BRIDGES BUSINESSS BUILDER LLC

Bridges team members advise corporate buyers and private equity investors throughout the entire M&A deal lifecycle, from strategy development to selecting the right partner, from conducting thorough due diligence to closing.

 

Our end-to-end merger, acquisition, and divestiture advisory services are customized to your needs, with an industry and sector emphasis. The M&A advisory services range from finance/business due diligence to support for revival scheme planning, action plan formulation, financial restructuring implementation, and business restructuring.

 

While we work successfully with companies competing in a diverse array of business sectors, we understand the benefits gained from specialization and offer particular expertise in many distinct industries such as energy, food & beverage, manufacturing, real estate and technology.

 

 

Sell-Side M&A

 

We work with companies in the sale of their businesses, by implementing a rigorous technology-enhanced process we help our clients maximize value across the numerous industries and verticals we have transacted in. Whether you are pursuing a sale to a family member, partner/management buyout, strategic/financial acquirer, or as part of a planned exit strategy our experienced advisors will work with you hand-in-hand to accomplish your goals.

 

Our value-add Sell-Side M&A services entails a comprehensive and technology-driven process typically involving:

 

a)  Strategizing and advising on maximizing business value and market timing;

b)  Formulating a high-level business valuation for internal discussions;

c)  Creating executive summaries, pitch decks, or marketing materials as needed;

d)  Developing a targeted prospective buyer list and custom CRM for outreach;

e)  Running broad processes to present the business opportunities to interested acquirers;

f)   Managing, tracking, and reporting all communications with potential buyers;

g)  Establishing a virtual data room and overseeing the due diligence process;

h)  Negotiating with buyers on structure, timing, pricing, and conditional terms;

i)   Facilitating interaction with third-party advisors and closing a transaction

 

Our process stands as:

 

 I. Valuation & Initial Engagement

           

Understanding business value and strategic positioning within the relevant market of the business. We work with owners to formulate a business valuation based on relevant comparables and industry multiples that best match your specific industry niche. We then discuss target prices based on the least and most likely M&A scenarios.

 

Initial engagements can include mock due diligence and vetting of the company by the advisor. The company and its shareholders will also perform thorough due diligence and reference checks on the representing agents to the transaction to ensure their business is properly represented from beginning to end.

           

           

II. Offering Memo & Deal Positioning

           

Once the client has engaged us for M&A consulting, we work directly with business sellers to formulate the Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM). It should include everything from employees to financials to future opportunities for growth and expansion. Your CIM is the business plan for your business exit; it is what investors in your company will want to see before they will even consider investing. It provides all the relevant operational, marketing and financial information about your business. It will include information on assets, including tangible and intangible property, liabilities, cash flows, major customers, key employees, general market analysis and trends and reasons for selling.

 

Drafting an offering memo early is also helpful because, in the end, it may just require a few simple tweaks so as to conform to the changes in the business.

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III. Buyer Selection & Outreach

           

We formulate a short list of potential strategic acquirers–those willing to pay the most in an M&A scenario. We combine the strategic shortlist with a broad list of other financial investors as well. This list will be approved by all shareholders to the seller. Once this list is approved, the business will be promoted to potential strategic and financial buyers to maintain confidentiality for the seller and ensures no current or future operations of the business are disrupted by the attempt at a business sale.  Most strategic buyers are willing to pay more, especially if key synergies exist between the seller and the acquirer.

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IV. Negotiation & Value Enhancement

           

Our process includes bringing multiple buyers to the table, this can be a delicate process and requires the support of experienced negotiators with the ability to enhance value in the final sale of the company.

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V. Due Diligence & Closing

           

We work quickly to ensure due diligence and deal closure are completed shortly thereafter–preferably between 30 and 90 days after a Letter of Intent (LOI) for acquisition has been executed by all parties to the deal.

 

We’ll work closely with you to negotiate a successful transaction, all while ensuring your confidentiality is never compromised. Our goal is to ensure a successful sale while simultaneously helping our clients enjoy the highest possible value for their company.

 

 

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Buy Side M&A

 

Our focus is on identifying highly accretive opportunities and unlocking the value that can be found in off-market companies. Rather than competing for the same businesses as other buyers, we utilize our proven methodology of identifying companies not currently for sale, thus allowing you, the client, to engage with the target without having to compete with numerous other buyers.

 

Our value-add buy-side M&A  solutions involve:

 

a)  Developing a thesis for the transaction and the target criteria;

b)  Evaluating capital needs to fund the transaction and advising on optimal debt/equity stack;

c)  Generating a high-level business valuation for internal discussions;

d)  Creating executive summaries, pitch decks, or marketing materials as needed;

e)  Developing a comprehensive prospect list and custom CRM instance for outreach;

f)   Conducting presentations to position the company’s story to potential targets;

g)  Managing and reporting all communications with potential targets;

h)  Establishing a virtual data room and overseeing the due diligence process;

i)   Negotiating with targets on structure, timing, pricing, and potential financing terms;

j)   Facilitating communications with third-party advisors and closing a transaction

 

 

Our buy-side process stands as:

           

I. Strategic Planning

           

Jointly establish an acquisition plan between advisors and clients, aligned with company strategy. Assess management readiness of strategic acquisition plan and shore up potential deficits.

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II. Align M&A Criteria

           

Create an ideal target profile based on stringent, pre-arranged screening questions from the initial strategy session. Tweak as needed based on market feedback, understanding that flexibility may be required.

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III. Research Target Industry

           

Implement a detailed research plan for the global metrics and individual company targets within the sector of choice. Use findings to build the ideal target profile for both on and off-market opportunities.

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IV. Build and Reach Targets

 

Build a custom target list based on a pre-determined strategic profile and general industry analysis and research. After that, we will conduct direct outreach to the target list via phone, email, letter and direct meetings.

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V. Due Diligence

 

Present target company with an offer via Letter of Intent (LOI) for eventual acquisition.  We perform exhaustive due diligence helped by our team of professionals, advisers and allied organizations to build the final score and profile of the selling company and its business

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VI. Closing

 

Negotiate the definitive agreement among buyer and seller counsel, working toward a reasonable close. In line with the initial acquisition strategy prepare for and execute an M&A integration pathway, bringing the target and parent together.

 

 

 

We make it possible for private equity firms to maximize their investment opportunities by digging deeper than what limiting strategies offer. We source new portfolio company opportunities, as well as add-on opportunities, for existing portfolio companies.

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