Industrial companies for sale
Manufacturing plants, workshops and industrial companies with an established order book looking for a buyer or an investor partner.
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Join the investor networkBuying an industrial company: the critical points
The premises, the permit and the machinery
In industry a large share of the value sits in tangible assets, but also in authorisations that cannot be obtained overnight. The environmental or activity permit of a unit, its discharge or emissions authorisations and its planning compatibility can be as decisive as the machinery installed.
You also have to check whether the unit is owned by the company or leased, and in that case the remaining term: relocating a production plant costs a great deal of money and a great deal of downtime.
What makes an industrial company worth more
In a sector with tight margins, the difference in value between two similar companies almost always sits in the same places.
- Multi-year client contracts and approvals that are hard to replicate
- A diversified order book versus dependence on one or two large clients
- The real condition of the machinery and the schedule of deferred investment
- A stable, qualified workforce and the applicable collective agreement
- Quality and sector certifications in force
- A clean environmental position with no liabilities or open proceedings
Questions about industrial company transactions
Is the industrial unit sold with the company?
It depends on how ownership is arranged. It is common for the property to belong to a separate holding company from the one that runs the activity, which allows the operating company to be sold on its own with the lease maintained, or both to be sold separately to different buyers. It is one of the first things we tidy up when preparing the deal.
What happens to approvals and certifications?
If the shares are bought they normally stand, because the holder does not change. If the assets are bought, many approvals have to be obtained again and some clients will have to re-approve the supplier. In sectors with demanding approval regimes that can weigh more than the price.
How is the machinery valued?
Not on its book value, which is usually written down, but on its real market value, its age, its maintenance condition and what replacing it would cost. The valuation deducts the investment the buyer will have to make in the short term to keep production capacity.
Are there environmental risks the buyer takes on?
There can be, especially in activities with a history of discharges or substance storage. That is why environmental due diligence is not optional in industry: soil liabilities can exceed the price of the deal and responsibilities should be delimited in writing in the contract.