The construction and home services components of the American economy are significant and good barometers of the health of the ecosystem. In 2023, the revenue generated by the construction industry as an element of GDP in the United States was estimated at $1,960 billion (https://www.contractormag.com/construction-data/article/21280009/contractors-2024-economic-forecast), an approximately 6% increase over 2022. In January 2024, over 8 million people were employed in the construction sector (https://www.agc.org/news/2024/02/02/construction-industry-adds-11000-jobs-january-severe-weather-hampers-projects-above-average-wage) at an average wage of over $35 per hour. Numerous entrepreneurs have made their fortunes as owners of construction and home services companies. George Hedley found that a high percentage of the companies had the characteristics highlighted in the following article: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/8-steps-to-become-a-wealthy-contractor/. As a thirty-year M&A intermediary with a long resume of successfully facilitated transactions in the industry and the President & CEO of the Pacific Northwest’s market leading business brokerage firm, IBA, serving the construction and home services sector, I concur with Mr. Hedley related to the attributes he outlines being present in a majority of the companies.
Many business brokerage firms selling construction and home services companies are staffed with generalists. The definition of a generalist in a business brokerage context is someone without professional representation focus who possesses general, but not specific knowledge & experience relevant to the sale of companies in an industry. In a perfect world, these individuals may be able to navigate a business to sale, but the question is can they complete the process from a position of knowledge with attention to detail employing best practices while achieving the highest possible sale value for the business owner.
IBA based on the size of our intermediary team and the scale of the company has elected to go another path. Rather than having brokers become generalists, the firm has developed industry experts to serve different segments of the economy. One of the segments of the economy IBA has served with knowledge, experience, and skill since 1975 in Washington and Oregon from our seven regional offices has been owners of construction and home services businesses. Our service to this industry has included sponsorship and involvement in organizations including the Master Builders of King & Snohomish Counties (Master Builders Association | Home (mbaks.com)), Master Builders of Pierce County (Master Builders Association of Pierce County – Master Builders Association of Pierce County, WA (masterbuilderspierce.com)), and others.
The successful transactions we have facilitated in the industry have involved construction and home services companies serving residential, commercial, and public sector customers.
In the residential area, we have sold companies that put roofs on homes (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-dana-diana-johnson-of-mt-baker-roofing/), supplied the materials for the roofs (https://soundbuildingsupply.com/), and put solar panels on the roofs (https://e2solar.com/).
Inside homes, we have sold companies that put in the flooring (https://www.vogelscarpet.com/), painted the walls (https://www.seattlepainting.com/), and supplied the heat (https://homecomfortalliance.com/).
In the commercial & public sectors, we have sold companies that landscaped the government Capitol building in Olympia (https://www.controlledrain.com/), installed and maintained technology infrastructure at military installations (https://integritynetworksinc.com/), heated schools (https://www.earthheatph.com/), and installed mechanical infrastructure in office buildings (https://www.pinchiffmechanical.com/).
The companies successfully sold by IBA in the construction and home services sectors have been facilitated in stock & asset sales, involved union & non-union entities, seen transitions to high net worth individual entrepreneurs and strategic merger partners within the industry, and involved transactions that included real estate, were in leased locations, and involved home based businesses.
If you are interested in selling your construction or home services company in 2024, IBA’s transaction team for the space has financially qualified parties who have executed non disclosure agreements seeking acquisition opportunities in our Buyer Database Program able to engage and close deals in a timely manner.
If you want to sell your business at a premium value, it is recommended that you have the following elements in place a filed 2023 tax return; a strong middle management level; experienced, skilled staff; and reoccurring customers, a good reputation, and/or a pipeline of future projects.
All communication with IBA is held in strict confidence. IBA offers a complimentary professional opinion of the market value of a company to potential clients. IBA also does not seek a penny of compensation until successful completion of a project. It is our goal to only be paid by happy customers.
Please contact IBA if we can be a resource or assist with the sale of your business. We welcome the opportunity to talk with entrepreneurs and help them strategically plan for an exit strategy whether the target date is 2024, 2025, or 2027.
IBA, the Pacific Northwest’s premier business brokerage firm since 1975, is available as an information resource to the media, business brokerage, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, legal, and accounting communities on subjects relevant to the purchase & sale of privately held companies and family-owned businesses. IBA is recognized as one of the best business brokerage firms in the nation based on its long track record of successfully negotiating “win-win” business sale transactions in environments of full disclosure employing “best practices”.