completing its portfolio of UK companies to drive growth in Europe.

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What Does Benchmark International Tell Clients in Terms of Timing Expectations?

Our seller clients know that we see quite a few offers come through every week, month, and year and they expect us to provide our input on the timeframes that are “market.” As this is a buyer-seller neutral point and a strong set of mutual expectations is productive to achieving a closing, we want to give you an idea as to what is happening on our side of the table.

Nobody is getting deals closed in less than 90 days.

Even well-funded, experienced buyers seem to require 90 to 120 days get from letter of intent (LOI) execution to close in the middle and lower-middle markets. 

A request for more than 120 days is exorbitant.

A third of a year is a long time to be off the market for an owner who is committed to selling their business.When the time comes, there may well be good reason to extend exclusivity but we know that our clients more often than not regret any grant of 120 days or thereabouts. We can work with them to set up specific grounds for extending exclusivity beyond 90 days where a situation warrants it, but blanket grants of 120 days, or even 90 days with a 30-day automatic extension, are something we highly discourage our clients from accepting.

Diligence should start quickly.

We encourage acquirers to use the offer letter to inform the seller about diligence timings, especially when the initial diligence list will be sent and, if possible, when the initial diligence visit will start. All too often, we see LOIs signed followed by a long pause in activity and that drastically alters our clients’ attitudes toward the buyer and the offer. We encourage or clients to have this expectation set at the time of signing and expect that there will not be a pause but rather an aggressive start, even if that start only covers a portion of the scope of the overall diligence effort. When this happens, we see diligence lists arriving within a week of signing and the first onsite (or the next face-to-face meeting) within three weeks of signing.  

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

First drafts do not wait until the diligence is complete.

We understand that acquirers may not want to incur the cost of engaging counsel based solely on the information in the Confidential Information Memorandum and a meeting or two. But we also understand that waiting two months to engage counsel and get first drafts out does not lead to a high close rate. We all know that drafts can be sent “pending finalization of due diligence.” Our successful deal closings have the first drafts coming out within a month of LOI signing. Our clients know that if they have not seen a draft by then, the deal is not likely to close.  

The seller can really mess up the timeline.

Failure to provide prompt and complete responses to diligence requests, abnormal reservation of disclosure of “sensitive” issues until later in the process, going on vacation, or simply the lack of organized files are all things we have discussed with our clients prior to going to market (and again when the LOIs start to arrive). They know that they can be the problem when it comes to timing. 

But if the seller does not mess up the timing…

Our clients know that time kills all deals. And they know that if they have been prompt and thorough, and the LOI signing date is approaching triple-digit days in the rearview mirror, things are not going well. Our statistics show that few deals die in the first 100 days after signing and few deals close more than 100 days after signing. This is something we share with our clients—both to set their expectations and to motivate them to be prompt and complete. 

Questions should be responded to within three business days.

We instruct our clients that deals require momentum to close. Precisely when they are most exhausted by the process is when they must reply in an even more expedient manner. Being realistic, we feel that the seller owes the buyer responses to every question within three business days, even if the response is, “We are working on it. It’s been a bit difficult to get our hands on that data.” Similarly, we believe the acquirer should respond to the seller’s questions, and send their follow up questions, within three business days. Allowing sellers to feel that anything that has not yielded a follow up within those three days has a “soft close” around it and goes an immeasurable distance in keeping sellers motivated, focused, and responsive.  

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The Changing Landscape of Indemnification in U.S. Purchase Agreements

It has been very interesting to follow the changes in market norms for indemnification over the last two decades. As due diligence has escalated dramatically, especially in the U.S. lower-mid markets, over that time, indemnification terms have moved in equal measure in the opposite direction. It seems that acquirers believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While this has significantly increased the time between signing a letter of intent and closing, it has also made the negotiation of the purchase agreements a bit simpler. First-time sellers—always attentive to post-closing liabilities—seem to be much more comfortable with the current market terms for indemnification than they did with those in practice at the turn of the millennium.

While Benchmark International does not provide legal advice to its clients (or to acquirers), we do rely on our viewing of hundreds of purchase agreements per year to offer our seller clients a perspective on what we see as the norms for their market. While this is a moving target, our insights have remained fairly constant for the last three or four years as follows:

  • We see indemnification for any item other than a fundamental representation being capped at between 10 and 20% of the non-contingent portion of the purchase price.
  • Acquirers are still alternating between both baskets and true deductibles. These are typically agreed at between one and two percent of the non-contingent portion of the purchase price with baskets being at the higher end and deductibles being at the lower end. These de minimis carve-outs are applied to fundamental representations in about half of all deals.
  • The obligations for everything but fundamental representations survive for between 12 and 24 months, with 18 months coming on strong as the mode.

 

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  • Fundamental representations are almost always capped at the entire purchase price and survive for very long periods such as seven years, until the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, or indefinitely. This survival period is one deal point for which we would say there is no market norm at the moment.
  • The representations classified as fundamental have not changed much over the years: organization, capitalization, authority, no conflict, ownership of assets, brokers, environmental, tax, and ERISA.
  • Fraud continues to be treated like the fundamental representations.
  • We still see a few acquirers attempting to leave out the provision encapsulating the indemnification as the exclusive remedy. And we still see sellers’ counsel never allowing that to be absent in the final draft. Leaving it out of a first draft has become so rare that it is almost seen as painting outside the lines, poor sportsmanship, or the like by our clients’ counsel.
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Global Waste Management Outlook

The global waste management industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6% leading to 2025, with industry experts anticipating an overall value of $530 billion. An increase in environmental awareness, an increasing population, and a rise in urbanisation are all key to growth in the industry. Furthermore, implementation of stringent government norms towards dumping is anticipated to lead to further growth over the coming years. 

Where uncollected waste and dumping are impacting on health directly, this is expected to be another key factor leading to growth in the market. However, a lack of awareness and investment in developing countries is expected to hinder growth inthe industry inthose regions. With that being said, the general consensus is that the positive factors in the industry will exceed any negatives, hence the projected CAGR of 6%. Furthermore, emerging economies in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa are contributing to growth in the industry through the implementation of solid waste management solutions, which will spread awareness in those regions and increase the number of regions developing them in the near future. 

Europe is expected to dominate the waste management market share over the coming years, owing to increases in favourable government initiatives, along with high-end technology adoption by management services. However, Asia is the region that is expected to drive the demand for waste management services, due to the presence of densely populated countries such as China and India where an increase in urban penetration is being witnessed. Moreover, as with Europe, government initiatives in the region are expected to increase the demand for waste management services.

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

Key Industry Factors

  • In 1960 the United Nations found that the global urban population was just 34% revealing plenty of potential growth, last year that figure stood at 55%. Furthermore, estimates by the World Health Organization predict the figure to increase by approximately 1.84% every year until 2020, at a rate of about 1.63% per annum from 2020 to 2025, and around 1.44% per annum from 2025 to 2030. Naturally, as the urban population increases, the amount of waste being produced will also increase – in-fact the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW), a crucial by-product of urban lifestyle, is growing at an even higher rate than that of urbanisation.

 

  • The World Bank found that in 2016, the world’s largest cities generated 2 billion tonnes of solid waste, which amounts to a footprint of 0.74 kilograms per person, per day. With rapid global urbanisation, annual waste is expected to increase by 70% from 2016’s figure to 3.4 billion tonnes in 2050.

 

  • Increasing levels of environmental awareness regarding factors such as renewable waste management systems or rising carbon dioxide emissions are expected to lead to further growth opportunities in the industry. Businesses in the industry have been pivotal in ensuring as much MSW as possible is recycled and are conducting programs for non-hazardous industrial waste management to reduce pollution and mitigate environmental hazards. Moreover, untreated waste and dumping affect health directly and indirectly by spreading infectious diseases, thereby boosting the demand for waste management services. 

There are plenty of factors that give us reason to be confident about the future of the waste management industry. With no sign of urbanisation slowing down, waste management will continue to be an integral part of the global economy. 

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Animal Health and M&A

The animal pharmaceutical market isn’t as heavily regulated as human pharmaceuticals, and as a result, is a more attractive industry. Traditionally the market was dominated by divisions of large pharma companies. However, this has changed over the last few years. The sector has seen significant changes following Pfizer’s 2013 spin-off of its animal health business, now known as Zoetis. This helped inspire the spin-off of Eli Lilley’s animal health business and then later in the year, Bayer announced it would leave the industry.

Because of these changes, we have seen substantial consolidation in the animal health space, with the number of transactions in the industry more than doubling since Pfizer’s spin-off in 2013 to 2018 – and due to the number of deals already completed this year, we expect another increase in deal volume.

Furthermore, the global animal health market was valued at $45B last year, and industry experts expect to see a compound annual growth rate of 5% leading to 2026. The market is being driven by a rise in food-borne diseases, and as result companies are making more of an effort to control these diseases. Furthermore, this prevalence has led to businesses producing more advanced vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, the market is being driven by a significant increase in pet ownership - with pet owners over the last few years spending more than ever. The number of companion animals increases with income levels and the percentage of smaller families. This is a result of pet owners, particularly millennials humanising their pets, and becoming more willing to invest heavily in their pet's health and well-being.

Key Industry Trends

·     Better Surveillance of Disease: Through portable devices and technologies, such as smartphone/tablet apps and ‘smart ear tags.’

·     Emphasis on Animal Welfare: Owners are putting more emphasis on both pets and livestock to maintain health and quality of life. 

·     Public and Private Collaboration: Recent prevention of the bluetongue and Schmallenberg diseases in animals are prime examples of collaboration between the two sectors.

·     More Treatments Available: The range of treatments has increased over recent years, with a range of treatments for even minor species, such as fish.

We Are Ready When You Are.

Call Benchmark International today and speak with one of our analyst about your company's exit or growth strategies.

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The Ultimate Checklist For Buying A Business

Acquiring an existing business can offer great advantages over starting a new business from scratch, especially if the target business is thriving and holds more opportunities for growth. When considering the purchase of a company, you should take certain steps so that you can be confident that you are minimizing your risk and making a smart move. Use this comprehensive checklist to help you ask the right questions and guide you through the process. 

 

☐ Is the Target Company Financially Healthy? 

This is a question you must ask yourself before considering anything else about the business. You will want to carefully comb through the business's financial statements for the past five years (at least) to identify if anything appears out of the ordinary and to assess how the numbers compare with standard performance in that sector. Also, request to see the tax returns for the same years. This will help you determine whether the owner has put personal expenses through the company books and give you a more complete picture of the company's actual value. You also will want to know if you will be taking on any existing debt, and exactly how much.

 

☐ Will You Be Able to Generate Cash Flow?

It is crucial that you know whether you will be able to generate cash flow immediately upon purchasing the business. If not, are you in a position to carry the business until that time comes? No matter how attractive the company may seem, you must ensure that you are not getting in over your head. Take a thorough look at sales records to assess past and future performance. You must also find out if any existing clients or customers are planning to part ways and what you can do to retain their business. 

 

☐ Does the Company Have a Good Reputation? 

Doing a quick Google search can reveal quite a bit about a business. You will want to see how the company is perceived in the world. Does it have a lot of negative reviews or bad press? Are there any customer complaints, and do you know how they were handled? Get a comprehensive look at the business's reputation because you are going to need to see if you have work to do in order to turn it around. This could include a complete rebranding and marketing effort, which costs money. 

 

☐ Have You Done Your Homework on the Staff?

When you acquire an existing business, you are also acquiring its management team and employees. You should know the skill levels and proficiencies of any staff you will be inheriting, and whether you are going to be faced with the task of replacing key staff members. Do all team members plan to stay with the company? Have they been made any promises by previous ownership that you will now be expected to fulfill? Is anyone retiring or planning to go on extended leave? Is anyone disgruntled about the sale? When you know the answers to these questions, you'll be best prepared to address any issues. 

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

☐ What is the State of the Inventory?

If inventory is applicable to the business in question, everything should be itemized and given a carefully determined value. Will any inventory lose value with time, or only have a value at certain times of the year? Will it be adequately stocked for when you take over the company? When you are investing in a company, you're going to want to have everything you need on hand to generate revenue from its operation. 

 

☐ What is the State of the Physical Property?

First things first: you need to know if the business owns the property on which it resides or if there is a lease agreement in place. Then seek out answers to the following questions. What are the details of the lease and the reputation of the landlord? How much is the rent, and is it due to increase? Is the property in good condition, or is it in need of repair? If the business owns the property, what are the real estate taxes? Is the property able to accommodate any planned growth? Is it legally zoned? Is the location appropriate? Are you going to need to make changes, or find a new location altogether? This is an area where you cannot be too thorough. 

 

☐ Do You Have All the Legal Documents and Contracts?

This is another critical step in purchasing a business. You are going to need to have every last piece of paperwork that pertains to that business. This includes business licenses, copyright agreementspatentstrademarks, import and export permits, mining rights, real estate documents, etc. Basically, if something relates to the business in any way, you should have documentation of it. If the current owner has not kept good records, there is your first sign that you might want to think twice about moving forward with the acquisition. 

 

☐ What is the Condition of the Business's Equipment?

You should assess the condition of all office equipment, furniture, machinery, and vehicles used for the business. What is owned and what is leased? What are the items' lease or purchase details, and are there maintenance agreements in place? You should assess the condition of all equipment to determine if anything will need to be replaced because this will be a factor in the purchase price of the business.

 

☐ Are You Familiar With the Business's Suppliers?

This is important because suppliers can have a significant impact on how reliable your business is able to run. You want to ensure that they are established and committed to providing superior quality and service. Find out if they fill orders on time and meet their obligations. Look into any contracts that are in place, so you understand the relationship. You also will want to ask if there are any expected price increases or factors that may impact the existing arrangement.

 

☐ Contact Benchmark International 

If you are looking to buy a business, we represent highly motivated sellers in the lower-middle and middle market that may be the perfect fit for you. Contact one of our experts to discuss how we can help with target company searches. 

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Do you want to be Featured at the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum in Hong Kong?

On the 12th November 2019 Benchmark International will be attending the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong.

The AVCJ Forum is widely recognised as the private equity industry’s ‘must attend’ event in Asia, and one of the industry’s leading events globally. It is both the world’s largest Asia-focused private equity conference, and the largest gathering of institutional investors/private equity LPs in Asia. It involves insightful presentations, thought-provoking discussions and networking opportunities with over 1,150 senior professionals.

Benchmark International is the only corporate financier to exhibit at the event, helping to promote its exclusive opportunities on a worldwide level.

Do you want to be featured and showcased in front of leading dealmakers? Naturally, we present only a select number of companies for each event, so we would encourage you to contact us now to ensure your business is included.

Schedule A Call

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Global Media Industry and M&A

Global media and entertainment conglomerates and their subsidiaries distribute mass media to the public such as television, gaming, radio, amusement parks, Internet, and publications. It’s in the nature of these types of companies—of all sizes—to continually pursue avenues for growth.

Over the years, we have seen just how much reinvention occurs in the global media industry. Consider how drastically the landscape has changed. In 1983, the media industry was dominated by 50 major companies. By 1987, that number was down to 29. In the early 1990s, the figure reduced to 23. By the end of the 1990s, there were only ten major conglomerates. In the 21stcentury, mega-deals starting taking place, causing the largest media groups to decrease in number but grow in size.

Key transaction areas for pursuing mergers and acquisitions in this global industry include:

  • Horizontal-scale deals: Companies consolidate within their own sector to increasing earnings and improve operations.
  • Cross-sector deals: Companies look outside their core sector to add products and services and integrate vertically across the supply chain.
  • Cross-border deals: Companies target growth into different global markets that offer favorable long-term fundamentals.
  • Portfolio optimizers: Companies use divestitures to streamline diversified asset bases and allocate capital to the most favorable opportunities.

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

Competition to Innovate

It is common in this sector for the attractive opportunities to draw a great deal of competition for acquisition. The landscape is rapidly and constantly evolving as new technologies emerge and key players are always seeking ways to be the one to introduce the next big thing. Streaming service and cord cutting have been the most recent significant drivers of change. Big tech firms such as Apple, Amazon and Netflix continue to ramp up the pressure on the conventional stand-alone media model, bringing content consumption to the forefront and making the need for differentiation and integration more critical to strategies for media companies.

Unique Due Diligence

In an industry where content is king, there are very specific due diligence challenges for M&A that require meticulous attention if the goals of the transaction are to be fully achieved.

  • Copyright and Intellectual Property: Entertainment assets are subject to intellectual property protections that vary on regional, national and global levels, such as copyright, trademark and naming rights. Due diligence needs to dive deep into these rights, their usage and how they impact all parties involved, which can be extraordinarily complicated. The results of such a careful examination can directly affect valuation, so it must be conducted as thoroughly as possible.
  • Large Volumes of Content:M&A transactions in the media and entertainment industry involve massive amounts of content that can be owned by a target company. There can be millions of individual items of content that could have been created decades ago and are now owned as a result of prior acquisitions. There should be prioritization of the most valuable content, especially if there are competing acquirers and a deal must be made quickly.
  • Contractual Agreements:The production and distribution of entertainment content involves many different agreements and contractual arrangements. Careful due diligence will uncover key information regarding financial obligations, royalties, residuals and other contingent payments. How are royalty amounts determined and recouped? How do they compare with revenue and expenses in other financial documents? Does the transaction include agreements that expect the acquisition of more content in the future? Are there any unusual provisions or clauses regarding talent? These kinds of issues require solid understanding of how this industry operates.

 

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Integration Challenges

Integration has been proven to pose a unique challenge for M&A in the media industry. One cannot simply plug and play a typical M&A process that works for other sectors. To win out, leadership needs to carefully evaluate the possibilities for value creation through integration, as well as any risks. This requires fastidious due diligence and effective communication. There must be a set of clearly defined goals. Cost and revenue synergies need to be properly valued. And retention of management is often critical to a successful integration strategy. When there is awareness of the potential integration pitfalls in media M&A deals, a plan can be formulated to help guard against them.

Contact Us

Are you planning on selling your company? Give us a call at Benchmark International to start the process. Our M&A experts can provide you with a comprehensive market analysis for your specific industry and arm you with exclusive information that will help you get your maximum value for your business.

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Global Printing Industry Outlook

The global print market is shrinking in volume but growing in value. Output measured in billions of A4 prints was 49,973 back in 2014 but is forecast to decline very slightly to 49,654 by 2024. In value terms, print output is expected to grow from a total of $767.4 billion in 2014 to $862.7 billion in 2024 – a CAGR of 1.18%.

The role and dynamics of the print industry are changing, with the main factor being the impact of the internet and mobile connectivity on the way both businesses and individuals communicate and access information. This affects every segment of the traditional printing business, changing expectations of what is acceptable to speed, relevance, and degree of interactivity of data, irrespective of the medium used.

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Benchmark International's Three Key Philosophies for Getting Deals Done

As we work exclusively in the mid and lower-mid markets, we see many deals succeed, and some wither. In an effort to have more of the former and less of the latter, we would like to share our core philosophies with the belief that helping you understand them will make working with us a more rewarding experience.


1. Time kills all deals.

Prudent and deliberate action are certainly also key aspects of getting deals closed but, in our experience, neither buyers nor sellers are inclined to be under-prudent or lacking deliberateness. Rather, unexplained and avoidable delays tend to stack up between the first meeting and the closing. Each delay shaves off a small percentage from the probability of closing. There are enough legitimate delays in the M&A process. When we see one that can be avoided, we will step in and attempt to get the ball rolling once again.

 

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2. Transparency is the best antiseptic.

We’ve seen too many deals die because one side or the other has hidden something until it is too late. Long before you meet our clients, we will have already guided them on the value of releasing the troubling issues they might have at the earliest opportunity. Hopefully, you will already have seen some of this in our Confidential Information Memorandums. We lean forward into these issues because we believe that the sooner they are addressed, the more solutions there are, and the less likely anyone is to feel hoodwinked. We hope you’ll feel the same way with your own challenges (for example, lining up debt financing) as well as any you may see with our clients.


3. The emotional must be covered as well as the financial.

This may be somewhat unique to our clients as our process appeals to a certain owner type. As you probably know, we specialize in closely-held and owner-operated businesses. Nowhere is it more true that “every business is a family business.” Our clients have typically had 20- to 30-year relationships with their businesses and often equate the sale process to sending their son or daughter off to college. When we work with acquirers that understand the effects of this fact pattern, we see a much higher level of success. In fact, we have built our teams, our process, and our engagements around it. We will be more than happy to help you deal with this interesting aspect of our clients. Please just ask.

 

Author
Clinton Johnston
Managing Partner
Benchmark International

T: +1 813 898 2350
E: Johnston@benchmarkcorporate.com

 

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Benchmark International Facilitated the Transaction of RoseMill Packaging Resources, LLC to Conner Industries, Inc.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the transaction of RoseMill Packaging Resources, LLC to Conner Industries, Inc.

RoseMill Packaging Resources, LLC (“RoseMill”) is a custom packaging company located in Lewisburg, TN.  Established in 2006, RoseMill specializes in the manufacturing and assembly of packaging materials for finished goods. They offer corrugate pallets, corrugate assembly, foam assembly, and additional packaging and warehousing resources.

Now former owners Mike Rose, VP of Sales, and Spencer Miller, VP of Operations, will continue in their roles as they help transition and integrate RoseMill into the Conner family.

In reference to the transaction, Mike Rose commented, “From the onset of discussions with Benchmark, we expressed our desire to find a good fit for the acquisition of RoseMill. We wanted to ensure job security for our employees as well as a continued high level of service, quality, and innovation for our customers. The Benchmark Nashville office was able to find the perfect company, Conner Industries, that had the same desires as us for the long-term success of the RoseMill facility.  We are happy to be a part of the Conner Industries family and thank Benchmark Nashville for their efforts in helping us close this transaction.” 

 

Ready to explore your exit and growth options?

 

Conner Industries, Inc (“Conner”), is headquartered in Ft. Worth, TX, and is a leading provider of industrial wood and packaging solutions in the United States. Conner specializes in supplying cut lumber (softwoods, hardwoods, and panel products) needed for pallets, crates, and skid parts, as well as fully assembled custom pallets, crates, and industrial containers. 

Conner has 10+ locations across the Midwestern and Southeastern US and serves customers nationwide.

CEO of Conner Industries, David Dixon stated, “As a buyer, I enjoyed working with Robert at Benchmark who helped keep the deal on track despite some of the matters that we were faced with. He worked diligently to help explain the matters to both sides and worked with both the buyer and the seller on viable solutions.”

Director from Benchmark International, Robert West, added, “Working with Mike and Spencer was very rewarding around.  Our entire team was very heavily invested in a successful outcome for RoseMill from the time we were engaged.  What we found in Conner is not only a great deal economically for our client, but a great cultural fit to ensure the legacy of RoseMill continues on.  We’re excited for Mike, Spencer, and Conner Industries, and look forward to hearing of their future successes.”

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