Entries by Allston Advisory Group, LLC

HIKES POINT PAINT & WALLPAPER HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY DAGES PAINT

ABOUT THE DEAL: Hikes Point Paint & Wallpaper (also referred to as the “Company” and “Sellers”) has been acquired by Dages Paint (the “Buyers”). Established in 1976 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Hikes Point Paint & Wallpaper has become the preeminent, independent retailer of high-quality paint and decorating supplies in the region. With three locations, […]

A. ARNOLD WORLD CLASS RELOCATION HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY THE MANAGEMENT TEAM

ABOUT THE DEAL: A. Arnold World Class Relocation (“A. Arnold” or the “Company”) has been acquired by the Management Team (“Buyers”) of the Company. Established in 1905 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, A. Arnold is one of the largest, independent moving companies in the country; transporting families and entire corporations around the world. Through the […]

BAD CONSIDERATION IN A DEAL MAY BE WORSE THAN NO DEAL

Few buyers make all cash offers in middle market M&A transactions; preferring to offer any number of alternative forms of consideration. In order to meaningfully compare multiple offers to one another, all consideration must be weighted to its equivalent value in cash. Consideration may include: Cash – “cash is always king” Promissory Notes – interest […]

NORMALIZATION OF INCOME

“Normalizing Adjustments” are essential to value a Company and to make meaningful comparisons between a Company’s past and future performances. The normalization of the financial statements should reflect a willing buyer’s expectations for operating results and assist in determining the appropriate future cash flow stream. In order to minimize confusion and disagreements between Buyer and […]

NAVIGATING THE ACQUISITION AGREEMENT MIND

Negotiating an Acquisition Agreement involves a complex legal process intertwined with critical business decisions. This set of documents and its terms and conditions are surprisingly unique to each deal. Agreements are a tool for allocating risk; the key components include: Consideration: structure scope of purchase, price, how/when paid, deferred consideration, earn-outs, contingent payments, employment/consulting agreements and […]

CLARIFYING THE SELLER’S GOALS AND REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Sell transactions require open communication between the seller and M&A advisor to navigate challenges along the way and produce a “close”. Even good “deals” may be derailed by “surprises”. In order to survive the process and move to closing, seller’s goals must be aligned with realistic expectations. Maximizing the sale price may be the underlying […]

THE BLIND SPOT!

In M&A deals, the buyer is purchasing the future earnings of the business, along with the assets that will produce them. Although valuations are initially derived from earnings considerations, the resulting valuation includes the buyer’s right to receive the ordinary and necessary balance sheet of the business; the Company’s Enterprise Value. The Company’s Enterprise Value […]

STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS (SAR) PLAN: REWARDING & RETAINING KEY STAFF IN CONNECTION WITH BUILDING A BUSINESS FOR VALUE OR SALE

Rewarding key personnel is an important element of many Middle Market M&A transactions. A Stock Appreciation Rights (SAR) Plan is a method for Companies to give their key employees a bonus if the Company performs well financially. Participants do not own stock nor are they required to purchase anything; however, their benefit from the SAR […]