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Jul 7, 2020 | News, Press

Finally! We’ve Moved Into Our New Office!

Well, moving I should say. We're about 95% there. With original plans scuttled due to COVID, our original move-in month of April quickly became July. While we still have some finishing touches to make, it's starting ...

Small M&A Deal Market Dynamics: July 2020

I really appreciated the chance to contribute to a recent article, Pandemic injects some reluctance into small business M&A market, by Mark Sanchez at Mibiz.com, and wanted to summarize a few factors affecting the M&A transaction ...

State of the M&A Marketplace: Present & Future

State of the M&A Marketplace: Present & Future As we entered 2020, all indicators pointed to another active year in the business-for-sale market. Despite US-China tariffs dominating headlines, the health of the small business sector hit ...

Calder/SBDA Shatter Record, Close 15 Deals Jan-April 2020!

After closing a record 22 transactions in 2019, the Calder Capital/Small Business Deal Advisors team cranked up the volume and drove home 15 closings between January-April 2020, breaking the record for most closings in a four-month ...

Multi-State MAACO Operator Stonewall Road Automotive Group Acquired!

May 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of multi-state MAACO franchise operator, Stonewall Road Automotive Group LLC, to Collision Consolidation Company LLC. Operating in three states in the Midwest, the ...

Reasons To Be Optimistic About Selling

While understandably it can be easy to turn negative during trying times like these, we wanted to make sure you were aware of some reasons to be optimistic regarding the business-for-sale market. Are Buyers Active? Yes! ...

What Documentation is Needed to Apply for the Paycheck Protection Program?

Start gathering your information now. Do not wait for a final list. Disclaimer: as the PPP is handled at the individual SBA Lender level, the items necessary may differ from lender to lender. Additionally, we are ...

Under The CARES Act, The SBA Will Pay (In Full) 6 Months of Your 7a Loan

"In all my years in M&A, I've never seen anything like this." - Max Friar, Founding Partner, Calder Capital, LLC The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a historic piece of legislation with ...

Start Where You Are: Understanding Business Valuation As A First Step

We hope you are doing well and staying healthy. In turbulent times, it is even more imperative that business owners understand the value of their business, and what metrics drive valuation. We strongly advise owners to ...

Small M&A Throughout and Following a Recession – Lessons from Recent History

“Confusion is the welcome mat at the door of creativity.” - Michael J. Gelb We are all a bit confused. And for those of us - buyers, sellers, and intermediaries - that desire to pursue our goals ...

SBA Disaster Assistance in Response to the Coronavirus

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Upon a request received ...

Attributes of Successful Transactions from the 2009 Deal Market

We have been recently doing some research into the archives of the post-Great Recession of the 2008-2010 deal market to try and understand what the near-term future may look like once the dramatic phase of COVID-19 ...

Valuation Multiples, Business Sale Timeline and Deal Structure in 2020: A Brief Overview

Let's review some of the most important items that buyers, sellers, and advisors focus on when discussing the prospective sale or acquisition of a business. Multiples Paid for Businesses (by Transaction Value): Transaction SizeMultiple PaidSDE/EBITDA<$500,0002.0xSDE$500K - ...

Calder Capital welcomes Shane Kissack to the Team!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the addition of Shane Kissack to the Calder team. Mr. Kissack has joined Calder as a Mergers and Acquisitions Advisor to assist and support Calder's sell-side services for middle market clients in Northern ...

Laser Access, Inc. acquired by an Individual Investor!

March 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Walker, MI-based Laser Access Inc. to individual investor, Assy Okanin. Established in 1999, Laser Access is a market leader in the greater ...

Graphics Embossed Images acquired by an Individual Investor!

February 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Graphics Embossed Images, Inc. ("Graphics Embossed Images") of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to an Individual Investor. Graphics Embossed Images boasts over 45 years ...

D.C. Martin & Son Scales Acquired by Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE: MTD)!

February 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of D.C. Martin & Son Scales, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Mettler Toledo International Inc. (NYSE: MTD). Founded in 1955, D.C. Martin & ...

Calder Capital is Moving Downtown GR! New Office Expected Spring 2020!

Updated March 2020: Due to the mandated stay at home order, the glasswork and finishing touches on Calder's space have been delayed indefinitely. Here are some updated photos: Calder Capital is excited to announce that its ...

Boelcke Heating & Air Conditioning acquired by an Individual Investor!

January 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Boelcke Heating & Air Conditioning ("Boelcke") of Stevensville, Michigan, to an Individual Investor. Boelcke Heating and Air Conditioning of Stevensville, Michigan was ...

Foxbright of Grand Rapids, MI acquired by an Individual Investor!

January 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce that it has represented and advised on the sale of Foxbright to an Individual Investor. Foxbright, originally founded in 2002 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a ...

Calder/SBDA Celebrate Blowout January, Hammer Home 10 Closings in January 2020!

After closing a record 22 transactions in 2019, the Calder Capital/Small Business Deal Advisors team cranked up the volume and drove home 10 closings in January 2020, breaking the record for most closings in a single ...

2020 M&A Outlook & Multiples

While 2019 was filled with uncertainty and lots of questions surrounding what would result of the trade war, 2020 shows signs of continuing the largest U.S. economic expansion in history and lower middle market mergers & ...

Topps Safety Apparel, Inc. Acquired by Pinnacle Textile Industries

January 2020 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce that it has represented Topps Safety Apparel (“Topps”) in its successful sale to Pinnacle Textile Industries, LLC (“Pinnacle Textile”). Topps Safety Apparel, based in Rochester, IN, ...

Wyoming, MI-based Precise CNC Routing, Inc. Acquired by Individual Investors!

December 2019 – Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Wyoming, MI-based Precise CNC Routing, Inc. by local investors David and Carey Lefere. Established in 1995 by Rick Lemson, Precise CNC Routing is ...

Calder/SBDA Continue to Smash Own Record with 21st Closing of 2019!

Recent Mergers & Acquisitions 2019 December 2019 - The Calder Capital/SBDA Team is very pleased to announce the expansion of its closing record with the successful sourcing of an equity investment for Augusta, MI-based Turf Works ...

Individual Investor Provides Growth Equity for Turf Works!

December 2019 – Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful sourcing of an equity investor for Augusta, Michigan-based Turf Works. Turf Works approached Calder Capital in 2019 seeking to grow and build upon the Company’s ...

What is a Charitable Remainder Trust? A Valuable Financial Tool

A Guest Post by Voisard Asset Management Group Charitable bequests are a great way to satisfy both personal and financial planning goals. If charitable giving is a priority within your financial plan, we have good news! ...

Buying A Business 101: 6 Common Scenarios That Make Buying a Business Even More Challenging Than it Already Is 😑

Buying a company is often one of the most challenging things that a person embarks on in their life. It requires a tremendous amount of thought, risk, and resources. Below, I have summarized six situations that ...

Performance Plus Acquires Colonial Car Wash and Oil Exchange, Inc.

November 2019 – Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Farmington, Michigan-based Colonial Oil Exchange by Holland, MI-based Performance Plus Quick Lubes. Performance Plus is a Holland, MI-based chain of over 30 retail ...

Recent Mergers and Acquisitions Trends Q3 2019

It's More Than Just the Multiples! Recently, the IBBA and M&A Source published their Q3 2019 Market Pulse Report, which gives an excellent synopsized take on the state of the recent market. The Q3 2019 survey ...

Calder Capital/SBDA Continues Closing Clout With Deal #20 of 2019!

Recent Mergers & Acquisitions 2019 November 2019 - The Calder Capital/Small Business Deal Advisors Team is proud to announce the extension of their closing record with the successful acquisition of Colonial Oil Exchange, Inc. of Farmington, ...

How Much Is Enough?

A Guest Post by Voisard Asset Management Group Every business owner has an expectation of what they think their business may be worth, but in reality, the market may say something different. Similar to the expert ...

Calder Capital/Small Business Deal Advisors Team Surpasses Own Record with 19 Closings in 2019

October 2019 - The Calder Capital/Small Business Deal Advisors Team is extremely pleased to announce that they have broken their own closing record of 18 transactions in 2018 with the successful closing of transaction #19, Marco’s ...

Muskegon, MI-Based Iroquois Hoods Acquired by Individual Investors!

October 2019 – Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Muskegon, MI-based Iroquois Hoods by individual West Michigan entrepreneurs Rick Claypool and Nate Thornton. Founded 60+ years ago, Iroquois Hoods is manufacturer of ...

M&A Market Trends & Statistics Q2 2019

The International Business Brokers Association Q2 2019 Market Pulse recently came out. The Market Pulse Report is one of the most insightful reports on the state of the market and includes the aggregate results of surveys ...

Zeeland, MI-Based Pi Optima Manufacturing, Inc., Acquired by an Individual Investor!

August 2019 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Pi Optima Manufacturing, Inc. of Zeeland, Michigan to an individual investor. Pi Optima is a niche machine shop specializing in custom fixture solutions ...

Market Update – A Breakdown of Bizbuysell.com’s Q2 Transaction Activity Report

Bizbuysell.com's National Business-for-Sale Trends and Q2 2019 Transaction Activity Report was recently published and I wanted to share with you a quick synopsis of the data. Bizbuysell.com's Transaction Activity Report is one of the most insightful ...

Walker, MI-Based Conveyability, Inc., Acquired by Individual Investor Heath Verstraete!

August 2019 – Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Conveyability, Inc. of Walker, Michigan to an individual investor. Conveyability is a premier integrator of engineering conveyor and material handling systems. The company’s ...

Elements of an Indication of Interest

Often in a competitive or potentially competitive bidding environment, buyers are requested to submit indications of interest (IOI) prior to having the ability to engage in a discussion with a business owner or visit the company's ...

Acquisition Strategy: Current Timing for Business Deals

We’ve previously discussed how acquiring a business can be one method of increasing the success and profitability of your company. This is especially true when the acquisition extends your company’s reach and service area and its ...

Brief Update on State of the Lower Middle Market – Q1 2019

By Max Friar, Managing Partner The IBBA's Q1 2019 Market Pulse recently came out and I wanted to share with you a quick synopsis of the findings. In my opinion, the Market Pulse is one of the most ...

Byron Center, MI-Based Fabtec Enterprises, Inc., acquired by an Individual Investor!

May 2019 - Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Fabtec Enterprises, Inc. of Byron Center, Michigan to an individual investor. Fabtec is a structural steel fabricator whose clients consist of many of ...

Grand Rapids, MI-Based Pipeline Products Distribution Company, Power Supply, Inc. acquired!

May 2019 – Calder Capital is pleased to announce that Grand Rapids, MI-based Power Supply, Inc. has been acquired by an Individual Investor. Power Supply Inc. is a manufacturers’ representative and distributor of OEM and non-OEM ...

In Q1 2019 the Business Market Trend Was Harder to Predict

According to a just released report by BizBuySell, the volume of Q1 2019 sales of small and mid-sized businesses was down year over year from 2018. Despite lower sales numbers and longer transaction times, businesses are ...

Niles MI-Based Sheet Metal Manufacturer C.N.C. Products, Inc. acquired by Parker Holding

April 2019 – Calder Capital is pleased to announce that Southwest, MI-based C.N.C. Products LLC has been acquired by Parker Holding, Inc. C.N.C. Products was established in 1987 by Mr. Fritz Knauf, along with his brother-in-law. ...

Southwest Michigan-based GP Manufacturing acquired by Central Industrial Manufacturing!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce that Buchanan, MI-based GP Manufacturing has been acquired by Central Industrial Manufacturing, a precision CNC manufacturing company based in Harbor Springs, Michigan. This Company has grown and demonstrated incredibly stable ...

Precision Engineering & Manufacturing of West Michigan acquired by Individual Investors!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce that West Michigan, MI-based Precision Engineering & Manufacturing has been acquired by Individual Investors. Since they purchased the company in 2006, owners Art and Marcy Gajewski have worked diligently to ...

Q4 2018 Report: Still a Seller’s Market but the Clock Is Ticking

In a December 2018 blog post we reported that, according to a 2018 Q3 IBBA Market Pulse Report, it was still firmly a seller’s market. In the most recent IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse Survey ...

What is Exit Planning? A Q&A with Vincent Mastrovito

Mergers & acquisitions advisors love to work with clients who have already done their homework about valuation. When owners have taken the time to look at their businesses objectively and made changes that resulted in less ...

Physical Capital vs. Intellectual Capital

One of the challenges Mergers & Acquisitions advisors face is educating business owners about valuation. In an ideal world, owners would begin assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their companies years before they consider putting them ...

Grand Rapids-based CGI Design Agency Think Chromatic, LLC, acquired by an Individual Investor!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce that Grand Rapids, MI-based Think Chromatic, LLC, has been acquired by Individual Investor, Matt Emery. After nearly 15 years working in the 3D industry, Jay Hoelscher decided that he was ...

Grand Rapids Internet Marketing Firm Corporate Conversions, LLC Acquires SLB Networks, LLC

Calder Capital is pleased to announce that Grand Rapids, MI-based Corporate Conversions, LLC has acquired SLB Networks, a digital marketing company based in Belmont, Michigan. Ryan Duba, founder of SLB Networks, will be partnering with Corporate ...

2018 Q3 Survey Gives a Good Continued Outlook for Sellers

The most recent survey done by IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse reveals that the market for businesses was still very active and deals were still getting continuously done as fiscal year 2018 closed out. This ...

Grand Rapids Manufacturer Performance Die Cutting Acquired by Investor!

December 2018 – Calder Capital, LLC, a mergers & acquisitions firm focused on lower middle market industrial and service transactions, is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Grand Rapids, MI-based Performance Die Cutting & Finishing, ...

How ROBS Arrangements Can Enable a Business Purchase

Previously we’ve discussed how SBA loans are a great way to finance the purchase of a business. Another largely unknown method is to utilize ROBS arrangements. ROBS stands for Rollovers as Business Startups. This method has ...

Calder Founder Max Friar Wins 2018 ACG Dealmaker of the Year Finalist Award!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce that Founder and Managing Partner, Max Friar, has won the 2018 ACG/MiBiz Dealmaker of the Year Finalist Award! Max Friar wins Dealmaker of the Year Finalist after founding Calder Capital ...

Patrick Robey Sources & Closes ACG’s Deal of the Year <$25MM!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce that associate and Director of Corporate Development, Patrick Robey, sourced and closed ACG's Deal of the Year <$25MM. Patrick Robey, Director of Corporate Development Excerpted from Mibiz.com: Midwest Timer finalized ...

ADL Home Care acquired by Home Sweet Home In-Home Care!

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of southwest Michigan based ADL Home Care to Home Sweet Home In-Home Care. ADL Home Care is a locally owned private duty home-care provider serving clients in ...

Factoring in Human Resources Concerns to Salability

As we have discussed before employees’ welfare is of great importance to employers, and concern for what will happen to their workers following the sale of a business remains at the top of sellers’ priorities. Seventy ...

Santa Therese Plantation, LLC acquired by an Azulera Farms, LLC

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful sale of the Santa Therese Plantation, LLC to Azulera Farms, LLC. The acquired farm consists of 27+ acres of blueberries and a property parcel featuring roughly 60 acres located ...

State of the Small Deal Market – Q2 2018!

According to the IBBA Q2 Market Pulse the market is “too hot to touch” with roughly 21% of advisors saying 2018 is the best year they’ve ever seen for business owners to sell their business. Consistent ...

Berrien Springs, MI-based Creative Landscaping Acquired by an Individual Investor!

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Berrien Springs, MI-based Creative Landscaping, Inc. to an individual investor. shoveling red lava rock into a residential garden around a small tree Founded in 1974, Creative ...

ADKOS, LLC acquired by an Individual Investor

Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of Indianapolis, IN-based ADKOS to an individual investor. ADKOS is a non-asset based storage company with a national footprint proudly serving active military service members ...

Battle Creek, MI-based Justice Fence Co. acquired by Hoosier Investments LLC!

Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of Battle Creek, MI-based Justice Fence, Co. to a private equity investor. Justice Fence is one of Michigan’s leading providers of secure fencing and gate ...

Holland, MI-based September’s Bride acquired by Spring Sweet

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Holland, MI-based September's Bride to Spring Sweet Floral, Style and Bridal. Established in the mid-1990s as Classic Bridal & Formal, September’s Bride is a profitable bridal ...

Webb Chemical acquires Muskegon, MI-based Trace Analytical Laboratories

Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of Muskegon, MI-based Trace Analytical Laboratories, Inc. to Webb Chemical Service Corp. Trace Analytical Laboratories is an environmental laboratory specializing in water, waste water, soil ...

Middlebury, IN-based Crystal Valley Catering acquired by 3A Moss Co.

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Crystal Valley Catering of Middlebury, Indiana by 3A Moss Co. Crystal Valley Catering is a mobile catering services business located in Middlebury, Indiana. More specifically, they ...

Are Millennials Buying Boomer Businesses?

Baby Boomers own a majority of the estimated 15 million privately owned businesses in the U.S. Approximately 60 percent of these businesses are owned by people born before 1964. The oldest Boomers are already beyond retirement ...

Squeegee Squad of Grand Rapids Acquired by Local Investor

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful sale of Grand Rapids-based Squeegee Squad to an Individual Investor, Troy Butler, of West Michigan. Squeegee Squad is a profitable and growing window cleaning franchise operating in Grand ...

Why You Should Buy an Existing Business – Rather than Start One

Owning a business is part of the American dream. It’s very, very common for people with entrepreneurial energy to want to own their own business. Half of Americans will list this as a personal goal. Many ...

Calder Capital Advised Individual Investor on the Acquisition of Leading Solid Rivet Manufacturer

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Dowagiac, MI-based Securit Metal Products Company to an individual investor! Founded in 1952, Securit Metal Products is a leading manufacturer of solid rivets. The Company ...

ULG Companies Acquires Indianapolis-Based StaffWorks!

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Indianapolis-based STAFFWORKS Employment Solutions to ULG Companies. STAFFWORKS provides strategic employment solutions that enable employers to cost-effectively meet their staffing needs. The Company’s three staffing ...

The Effects of Changes to SBA 7(a) Financing

Last November we discussed the changes coming to SBA 7(a) Financing for 2018. Small Business Association loans, partially guaranteed by the SBA, have long been a great way to finance a business purchase. For many buyers ...

Develop a Buyer Mentality: To Sell Your Business, Think like a Buyer

Drop the Owner Mentality Here’s a piece of advice business brokers give to sellers: If selling your business for the best price possible is your goal, you will need to cultivate emotional distance. This is hard ...

West Michigan Machining Company Aquest Machining Acquired by FabX Industries, Inc.

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of West Michigan CNC machining company Aquest Machining of Greenville MI to FabX Industries, Inc. FabX Industries was formed to acquire Aquest by Gopi Ganta, an individual ...

2017 Third Quarter Insights on Business Transactions

Recently the International Business Brokers Association released its Market Pulse for 2017 third quarter. Here we’ll summarize the most interesting takeaways of this report which was based on a survey of 334 business brokers and M&A ...

OEM Distributor Core Components Acquired by Midwest Timer Service of Benton Harbor

Calder Capital, LLC is excited to announce the successful acquisition of Core Components, Inc., of Carol Stream, IL, by Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Midwest Timer Service, Inc. Established in 1974, Core Components is internationally recognized as a ...

Auto-Lab Howell Sold to Local Owner-Operators

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful sale of Auto-Lab Howell to two local individual investors. Auto-Lab Complete Car Care Centers, in operation since 1989, is a growing auto repair franchise business with an emphasis ...

Finding the Right Buyer for Your Business

This month HMV Holdings LLC closed on a deal to acquire 57 Brew Pub & Bistro in Greenville, Michigan, including the brew pub’s real estate on highway M-57. HMV Holdings plans to keep the current staff ...

Wholesale Electric Supply Acquired by Consolidated Electrical Distributors

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful sale of Bay City, MI-based Wholesale Electric Supply (“Wholesale Electric”) to Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc. Established in 1960, Wholesale Electric is a full-line electrical distributor for commercial and ...

57 Brew Pub of Greenville, MI Acquired by Local Investment Group, HMV Holdings, LLC

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Greenville, MI-based 57 Brew Pub & Bistro (“57 Brew Pub”) to investment group HMV Holdings, LLC. Founded in 2012, 57 Brew Pub is an award-winning ...

Proposed Changes to SBA 7(a) Loans for Acquisition Financing in 2018

Small Business Association (SBA) loans are an excellent way of financing a business purchase as they are partially-guaranteed by the SBA, which means banks are generally happy to use the 7(a) program as they are able ...

Will YOU Invest in the Great Lakes Economy?

Did you know that the Great Lakes economy is the third largest in the world in terms of GDP? This economy, including eight states (Michigan, Wisconson, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York) and two ...

Why Your Friends and Family Can’t Give You Advice about Buying a Business

Previously we discussed some of the reasons behind the statistic that 9 out of 10 people who seek to buy a business will fail. Purchasing a business is a complicated process with many factors that must ...

40+ Year Established FlowTech, Inc. of Kalamazoo, MI Acquired by Individual Investors!

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Kalamazoo, Michigan based FlowTech, Inc. to David Kersjes and Steven Remstad (DAAD Holdings, Inc.). The company will continue to operate under the FlowTech name. For over ...

What Is a Letter of Intent (LOI)?

Mergers & Acquisitions, like any industry, has its own terminology and acronyms. If you’ve checked out Calder Capital’s page of listed opportunities and successful sales, you will see that we currently have 6 businesses under LOI ...

Custer Subsidiary C&S Electric acquires Grand Haven, MI-based Erickson Electric Service, Inc.

Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of Grand Haven, MI-based Erickson Electric Service, Inc. to C&S Electric Service, a subsidiary of Custer, Inc. Founded in 1988 by Tom Erickson, Erickson Electric ...

Grand Rapids, MI-based America’s Bride has acquired Park Avenue Bridal

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Park Avenue Bridal by Grand Rapids, MI-based America's Bride. America's Bride is a profitable bridal and formal shop located in the vibrant downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan ...

Are You Prepared for Retirement?

At what age do you as a business owner plan to retire? Are you prepared? If you are like many small business owners - more than a third of them - you don’t ever plan to ...

Employees’ Welfare is a Key Priority for Sellers

A Market Pulse Report regarding Q1 business sales for 2017 revealed that after price, concern for what will happen to their employees after a sale tops the list of sellers’ priorities. In fact, 70% of owners ...

Ludington, MI-based House of Flavors Acquired by An Individual Investor

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Lundington, MI-based House of Flavors to an individual investor. While House of Flavors started in 1948, the company made ice cream as far back as 1935 ...

Growing Pork Producer Dykhuis Farms, Inc. Acquires Hamilton, MI-based Peters Farm

May 2017 - Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Peters Farm of Hamilton, MI by Dykhuis Farms, Inc., of Hamilton, MI. Peters Farm had been in the family for four generations when ...

140+ Year Old Industrial Distribution Company Brammall Supply Acquired by Grand Rapids-Based Nemic Industrial Supply!

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Brammall Supply Inc. of Benton Harbor, MI to JCT Industries, LLC (affiliated with Nemic Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI). Founded in Benton Harbor in 1873, Brammall ...

How Many Business Buyers Will Eventually Realize their Goal?

How successful are business brokers at selling their clients’ businesses? We’ve talked previously about some discouraging statistics in this industry, specifically the fact that most M&A firms close between 0-3 transactions per year. Richard Parker, of ...

2016 Closed Transactions

Capstone CPA Group Acquires Local West Michigan Tax Practice (Sold December 2016!) Established 20 years ago, the owner of this successful tax preparation practice is seeking to sell and transition into retirement. Crystal Valley Catering Acquired by ...

Entrepreneur Invests in Grand Rapids Custom Software Firm White Ware, Inc.

Well Established Grand Rapids, MI Software & IT Services Firm Partners with Entrepreneur Andrew Porter Grand Rapids, MI — Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce that Michigan entrepreneur Andrew Porter has invested in White Ware, ...

Mergers and Acquisitions: 2016 in Review

With the 4Q data now gathered for 2016, it’s clear now that it was another great year to sell a business. It’s useful to examine the trends of recent market transactions so we can get a ...

Grand Rapids Suite Spa, LLC Acquired by Local Entrepreneurs!

High-End Hotel Service Provider Purchased by West Michigan Investors! Grand Rapids, MI — Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Suite Spa, LLC management division by local West Michigan entrepreneurs. Formed in 2011 ...

Central Interconnect of Grand Rapids Acquired by Local Entrepreneurs!

35+ Year Established Commercial / Institutional Audio-Video Design and Installation Business Purchased by Neil Brown and Wade Thompson! Grand Rapids, MI — Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Central Interconnect, Inc. by ...

What Will the Trump Effect Be on Small Business M&A?

Looking forward into 2017, the big question for Calder Capital and our clients is: will it be a good year for small business mergers and acquisitions or not? Can we expect the positive trend of the ...

SAIF Agency Group Acquired by Collins & Associates!

Grand Rapids Insurance Agency Adds A Third Branch with the Acquisition of Long-Established Northern Michigan Firm. Grand Rapids, MI — Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of The SAIF Agency Group, Inc. by ...

Stap Brothers Landscaping of Kalamazoo, MI Acquired by Individual Buyer

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Stap Brothers Landscaping of Kalamazoo, MI, by individual investor John Wiebenga. Individual Investor, John Wiebenga, is taking the reins of 40+ year established Stap Brothers Landscaping ...

Grand Rapids, MI-based Fritax Accounting acquired by Capstone CPA Group

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Grand Rapids, MI-based Fritax Accouting to Capstone CPA Group. Fritax Accounting is a small, west michigan tax practice owned and operated by Steve Friar. For many ...

What Is Due Diligence?

Business owners who have been running their companies, managing their employees, and setting and achieving goals for years often find the process of selling their business daunting. In fact, many small business owners try to sell ...

Palm & Associates, Inc. Acquired by Marbach, Brady & Weaver, Inc.

New Carlisle, IN Engineering Firm Acquired by Elkhart, IN Peer Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce successful acquisition of Palm & Associates, Inc of New Carlisle, IN by Marbach, Brady & Weaver, Inc., of Elkhart, ...

Grand Rapids & Holland, MI-based Village Inn Pizza and Sports Grille acquired by Individual Investors

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the sale of Grand Rapids & Holland, MI-based Village Inn Pizza and Sports Grille to Individual Investors! The Village Inn Pizza and Sports Grille is a full-service casual-dining restaurant ...

The Most Important Question When Hiring A Business Broker / M&A Firm

By Max Friar 70% of M&As close no more than 3 deals per year! When the time comes to sell a business, no matter the reason - retirement, burn out, other business opportunities - owners are ...

Extol’s ErgoStation ® Product Line Acquired By Precise Mold & Plate!

Precise Mold & Plate acquires ErgoStation® product line to expand its portfolio of tooling solutions ZEELAND, MI October 27, 2016 — Extol today announced the divestiture of its ErgoStation line of height-adjustable workstations and machine bases. ...

The Top 5 Reasons That Businesses Do Not Sell

We’ve discussed previously why business owners have less success selling their businesses themselves, but even with proper positioning and marketing some businesses will never sell. There are a number of reasons for those failures, and here I ...

Retirement as a Reason for a Small-Business Sale

A recent news report revealed that in the second quarter of 2016 small businesses were a higher percentage of the businesses that were selling compared to Q2 2015. More than half, or 57%, of businesses sold ...

Small Business Sales up in 2016

2016 has been an interesting year so far in terms of politics and domestic and world events. If you’ve been wondering how issues like the presidential election and rising health insurance costs have affected the small ...

Individual Investors Acquire Wayland, MI-based Gun Lake Rentals, LLC

July 2016 - Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of Gun Lake Rentals, LLC of Wayland (Barry County), Michigan to individual investors, Arya and Austin Khoshnegah. The terms of the deal ...

National Coatings, Inc. Acquired by Color Masters Painting

Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of National Coatings, Inc, a Traverse City, MI-based company. National Coatings was acquired by Zeb Hadley, Owner and Founder of Color Masters Painting of Raleigh, North ...

Why You Couldn’t Sell Your Business Yourself

Many small business owners are self starters and have tolerance for risk as well as a natural optimism, so when they decide they are ready to transition out of the ownership role in the business they ...

Grand Rapids-Based Award Window Cleaning Acquires Blue Sky Window Cleaners

Mark Reinhart (left), President and CEO of Award Window Cleaning seals the deal with Nate Wood (right), Founder of Blue Sky Window Cleaners, LLC. Calder Capital is pleased to announce the successful sale of Blue Sky ...

What Differentiates “Introducers” from M&A Advisors?

Sadly, the average business broker (the “introducer”) has an abysmal closing success rate of less than 10%. How is this possible, you may ask? It’s possible because typical business brokers do not take the time to ...

Impres Engineering Services, LLC Acquired by Blue Star Automation

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the sale of Impres Engineering Services, LLC, an established Holland, Michigan-based 5-axis CNC machining manufacturer, to Blue Star Automation. Calder Capital acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Impres Engineering ...

Why Aren’t Baby Boomers Flooding the Business Market Yet?

Although both 2014 and 2015 were both great years for the small business market, with median sale prices rising over time, we have yet to see the tsunami of small businesses for sale that experts predicted ...

First Predictions about the 2016 Market for Businesses

High fourth-quarter mergers and acquisitions activity in 2015 has many analysts expecting a robust year for M&A in 2016. Globally, the industrial sectors that are showing the most activity are: Technology, media and telecoms Pharmaceuticals, med, ...

Has the Market for Businesses Plateaued or Even Peaked?

After the considerable success business owners have had in finding buyers for their businesses in 2015, the question that’s being floated is: Can this last? In analyzing all sales of small businesses in 2015, BizBuySell determined ...

Business Is Booming – Should You Sell Now?

It can be difficult to know when the right time to sell your business might be. For a business owner with a company that is in good shape financially, this will always be a matter of ...

Baumann Tool & Die of Zeeland, Michigan, Acquired by Individual Buyer Mark Brown

Calder Capital, LLC is pleased to announce the successful sale of Baumann Tool & Die of Zeeland, MI, by individual investor Mark Brown. Baumann Tool & Die is a custom machine shop specializing in prototype molding fixtures. ...

Your Business and Your Retirement

It’s no secret that, from a financial perspective, these last ten years have been “interesting times” to live in both in the United States and worldwide. The financial markets have been less predictable than during earlier, ...

Max Friar Interviewed on the Smitten! Podcast

Do you have questions about what Calder Capital is about or what exactly we do for our clients? Check out Max Friar's interview with Tami Parks for The Small Business Life about the process buying and selling a ...

Mergers & Acquisitions 2015: Looking Back and Looking Forward

We’ve discussed before what the state of the market is for buying and selling businesses. Earlier in the year it was record-breaking fantastic, and buyers and sellers both have confidence that this trend will continue, and ...

What the Buyer/Seller Confidence Index Reveals about the Market Right Now

According to a new survey by BuyBizSell.com, the annual Business Buyer-Seller Confidence Index, business owners who seek to sell their businesses are feeling more confident about their ability to do so and for a higher price. ...

Baby Boomers Selling, Baby Boomers Buying

Last month we discussed about Baby Boomers and how this demographic is influencing and will continue to affect business sales for the foreseeable future. We discussed when would be the best time for a Baby Boomer ...

Baby Boomers: Should We Sell Now or Sell Later?

The news about business sales always mentions that Baby Boomers who are hitting retirement age are behind the big numbers we’re seeing currently. Back in February we reported that 2014 was a record-breaking year for small ...

Niles, MI-based The Rental Branch acquired by an Individual Investor!

Calder Capital, LLC is very pleased to announce the successful sale of The Rental Branch of Niles, Michigan to individual investor, Patrick Peruchietti. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Formed in 1996 by brothers ...

D&J Precision Machining Acquisition Highlights Recent Trends

Calder Capital is very pleased to have brokered the deal that allowed manufacturing executive Mark Allen to find the right business opportunity to invest his talents and capital into: D&J Precision Machining. MiBiz writer John Wiegand ...

Small Business Owners Selling: Expectations vs. Reality

When it comes time for a business owner to sell his company, letting go of both his accomplishment and his control of the outcome can be something of a process. Part of this is because entrepreneurs ...

Will an Acquisition Boost Your Company’s Success?

When it comes to business, getting larger isn’t always getting better or more profitable, but in many cases a smart acquisition is a good strategy for success. It all comes down to when, why, and how. ...

Hunt Movers Sold to a Strategic Buyer!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the sale of Hunt Movers, Inc. to a strategic buyer. Founded over a decade ago by Dave Hunt, Hunt Movers, Inc. (Two Men & A Truck Franchise) is a profitable, ...

Q1 Small Business Transactions and Calder’s Asking Price Process

In February we at Calder blogged about the current good news in the small business market. 2014 was a record-breaking year for small business sales, and it’s looking like 2015 may bring even better news. Bizbuysell.com ...

Mystery Shopping Company Successful Sale!

Calder Capital is pleased to announce the sale of Shoppers' View to Jake Stroburg and Tony Abbo (Moorings Consulting, LLC), two local West Michigan investors. Calder Capital acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Shoppers' View. ...

Advice from West Michigan Business Brokers

Check it out! Five business brokers, including Calder's Max Friar, were recently profiled by MiBiz.com in “Tips from 5 M&A professionals for business owners looking to sell.” Highlights include: Smart things to do to prepare for ...

What’s Happening in the West Michigan Business Brokering Market Right Now?

The real estate market in West Michigan has been bouncing back, and, as residents and homeowners, we are seeing properties move faster and at higher selling prices than we could have imagined just a few years ...

A Record-Breaking Year for Small Business Sales

There is good news for business owners who hope to sell their business in 2015. Bizbuysell.com reports that 2014 was a record-breaking year for small-business sales, with the largest number of transactions occurring since 2007, the ...

AAA Tool & Die Acquired by General Sheet Metal Works!

Manufacturing business brokers Calder Capital confidentially marketed the opportunity to select individual, strategic, and private equity acquirers via a highly-focused search process. Multiple, competitive offers were received, allowing the client the opportunity to select the acquirer ...

Closing the Deal Through Better Communication

You’ve made the decision to list your business for sale. This next period is crucial to your success in getting the best asking price for your company, and it’s important to be able to identify and ...

Valuation Is Critical to Every Business Sale

Determining a business’s value is not as simple as profit and loss. When asked, many, if not most, small business owners do not have a firm answer to give to the question, “How much is your ...

Is Now A Good Time To Sell My Business?

Michigan’s economy over the last decade or more, coupled with lowered property values from the last recession, have left business owners wary. Unsure of whether they would get a decent deal on the sale of their ...

3 Reasons Why Most Small Businesses Do Not Sell (With Real-Life Examples)

by Max Friar The majority of owners who spend their time, energy, and vision building their own businesses hope someday to either pass them on as a legacy to their families or sell them to another energetic ...

The Importance of Your Online Profile When Selling Your Company

by Max Friar Does Your Online Profile Matter When Selling Your Company? I read a very interesting article the other day that does a great job of summarizing why, in general, you should care about your online ...

Limited Auction Process: How To Maximize the Price & Terms When Selling Your Business

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." - Napoleon Hill by Max Friar When the owner of a business hears the word "auction," they typically get queasy; "auctioning your business assets" is reminiscent of ...

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