Entries by Al Statz

Is a Quality of Earnings (QoE) Analysis the Same as an Audit?

Not exactly. A Quality of Earnings (commonly called a “QoE”) analysis used in mergers and acquisitions due diligence and a financial Audit serve distinct purposes. Here’s how they differ in terms of purpose, scope of work, timing and reporting: Purpose: QoE: The primary purpose of a QoE analysis is to assess the sustainability and reliability […]

Will your business survive losing you?

Most entrepreneurs are a rare breed — full of optimism and confidence. But that faith and certainty can also make them feel invincible. Every business downturn will be the last, every new year will be another record, and every good leader retires happily with their family. Unfortunately, none of us are invincible. And if you’re […]

Expect M&A to Recover in 2024

Global M&A deal value nearly reached a 10-year low in Q3 2023 (Q2 2020 excepted). Deal count and total deal values both declined, as shown in this graph produced by Pitchbook. And these declines were evident across almost all most industry sectors and among all types of acquirers and sellers. However, several factors are pointing […]

Buy-Sell Agreement Valuation Resources

Every business with two or more shareholders should have a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement is a legally binding contract that restricts and governs how shares are priced and transferred between shareholders or partners of closely-held businesses when certain trigger events occur. Arguably, valuation is the most important (and argued over) aspect of buy-sell transactions. […]

Exit Strategies Group Welcomes Matthew Gutowsky

Exit Strategies Group, Inc. is pleased to introduce Matthew (Matt) Gutowsky as the newest member of our growing team. Matt recently joined us as Investment Banking Analyst, where he supports client engagements with research, financial modeling, and valuation analysis. Matt recently graduated from Michigan State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, with […]

Exit Strategies Group Advises Shepherd Controls in Sale

May 2023 – Exit Strategies Group is pleased to announce that it represented Shepherd Controls & Associates, a leading regional supplier of industrial automation products, in a recent sale to Flow Control Group, a portfolio company of KKR. Shepherd Controls & Associates, founded in 1985 by Ron Shepherd and Bill Benko, is headquartered in Allen, […]

Adam Wiskind and Roy Martinez Complete Certified M&A Professional Program

Exit Strategies Group is pleased to announce that Senior M&A Advisors Adam Wiskind and Roy Martinez are now two of more than three hundred M&A intermediaries and professionals with the CM&AP designation. The Certified M&A Professional Program is offered by the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University in conjunction with The M&A Source. […]

Cornerstone International Alliance sets new record: $1.3 billion in business transactions

Exit Strategies Group is a partner in the Cornerstone International Alliance After a record setting year in 2021, Cornerstone International Alliance members, a consortium of industry-leading lower middle market mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and investment banking firms, shattered that record in 2022, completing 169 deals with an enterprise value of more than $1.3 billion. “2021 […]

Instead of selling, they’re growing

If it’s a bad time to sell your business, consider growing instead. That’s the takeaway from one contractor whose plans to sell their business got squashed by inflation and supply chain issues in 2022. Pre-pandemic the business had been doing about $50 million in sales with $6 million in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, and […]