Articles

Who’s Winning the Battle for Tire-Buying Consumers?

Automotive Aftermarket Investment Banking

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It seems like every issue of Modern Tire Dealer has an announcement of a new acquisition by Monro Inc., Icahn Automotive Group LLC, Bridgestone Americas Inc. and the like. One would assume by reading these that what I call the company-owned conglomerates are “winning the war” for the hearts and minds of consumers, but I would disagree. I think tire dealers are winning right now.
2018 Year in Review

2018 YEAR IN REVIEW: A Third Record-Breaking Year!

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FOCUS just completed its exciting third consecutive record-breaking year in 2018. We closed 28 deals across 10 industry segments and hosted an annual conference for our 43 Global M&A partner firms. In 2018 we continued to demonstrate the firm’s proven expertise, both across the wide range of sectors we cover, and in the depth of …

two fountain pens with their tips against one another and a man standing on each

FOCUS Investment Banking Wins M&A Worldwide Deal of the Year

M&A Investment Banking

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At the recent M&A Worldwide Rainmaker Summit, the sale of Burnhart Holdings (trading as WEC Group) to Amari UK Inc. won the vote for the M&A Worldwide Deal of the Year, against spirited competition from three other cross-border deals. FOCUS represented the transaction in the U.S. and introduced the transaction to the buyer, which is …

Power of Pricing: Healthy Margins Improve Business Value

Automotive Aftermarket Investment Banking

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My father-in-law, Ed Tuck, was a pretty smart guy. Before becoming a venture-capitalist and founding Magellan GPS, he was a turnaround consultant to failing telecom businesses in the 1980s. (Read “A Sense of Direction,” Ed Tuck and Mike Khaldun, Dog Ear Publishing, 2018.) I once asked him about the first things he did when he took over a failing business. Ed said that first, he’d find the person responsible for the mess and fire that person just to get everyone’s attention. Then once he got their attention, he raised prices.
a man walking upstairs and through a hole in the wall that appears to be in the shape of a key

Extracting Maximum Deal Value—Seven Keys to Success

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“With M&A activity showing no sign of slowing, a continuing focus on revenue synergy execution will be critical in delivering value…By understanding the sources of value and executing against the seven keys to success…executives can get a jump start on capturing value and outperforming the market.” That’s the conclusion of an October 2018 McKinsey & Company survey of 200 seasoned M&A executives from ten industries.

What Matters Most to Your Store’s Potential Buyer?

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Last month we looked at several important considerations that matter to strategic and financial buyers when looking for an acquisition of a multi-unit tire and service retailer. They were revenue size, geography, the stores themselves, area demographics, and growth trajectory and future prospects.

Sophisticated buyers want to know everything about your business before acquiring it …

a dart that has been thrown through a cemet wall hitting a target

A FOCUS First—FIVE Deals in a Month!

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Unprecedented performance! In September, FOCUS closed five deals and, frankly, I’m thrilled and extremely proud of our achievement! Five deals in a single month demonstrate the solid expertise of FOCUS, successfully deploying a variety of strategic services.

Prepping the Princess: Is Your Business Ready to Sell?

a fan spread of books titled "prepping the princess for the party" Learn from industry-leading legal, accounting, investment banking, marketing, business advisory and financial services experts about the steps you should be taking inside your business now to make it more attractive for a successful sale―even if that’s several years down the road.

Potential Buyers Expect EBITDA to be at Least 10% of Sales

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Last month we looked at several important considerations that matter to strategic and financial buyers when looking for an acquisition of a multi-unit tire and service retailer. They were revenue size, geography, the stores themselves, area demographics, and growth trajectory and future prospects.

Sophisticated buyers want to know everything about your business before acquiring it …