Benchmark International has successfully facilitated a transaction between North Carolina-based Pet Specialties LLC (“Phydeaux”) and Kentucky-based Feeders Pet Supply.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated a transaction between North Carolina-based Movin’ On Movers and Massachusetts-based Piece by Piece Movers.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the transaction between Orlando-Based Bagel King Wholesale Inc. (Bagel King) and Austin Circle Partners.

In M&A transactions, many sellers often think the hard work is over as soon as they have found the right buyer and gotten the offer of their dreams. Experienced dealmakers recognize this as the start of the hard work in the process rather than the finish line. After an agreed-upon offer, there is a full due diligence process wherein the purchaser will review the entire historical performance, tracking, and operations of the business to be bought, which in and of itself can be a monumental task even before any financial audit or legal proceedings begin. This process is typically managed to utilize a universally accessible location for files, along with a master checklist of which items are where to assist in making the process more fluid.

We proudly announce that Opus Connect has named two of Benchmark International's esteemed team members to 2023's Top 25 Women in M&A. Amy Alonso, Senior Transaction Director, and Kendall Stafford, Managing Partner, have both been awarded the outstanding honor.

Higher education institutions have been facing a watershed moment. Flagship universities and brand-name colleges are still drawing enrollees. But the number of colleges that have closed in the last decade (~200) has quadrupled over the previous decade. This is why mergers and acquisitions in higher education are becoming more commonplace than ever. In fact, in the last four years, there have been 95 college mergers—a 21% increase over the 78 that took place in the 18 years prior. Most of these mergers (40%) are being executed within private and nonprofit schools, and most deals involve schools in the same state with student bodies under 5,000. It is the less prestigious schools that are struggling the most. 

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions offer key geographical diversification benefits for buyers and businesses alike. Gaining new exposure in new regions can lower business and operational risks under different economic and regulatory conditions. Buyers often look for cross-border deals when their core markets become saturated, when business slows down, or if they can find regulatory or monetary benefits in another country. Cross-border deals are important because they allow companies to expand their offerings by entering new markets or adding new products, services, intellectual property, or technologies. Cross-border M&A can bolster revenue opportunities and cost synergies while scaling efficiency as company operations expand to a broader market.

In most businesses, books are kept on one of two typical bases: cash or accrual. Some business owners choose one or the other for a specific reason. Others work under the guidance of their CFO, bookkeeper, controller, tax advisor, accountant, or other financial specialists of choice and review the resulting reports to measure operations. However, the two bases of accounting have major differences and can significantly impact the perceived performance of a business. For example, if you've been grappling with the potential sale of a business, most acquirers prefer books on an accrual basis. There are many reasons for this, but the primary reasoning is that accrual basis financial statements follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), whereas the cash basis financial statements do not. However, both bases have their merits depending on the type and function of the business.

For the sale of a company, the parties involved can choose to structure the deal as an asset sale or a stock sale. An asset sale is when a company sells all of its assets or a portion of them. In this type of deal, the seller remains the legal owner of the business but no longer owns the assets sold. Under a stock sale, the buyer purchases equity from the selling company’s shareholders. There are several different reasons for sellers and buyers to pursue one type of transaction over the other.

Positive news surrounding middle market M&A continues to swell as well as continue into 2023. A recent survey conducted by Citizens Bank revealed a great deal of optimism for middle-market M&A activity this year. Essentially, businesses have remained resilient even during challenging economic times. In addition, interest in M&A deals continues to be a top priority by both middle-market companies and private equity (PE) firms as both buyer and seller pipelines return to pre-covid levels. To summarize, all indications point to 2023 being a great year to consider selling your business. So if you have been hesitantly holding off, it is time to start the conversation. 

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of managed services provider, Key Digital, by Franking Sense.

Established in 2010, Key Digital is a specialist in digital transformation, document workflow, print technologies, and IT services. The company supplies multi-functional print devices and managed print services, as well SaaS software licences with professional IT support services.

Franking Sense® is a leading UK supplier of managed print, franking, mailroom, and document processing solutions with offices in Manchester, London, Glasgow, and Wrexham.

Both local, family-run organisations that operate throughout the UK, the acquisition is an ideal partnership for facilitating Key Digital’s growth strategy as it continues to operate from its Burnley home.

Andy Ratcliffe, managing director of Key Digital, said this about working with Benchmark International:

“Selling my business was the most important deal of my life and the one I had been working day and night for 13 years for. When I engaged Benchmark, I did not appreciate what an important role in the process they played. From day one until the completion, they were extremely professional and were always on hand and available for advice and guidance. They worked tirelessly to get me the best deal and at no time did I feel that they were only interested in their fee. I was amazed at the number of quality potential buyers they found which resulted in numerous offers, giving me the luxury of choice. Best decision I made was to choose Benchmark.”

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the acquisition of Amsterdam-based Payments and Cards Network (t/a PCN) by Stafford-based PSR Group.

PCN is a specialist recruitment group, placing permanent and temporary staff in fintech and data science roles with leading blue-chip clients, fintech scaleups and leading financial service providers.

The company has a worldwide reach, holding trading licences throughout Europe, the US and Singapore.

PSR Group provides specialist recruitment services to the construction, healthcare, technology, and social value sectors via four brands: PSR Solutions; SYK Recruitment; Novello Healthcare; and Build a Career. The group has over 200 employees, 12 global offices and generates revenue in excess of £75m.

The acquisition strengthens the unique blend of businesses already in the group by adding fintech to its portfolio.

On working with Benchmark International, Founder of PCN Jordan Lawrence, commented: “I recently had the pleasure of working with Benchmark International and their fantastic team, specifically Alex Forshaw. Their expertise and advice were invaluable in helping me to successfully sell my company, PCN. Alex went above and beyond, answering calls and messages at all hours until the job was done. His dedication and attention to detail made the whole process seamless and stress-free.

“I cannot recommend Benchmark International enough. Their level of professionalism, expertise, and commitment to their clients is unparalleled. If anyone is considering working with them, I would be more than happy to serve as a reference. Thank you, Benchmark International, and especially Alex Forshaw, for all of your hard work and support!”

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the transaction between Steck Manufacturing and Milton Industries. 

George Steck started Steck Manufacturing Company as Steck's Paint & Body Shop in 1946. Steck has continuously manufactured tools and equipment for the collision repair industry in it’s original location in Dayton, Ohio, for over fifty years. 

Milton Industries, Inc. was founded in 1943 as a family business based in Chicago, Illinois. Milton has been the product of choice for accessories for the past 70 years. Their products have various applications and support a range of different industries such as: automotive, fleet maintenance, construction, and manufacturing. Milton remains the industry forerunner in high-quality accessories and fittings. They are still confidently living up to their legacy of superior products and reliability, to this day. 

This acquisition furthers Milton Industries' aggressive growth strategy by complementing each other’s existing product lines. 

 "This is a textbook example in many ways. Both parties were extremely professional, and our client prepared to move quickly. Developing a strong business relationship with this buyer in a past proved to be very efficient to close a second deal back-to-back." – Director Etienne Deslauriers., Benchmark International 

2023 holds a positive outlook for middle-market business valuations. Results of the survey, 2023 M&A Outlook from Citizens M&A Advisory show good signs for company performance and high motivation for growth this year. The annual survey polls 400 leaders of US middle-market companies with $50 million to $1 billion in revenue and private equity firms actively buying and selling companies in the same revenue range.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of Remata (Pty) Ltd & Remata Communications and Printers Production House (Pty) Ltd (Remata) by the Formeset Group of Companies.

Benchmark International is happy to announce the completed acquisition of The J. J. Elemer Corporation by Action Bag Company.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of St Albans-based Back in Action UK by Leeds-based Sano Physiotherapy.

Back in Action UK is an occupational physiotherapy company that was established in 2001. It provides assessment, treatment, and ergonomic consultancy to private sector corporates nationwide.

Founded in 2010, Sano Physiotherapy, backed by Solingen Private Equity, provides specialised onsite occupational health physiotherapy services and ergonomic assessments to some of the UK's largest brands.

It also provides NHS and private sector services and delivers numerous public-sector physiotherapy contracts throughout the UK, including local authorities and police, fire and ambulance services.

The acquisition of Back in Action UK has doubled the size of Sano's occupational health physiotherapy services, expanding its expertise into new industries such as rail, travel and utilities.

The enlarged Sano group now employs more than 100 full-time staff across its customer locations and operates nationally.

If you are a business owner and want to keep up with all the latest business, finance, and M&A news and insights, these ten sites are a must-add to the bookmarks in your browser, or a follow on social media.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated a transaction between Atlanta-based WeCareMD, P.C. (“WeCareMD”) and Tampa-based Physician Partners, LLC.