John D. Wagner
John Wagner is a managing director at 1st West Mergers and Acquisitions, which offers a specialty practice in the LBM sector. To learn more, contact John at: j.wagner@1stWestMA.com, or visit www.1stwestma.com.
Are you trying to sell too soon?
Every day, investment bankers like us get two or three email requests from funds and strategic investors looking to acquire successful companies. Ironically, with...
Selecting an operative timeframe for valuation
Traditional performance indicators such as EBITDA, OPEX, and COGs are all used in valuing lumber and building material businesses, whether they are lumberyards, retail...
Don’t discount (too much) at the top
In a past column, we covered customer concentration, and we pointed out how crucial it is that you inform potential acquirers what percentage of...
How earnouts change valuation multiples
When a company owner decides to go to market and seek an acquirer, he or she typically searches around for an investment banker (a.k.a....
“Pricing in” a recession
As we head into the thick of 2019, you can read predictions from economists all day long about what the future holds. One will...
The amazing value of credits to EBITDA
Two years ago, this column covered the concept of adjustments to EBITDA, and how valuable they can be when boosting the overall value of...
Sell your business now, or wait?
Are you waiting to sell you company for when the economy starts to weaken? That might be a bad idea. Here’s why.First: Look how...
Don’t let something you’ve said ruin a deal
Deals go south and suitors bow out of contention for lots of reasons, typically lack of strategic fit, inadequate cash flow, or because the...
A culture of safety is key to an acquisition
I once did a site walk-through with a potential acquirer—actually an entire team from the acquirer—that wanted to look over the grounds of my...
That’s not a downward trend! Let’s normalize revenues
One of the worst red flags for an acquirer is when they see your revenues drop in the year you sell your company compared...