Industries we serve
Manufacturing
Machine shops, fabricators, tool and die operations, and specialty manufacturers — Wisconsin's deepest industrial base and its most closely examined deals.
Overview
Selling in Manufacturing
Manufacturing sales draw the widest buyer pool in the state: strategic acquirers in the same supply chain, family offices, and search-fund buyers who want a durable industrial asset. They also draw the most rigorous diligence, because the value sits in equipment, contracts, and people rather than in a storefront.
Preparation is what separates a smooth manufacturing sale from a stalled one. A current fixed-asset list, documented customer concentration, and a supervisor who intends to stay are worth more in negotiation than another good quarter.
Valuation
How these businesses are valued
Smaller manufacturers are valued on recast earnings; larger ones move toward an EBITDA multiple as institutional buyers enter the picture. Equipment matters, but buyers pay for the earnings the equipment produces — a well-tooled shop with thin margins does not price like a lean one with committed customers.
What raises the number
- Multi-year supply agreements with named customers
- Recent capital investment in current-generation machines
- Diversified end markets rather than one industry
- Tenured workforce and a functioning second layer of management
What holds it back
- One customer above roughly a third of revenue
- Deferred maintenance or obsolete tooling
- Owner holding the customer relationships personally
- Environmental or facility issues that surface late
Ranges and drivers described here are general guidance, not an appraisal. A valuation consultation prices your specific business on its own recast financials.
Deal considerations
What comes up in these transactions
Real estate
Many Wisconsin manufacturers own their building. It is usually valued and negotiated separately, as a purchase or a lease, so the operating business can be priced on its own merits.
Environmental review
Lenders often require a Phase I assessment on industrial property. Starting it early keeps it off the critical path to closing.
Workforce continuity
Skilled machinists are the scarcest asset in the deal. Retention planning and the timing of the announcement are part of the strategy from the start.
Inventory and WIP
Raw material, work in progress, and finished goods are valued and settled at closing with a defined method agreed in the purchase agreement.
Available now
Manufacturing businesses for sale
Start with a confidential conversation
No cost, no obligation, and nothing leaves the room. Tell us where you are and we will tell you honestly what the next step looks like.