What Is Your Scale Business Worth? A 2026 Valuation Update on the Private Equity Invasion

New money is entering the industrial scale market, the platforms already in it are buying everything they can reach, and even seasoned private equity buyers can’t agree on what these companies are worth. For owners of scale service and distribution businesses, that uncertainty is very good news.

Even the Buyers Can’t Agree on What Your Scale Business Is Worth

Recently I spent an hour comparing notes with a partner at a prominent, industrial-focused private equity firm. He is seasoned, he is successful, and he is currently researching his firm’s first platform acquisition in the industrial scale and weighing sector — the kind of fragmented, service-heavy market that private equity loves to consolidate.

We compared notes on valuation. And here is what stopped me: his working assumption for what scale companies cost was nearly double what they are actually selling for.

Sit with that for a moment. A sophisticated buyer, preparing to deploy serious capital into this space, carried a price expectation almost twice the real clearing price. Part of his skepticism about the sector came from that very assumption — in his mind, these companies were expensive. In reality, they trade for far less than he believed.

If a seasoned private equity professional — and the new entrants writing checks alongside him — don’t have a fixed read on what scale companies are worth, that pricing uncertainty cuts in the seller’s favor. Buyers are anchoring their internal models high. They are competing for a scarce set of quality targets. And the owner who walks in knowing the real numbers holds the advantage.

This is a 2026 valuation update for owners of industrial-scale service and distribution businesses: what the private equity invasion actually means for the value of your company, and the factors that drive that value up or down.

Is Now a Good Time to Sell a Scale Business?

Yes — and the window is open wider than most owners realize.

Two forces are converging at once. New money is entering the sector: private equity firms that have never owned a scale company are building investment theses and hunting for a platform to anchor a roll-up. At the same time, the platforms that already exist are acquiring everything they can reach — and moving fast to do it.

National dealmaking forecasts back this up. Private-equity-led consolidation in recurring, technology-enabled service businesses is expected to remain strong through 2026, with sponsors focused on professionalizing and expanding the platforms they have already built. Scale service companies — with their recurring revenue from calibration, certification, repair, and preventive maintenance — fit that profile almost perfectly. They are exactly the kind of sticky, fragmented, aftermarket-rich business the smart money is chasing.

For a seller, the math is simple. More buyers, especially more motivated ones, create greater competitive tension. The same recurring service revenue and technician dependence that make your business demanding to run are precisely what make it valuable to an acquirer.

What Is My Scale Business Worth? The 2026 Valuation Update

Here is the number owners actually want. Based on the transactions we have worked on with our seller clients and our independent research, scale companies with EBITDA under $5 million are selling in the 6.5x to 9x EBITDA range. 

That is a strong number, and it sits at a premium to the broader industrial service middle market, which generally clears in the mid-single digits of EBITDA. The premium is not an accident. It is the recurring service and calibration revenue, the embedded technician relationships, and the sticky aftermarket that buyers are willing to pay up for. When a business produces predictable, contracted revenue year after year, acquirers underwrite it more like an annuity and less like a one-time equipment sale — and they price it accordingly.

Two further market realities push that range around, and both reward a prepared seller:

• Size is rewarded. Within the same sector, larger businesses command meaningfully higher multiples than smaller ones. The gap between a sub-$2 million and a $5 million EBITDA company can be several turns of EBITDA — which means disciplined growth in the year or two before a sale can pay for itself many times over at closing.
• Process is rewarded. Owners who run a competitive, advisor-led sale process consistently realize materially higher prices than owners who sell quietly to the first buyer who knocks on the door. The difference is routinely a double-digit percentage of the purchase price. Selling to the unsolicited caller is the single most expensive convenience an owner can buy.

The takeaway: the 6.5x to 9x band is real, but where you land inside it — and whether you push beyond it — is largely within your control.

What Factors Affect My Valuation?

Two scale companies with identical EBITDA can sell for very different prices. These are the factors that move the number, in roughly ascending order of importance:

• The scale of the operation — your overall revenue and earnings, and the size premium that comes with them.
• The number of technicians — your field-service capacity, and how much of it stays in place if the owner steps away. Scarce, retained technical talent is an asset; an owner-dependent service operation is a discount.
• The number of locations — your geographic footprint and the regional density a buyer can build on or plug into an existing platform.
• Profit margin — clean, healthy margins signal a well-run business and lower a buyer’s perceived risk.
• Service contracts and recurring revenue as a percentage of total revenue — and this is the big one. The higher and stickier your recurring base, the higher your multiple. No single factor does more to move valuation. If you want to raise the value of your business before a sale, this is where the leverage lives.

Who’s Buying — and Who’s the New Money?

The buyer pool is deepening quickly, which is the single best thing that can happen to a seller.

The clearest example is Michelli Weighing & Measurement, backed by private equity firm Summit Park. Since Summit Park’s investment, Michelli has been acquiring aggressively — buying Greenville Scale, Total Scale Service, Houston-based Industrial Scale & Measurement, and Florida Industrial Scale in just the opening months of 2026, building a service network that now spans roughly 50 service areas across 18 states.

Investcorp’s acquisition of Kanawha Scales & Systems, the Carlton platform, Cross Precision Measurement, and J.A. King round out a field of active, well-capitalized consolidators all competing for the same finite set of quality targets.

And now add the new entrant — the private equity firm I opened with, researching its first scale platform with capital ready to deploy. When a brand-new buyer steps into a market where the incumbents are already buying everything in sight, the owners of quality businesses are the ones who win.

What This Means for You

The most useful thing I took from that hour with the private equity partner was not a number. It was the confirmation that the buyers themselves are still working out what scale companies are worth — and that they are bracing to pay more than today’s sellers are receiving.

If you own a scale service or distribution business, you are sitting in a rare position: a deepening pool of motivated, well-funded buyers, a recurring-revenue model those buyers prize, and a market where the price expectations of the people writing the checks run ahead of where deals are actually clearing. The owners who capture that premium will be the ones who understand their real value — and run a real process — before a buyer ever calls.

We advised the seller of a scale business acquired into the Carlton platform, and we work with scale service and distribution owners across North America on valuation and exit strategy. If you are wondering what your business is worth in today’s market, that is a conversation worth having now, while the buyers are this hungry.

About Jackim Woods & Company

Jackim Woods & Company is a boutique mergers and acquisitions firm specializing in lower-middle-market transactions, with deep experience in the industrial scale and weighing sector. The firm provides valuation, exit planning, targeted buyer outreach, and hands-on advisory throughout the sale process.  For more information or a free consultation to explore your options, contact

Paul Fackler, Managing Director; pfackler@jackimwoods.com

OR

Rich Jackim, Managing Partner; rjackim@jackimwoods.com

How Jackim Woods & Co. Protects Your Confidentiality When You Sell Your Business

When you decide to sell your business, you face an immediate and uncomfortable paradox: to attract the right buyer and command a premium price, you must share sensitive information about your company — but doing so too early, or with the wrong people, can destabilize the very asset you’re trying to sell.

Employees may start updating their résumés. Key customers may test alternatives. Competitors may use the news to poach your best people or approach your top accounts. And a buyer who senses urgency or disruption will use it to negotiate a lower price.

Confidentiality isn’t an afterthought in a business sale. It’s a core value-protection strategy — and managing it requires both process discipline and legal sophistication.

At Jackim Woods, we bring both. I spent years as an M&A attorney at White & Case before founding this firm, so I understand confidentiality not just as a deal management practice but as a legal and contractual discipline. Here’s exactly how we protect you throughout the sale process.

Why Confidentiality is So Important

Before getting into our process, it helps to understand what’s actually at risk when confidential information gets out during the sale process.

Employees react fast.

A rumor that the business is for sale can trigger voluntary departures — particularly among your key managers, sales people, and technical specialists — before you have a retention plan or a transition story in place. Buyers pay close attention to team stability. One unexpected resignation during due diligence can reduce the value of your business or create deal conditions you didn’t anticipate.

Customers may hedge.

Relationship-driven businesses are especially exposed. If a major account hears that your company may be for sale that could delay a big order, a contract renewal, or simply ask questions you’re not yet in a position to answer. Any disruption to your revenue during a sale process is one of the fastest ways to lose negotiating leverage.

Competitors and suppliers will act on the information.

A competitor doesn’t need to know the buyer, the price, or the timeline to move against you. They only need to know you’re distracted. They may bring in up when meeting with your customers in an attempt to get a foot in the door.  Suppliers may tighten payment terms. Channel partners may revisit exclusivity arrangements. All of that creates noise in your financials and your story at exactly the wrong moment.

Buyers will discount the value of your business.

If any of the above occurs, a serious buyer will notice — and will use it. Lower purchase price, larger escrow holdbacks, more seller financing, stricter non-compete terms. Confidentiality failures have direct, quantifiable financial consequences.

How Jackim Woods Protects Your Confidentiality — Step by Step

Step 1: Anonymous Marketing with a Blind Teaser

We never identify your company during the initial phase of buyer outreach. Instead, we prepare a blind teaser — a one-page anonymous profile that describes the opportunity in terms of industry, geography, revenue range, EBITDA, business model, and key strengths — without revealing your company name, exact location, employee identities, or any detail that would allow a competitor or supplier to reverse-engineer your identity.

This gives us broad market exposure to identify the right buyers while keeping your identity fully protected until a buyer earns access through our screening process. A poorly constructed teaser can inadvertently identify a company through a combination of niche service descriptions, unusual geography, and recognizable customer patterns. We draft teasers carefully to prevent this.

Step 2: Buyer Screening and Financial Qualification

A confidentiality leak almost always traces back to the wrong party getting access too early. Before any identifying information is shared, we screen every prospective buyer for financial capability, strategic fit, acquisition intent, and deal timeline.

We build a targeted buyer universe of 150 to 200 potential acquirers using a structured framework based on Porter’s Five Forces — covering direct competitors, customers who might want to vertically integrate, suppliers who might want to move downstream, adjacent businesses, and financial buyers including private equity groups. From that universe, we identify the highest-probability acquirers before any contact is made.

Screened buyers register through us — not directly with you — which creates a documented, traceable record of who has received what information and when. This protects you legally if a breach of confidentiality issue arises later.

Step 3: A Professionally Drafted NDA — Before Anything Identifiable Is Shared

No buyer receives your company name, financial details, or any identifying information until they have signed a mutual non-disclosure agreement. Having drafted and negotiated hundreds of these agreements as an M&A attorney, I know where standard NDAs fall short.

A well-drafted NDA should do several things that generic templates often miss:

• Define confidential information broadly — financials, customer lists, employee information, pricing, and proprietary processes
• Restrict use of shared information to deal evaluation only
• Prohibit the buyer from contacting your employees, customers, suppliers, or landlord without your authorization
• Require return or destruction of materials if discussions end
• Bind the buyer’s advisors — lenders, accountants, attorneys — to the same obligations

An NDA is not a complete solution on its own. Enforcement is reactive — by the time you’re pursuing a legal remedy, the damage to your business relationships may already be done. That’s why we pair every NDA with the staged disclosure process described below.

Step 4: Staged Disclosure Tied to Buyer Seriousness

Information is released in layers as buyer credibility increases. This is the most reliable way to maintain confidentiality while still allowing a serious buyer to conduct a meaningful evaluation.

Our CIMs are deliberately more comprehensive than what most M&A advisors produce — typically 12 to 20 pages rather than a thin broker summary. This means serious buyers get the depth they need to move forward confidently, while casual or unqualified parties are screened out before reaching this stage.

Step 5: Controlled Due Diligence Through a Virtual Data Room

Due diligence is when the most sensitive information about your business is shared — and when confidentiality discipline matters most. We manage this through a structured virtual data room where we control who has access, which documents are available at each stage, and when access is granted or revoked.

This prevents the common problem of an overeager buyer or their advisor pulling documents that shouldn’t be released until later in the process — and ensures that if a deal falls apart, sensitive materials aren’t sitting unsecured in someone’s inbox.

Step 6: Planning Your Employee and Customer Communications

We help you think through the right timing and messaging for internal disclosures before you need to make them. In most transactions, broad employee notification happens after major deal terms are agreed upon — not at the start of the process. But planning that communication early prevents improvisation under pressure, which is where messaging mistakes happen.

We help you identify which employees are critical to notify early (and with what message), which key customers may need reassurance before closing, and how to frame the ownership transition in a way that preserves relationships and morale.

Common Confidentiality Mistakes to Avoid

Even sophisticated sellers can undermine their own confidentiality protections. The most common mistakes we see:

• Sharing financial details before screening a buyer. Sending tax returns or customer concentration reports to anyone who expresses interest — without verifying their identity, financial capacity, and intent — is the single most common source of leaks.
• Relying on the NDA alone. An NDA creates legal exposure for a buyer who misuses your information. It does not prevent them from misusing it in the first place. Process discipline is the real protection.
• Including too much identifying detail in the teaser. A teaser that mentions a rare niche service, a specific headcount, and a recognizable local customer base may effectively announce the sale without using your name.
• Telling employees too early and without a plan. Well-intentioned transparency before you have a transition message, a retention plan, and a closing timeline creates anxiety you can’t walk back.
• Not tracking data room access during due diligence. If you can’t document who saw what and when, you have no basis for a confidentiality claim if information is misused.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your EBITDA Is Strong. But Is Your Business Sellable?

Strong EBITDA is necessary but not sufficient to sell a business — buyers scrutinize the quality and durability of earnings, not just the headline number.

A company with $13M in revenue and $5M in EBITDA failed to sell after a year on the market because two structural risks — 45% revenue dependence on a single distribution channel and 16% revenue from one customer — triggered valuation disputes, and the deal fell apart during due diligence.

A concentrated revenue base, even at strong margins, creates deal risk that sophisticated buyers will find and price against. Businesses where any single customer accounts for 5% or more of revenue, where revenue flows through a single channel or relationship, or where recurring revenue is minimal , face a high likelihood of a buyer wanting to renegotiate the deal during due diligence. A professional market assessment — reviewing financials, revenue composition, customer concentration, and competitive positioning — is the critical first step before going to market, and is the most reliable way to avoid surprises that kill deals.

— Rich Jackim, Jackim Woods & Co.

Your EBITDA Is Strong. But Is Your Business Sellable?

Every business owner considering selling their business deserves a clear-eyed assessment of one foundational truth: EBITDA is a critical metric, but it does not tell the complete story. Owners who discover this after months of trying to sell their business — or after a deal fails during due diligence — will have wasted a lot of time and money.

The following is a situation we have seen multiple times in our practice. The details have been modified for confidentiality, but the dynamics are real—and offer important insights for any owner thinking about an exit.

A Business That Looked Great on Paper

Last year, we spoke with the owner of a business services company who had spent twenty years building his business. Now 65, he was ready to retire and sell the company. The financial profile was attractive: approximately $13 million in revenue with $5 million in EBITDA – strong margins that would get buyers’ attention.

Early in the process, the owner’s CPA reviewed the financials and told the owner the company was probably worth $25 million – exactly what the owner wanted to hear.  The CPA explained that the EBITDA was there, and in his experience, companies like this one sold for 5x EBITDA. The owner felt confident, so he hired an M&A advisor to sell the business.  After a year on the market, two buyers had withdrawn their offers during due diligence, and the business was still not sold.

Strong EBITDA opens doors. But what buyers find when they look inside determines whether a deal actually closes.

What the Financial Analysis Revealed

When buyers started their due diligence, they discovered the company’s revenue composition contained concentration risks that ultimately derailed the deal:

Revenue channel concentration: 45% of total revenue was generated through a single distribution channel, a key salesperson, who was the same age as the business owner. While that salesperson had performed reliably for years, the fact that the company depended on someone so close to retirement age was a structural dependency that concerned sophisticated buyers.

Customer concentration: 16% of revenue was attributable to one customer, a large manufacturer with multiple locations. This indicated a customer concentration issue that affected lending eligibility and the buyer’s financing options, which in turn affected the overall risk profile of the deal.

These were not deal killing factors individually. But collectively, they represented risks that sophisticated buyers identified in due diligence, and in one case, used to try to negotiate a huge valuation adjustment (50%) — or in the other case, as grounds to exit the process entirely.

When Market Conditions Validated a Buyer’s Analysis

What ultimately killed the deal was during due diligence, an external event occurred that demonstrated precisely why concentration risk demands early attention.

The company received formal notification that its largest customer — representing 16% of annual revenue — had been acquired by a direct competitor. As part of the acquirer’s vendor consolidation strategy, they provided notice that they would be scaling back their purchase orders over the next six months, with the goal of consolidating all purchase orders with the new parent company’s vendors.

The impact was immediate and material. Sixteen percent of the company’s revenue had just disappeared and could not easily be replaced. The seller’s valuation and negotiating position was now fundamentally changed by a single event outside of their control.  This is exactly what buyers feared, and it had come true.

The Strategic Lesson for Owners Selling Their Businesses

Advisors who do not earn success fees when a transaction closes have limited incentive to tell clients the hard honest truth about their client’s business. The result is that business owners often try to sell their business without a clear understanding of how buyers will evaluate their company — and without the opportunity to fix those risk factors before they become deal killers.

As the above example demonstrates, EBITDA matters a lot. But experienced buyers will also be looking at the quality and durability of those earnings:

• Does any single customer represent more than 5% of a company’s revenue?
• Is revenue dependent on a single channel, platform, or relationship that could be disrupted?
• Is revenue generated from one product or service, or diversified over a wide range of products and services?
• Is there industry concentration risk with services or products serving only one industry?
• How much of the revenue base is genuinely recurring, contracted, or relationship-protected versus transactional?
• How is the business positioned relative to industry transformation — as an adopter or as a laggard?
• How would EBITDA be affected if the single largest customer or channel relationship were impaired?

These are the questions that determine whether reported EBITDA represents durable, transferable earnings—or a business that will be systematically discounted during the diligence and negotiation process.

The Question Every Owner Should Ask Before Selling Your Business

It is not simply “What is my EBITDA?”

The more important question is: “Do my revenue and EBITDA accurately reflect the risk-adjusted financial performance of my business?”

That is precisely what a professional market assessment and business valuation is designed to answer. Not to produce an optimistic number, but to give you the honest, complete picture that enables you to maximize transaction value and approach the market from a position of knowledge rather than a host of assumptions.

Why a Free Market Assessment Increases Your Options when Selling Your Business

At Jackim Woods & Co., our complimentary market assessments are designed to give business owners the analytical foundation they need before making one of the most consequential financial decisions of their lives.

We review of your financials, revenue composition, customer and channel concentration, competitive positioning, and provide you with the realistic range of values a qualified buyer would assign to your business. It means identifying the factors that could affect a transaction — and giving you to option to address them before you go to market.

Business owners who understand their true market value make better decisions: about timing, about preparation, about which buyer profiles to target, and how to position the company’s story. They do not spend months pursuing a process that was unlikely to succeed. And they are not surprised by what buyers find.

If you are considering a sale — even if your timeline is one to three years out — an objective assessment of where your business stands today is the most valuable step you can take.

Please note:  Because of the time and effort that goes into to preparing a market assessment, free market assessments are only available for businesses generating at least $5 million in revenue or $1 million in EBITDA.

About Jackim Woods & Co.

Rich Jackim is an investment banker, entrepreneur, and former mergers and acquisitions attorney.

For the last 25 years, Rich has been providing boutique investment banking services to small and lower middle-market companies in a wide range of industries across the United States and Canada.

Rich also founded a successful training and certification company called the Exit Planning Institute, which he sold to a private equity group in 2012.

Rich is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Businesses.

Jackim Woods & Co offers skilled mergers and acquisitions advisory services to privately companies in both sell-side and buy-side transactions. Jackim Woods & Co has arranged over 120 successful transactions, ranging from one million to more than eighty million dollars in value.

If you own a business and are interested in exploring your options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you.

Feel free to contact me at 224-513-5142 or rjackim@jackimwoods.com.

America’s $5 Trillion Business Ownership Crisis

America is facing a business ownership crisis: 6 million small businesses will need new owners by 2035, and according to a McKinsey study titled The Great Ownership Transfer, 92% will simply close rather than sell.

The businesses most at risk have revenues between $1 million and $10 million — owner-operated firms spanning business services, regional manufacturing, and B2B specialties that are too small for institutional private equity and too complex for Main Street brokers. Together, they represent up to $5 trillion in enterprise value that will largely disappear unless buyers and sellers find each other in time. Rich Jackim predicted this wave in 2007 and co-founded the Exit Planning Institute to address it, training over 9,000 Certified Exit Planning Advisors — yet the majority of business owners still exit without a plan. For sellers, the window to transact at full value is narrowing every year; for buyers, the opportunity to acquire profitable, established businesses at reasonable prices has never been larger.

— Rich Jackim, Jackim Woods & Co.

McKinsey & Company just published a study that deserves attention from every business owner and serious business buyer in the country. The study, titled The Great Ownership Transfer, puts hard numbers to something I’ve been saying for nearly two decades: America is approaching a massive, largely unaddressed transition of business ownership — and most business owners aren’t ready for it.

The headline finding: 6 million small businesses will need new owners by 2035 as Baby Boomers retire. The sad news is that, according to McKinsey, 92% of these will not be sold and will simply shut their doors.  The good news is that this means at least 1 million are viable acquisition targets, representing up to $5 trillion in enterprise value.

I Saw This Coming in 2007

When I wrote the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Opportunity, this demographic wave was already clearly on the horizon. The math was never complicated: the largest generation of entrepreneurs in American history, the Baby Boomers, would eventually retire, and the buyer infrastructure to acquire these lower-middle-market businesses was not well developed.

That book led me to co-found the Exit Planning Institute, and to create the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation — a program that has now trained more than 9,000 graduates and helped establish exit planning as a recognized professional discipline. Entire conferences, curricula, and consulting practices have been built around it.

And yet — despite all of that progress — the majority of business owners still exit without a plan in place. The McKinsey data makes that painfully clear: 92% of small business exits or sales today will end in closure. Not sale. Not succession. Closure. Let that sink in.

Profitable companies with real customers, trained employees, and decades of hard-earned reputation — simply shutting their doors because no qualified buyer stepped forward in time.

The Forgotten Core of the American Economy

The businesses most exposed to this risk share a common profile: revenues between $1 million and $10 million, spanning business service providers, regional manufacturers, and B2B specialists. These are owner-operated firms that have quietly powered local economies and supply chains for decades.

They’re too small to attract institutional private equity. Too complex for Main Street business brokers. And too often overlooked by the buyers who could give them a real future. It’s a structural gap hiding in plain sight — and it’s where the closure problem is most acute.

What This Means for Buyers & Sellers

Here’s the other side of the equation that doesn’t get discussed enough.

We talk with a lot of prospective buyers every day. And while well-run businesses with strong fundamentals cross our desk regularly, most buyers aren’t in the market for a good company. They’re searching for the right one — the one that checks all the boxes, including the right combination of timing, fundamentals, and transformative upside.

The challenge is that “right” means different things to different buyers. The right fit depends on the buyer’s background, industry experience, capital structure, growth thesis, and risk tolerance. That means if you are buyer, finding your right acquisition or isn’t a passive exercise. The same applies if you are a seller.  It requires extensive, targeted research and outreach — two things we do every day.

The Bottom Line

This is precisely the space that Jackim Woods & Co. was built to serve. Paul, Jim, and I have spent years developing the relationships, the methodology, and the market intelligence to move these businesses from owner-operated to professionally transitioned — without watching them quietly disappear.The Great Ownership Transfer is not a future event. It’s happening now. Every year that passes without a transaction plan is a year closer to a closure that didn’t have to happen.

If you’re a business owner thinking about your exit — whether in two years or ten — the time to start the conversation is now, before urgency forces your hand.

Contact us at Jackim Woods & Co. We’re happy to help you explore your options, help you develop a plan, and help you find the right buyer for your business. Reach us at jackimwoods.com or contact Rich directly to start the conversation.

2025 M&A Market Overview: What Business Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

The business brokerage landscape in 2025 tells a story of steady growth and selective optimism. After analyzing nearly 10,000 closed transactions representing nearly $8 billion in enterprise value, our research reveals a market that’s maturing with purpose—where buyers are more discerning, and sellers who prepare properly are being well rewarded.

A Market Finding Its Footing

This past year saw 9,586 transactions close, a modest but meaningful 0.4% increase from 2024. While that growth rate might seem incremental, it signals something important: stability, which is crucial amid market disruptions stemming from Trump’s tariffs and immigration enforcement policies, which have caused tremendous uncertainty across our economy.

Another important indicator is that the total enterprise value of $7.95 billion is up 3% year-over-year, demonstrating that deal sizes are expanding even as transaction volume holds relatively steady.

For sellers, the headline number is encouraging: the median sale price reached $350,000, a 2% increase that outpaced inflation in many sectors. More telling is that businesses are selling at an average of 94% of their asking price, suggesting that well-priced, well-prepared businesses marketed by professional business brokers are finding buyers willing to meet them close to their expectations.

The Valuation Story: Cash Flow Still Commands a Premium

Our research relies heavily on closed transaction data from the BizBuySell and our own internal database of closed transaction, which tends to focus on smaller, “main street” types of businesses, with revenues of less than $2 million.  For these small companies, valuation multiples reveal where buyer confidence truly lies.

The average cash flow multiple climbed to 2.61—a 1% increase that may seem small but represents real dollars when applied to six-figure earnings. With median cash flow of $158,950 (up 3%), sellers with strong, documented profitability are in the driver’s seat.

Revenue multiples also ticked up to 0.69, a 2% gain, while median revenue reached $703,000. This suggests buyers are willing to pay more for top-line growth, but the stronger appreciation in cash flow multiples confirms what savvy sellers already know: profit matters more than revenue when it comes to valuation.

Size Premium: It is important to note that larger companies sell for higher multiples of EBITDA and Revenue due to a size premium.  Buyers view larger companies as much less risky then smaller companies so if your business is generating more than $5M in revenue and more than $1M in EBITDA, you can expect your company to be valued at between 4x and 9x EBITDA, depending on the type of business you have and the industry you operate in.

Where the Action Is

Geography continues to play a decisive role in market velocity. Florida led all states in transaction demand, followed by California, Texas, Arizona, and New York.

These aren’t just population centers—they’re business hubs with favorable demographics and diverse economies that create both buyer pools and acquisition targets.

Sector Spotlight: The Reliable and the Rising

Service businesses dominated the closed deal landscape, claiming the top spot ahead of retail, restaurants, and manufacturing. The prevalence of service businesses reflects their scalability, lower capital requirements, and often more predictable cash flows—qualities that resonate in an environment where buyers are prioritizing stability.

But the real story lies in the rising business types that are capturing increasing buyer attention.

• Financial services
• Technology services
• Cafe and coffee retailers
• Beauty and personal care businesses

These sectors share common threads: recurring revenue potential, demographic tailwinds, and business models that have proven resilient through recent economic uncertainty.

What This Means for Sellers

If you’re considering an exit in the next 12 to 24 months, this data offers a roadmap. Buyers are active, valuations are holding, and well-run businesses in the right sectors are commanding strong multiples. The key is preparation: clean financials, documented cash flow, and a clear growth story will position you to capture that 94% (or better) of asking price.

The market rewards businesses that can demonstrate consistent performance, particularly in cash flow. With multiples trending upward, even incremental improvements in profitability can translate to meaningful differences in your final sale price.

What This Means for Buyers

For buyers, the landscape demands strategic discipline. With sale prices hovering near asking prices, there’s less room for bargain hunting, but opportunities exist for those who can move decisively on quality businesses. The rise in cash flow multiples means you’ll need to justify higher purchase prices with clear paths to growth or operational improvements.

The emerging sectors—financial services, technology, specialty retail like coffee shops, and beauty services—represent areas where market momentum may create additional upside beyond the acquisition.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 market isn’t about explosive growth or dramatic shifts. It’s about a maturing marketplace where quality businesses find quality buyers, where valuations reflect realistic expectations, and where the fundamentals—profitability, documentation, and preparation—determine outcomes.

At Jackim Woods & Co., we help clients navigate this landscape with clarity and purpose. Whether you’re building toward an exit or searching for the right acquisition, understanding these market realities is where successful transactions begin.

The data speaks. The question is: are you ready to act on it?

About the Author and Jackim Woods & Co.

Rich Jackim is an investment banker, entrepreneur, and former mergers and acquisitions attorney.

For the last 25 years, Rich has been providing boutique investment banking services to small and lower middle-market companies in a wide range of industries across the United States and Canada.

Rich also founded a successful training and certification company called the Exit Planning Institute, which he sold to a private equity group in 2012.

Rich is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Businesses.

Jackim Woods & Co offers skilled mergers and acquisitions advisory services to privately companies in both sell-side and buy-side transactions. Jackim Woods & Co has arranged over 120 successful transactions, ranging from less than one million to more than eighty million dollars in value.

If you own a business and are interested in exploring your options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you.

Feel free to contact me at 224-513-5142 or rjackim@jackimwoods.com.

How to Value a Janitorial Supply Company in 2025

If you’re considering selling your janitorial supply business, determining its value is the first step. This guide will walk you through the key aspects of valuing a janitorial supply company in 2025, combining expert insights and current market trends to help you understand what your business is worth.

Why is Valuation Important?

Understanding the value of your janitorial supply business is essential for several reasons:

• The Janitorial Supply Sector is experiencing a rapid consolidation as large, national players and regional companies acquire smaller competitors to increase their geographic markets and overall market share. To understand more about this trend, read our article What’s Driving Acquisitions in the Jan-San Sector in 2025.
• Setting a realistic sale price: A proper valuation helps you set a realistic asking price, attracting serious buyers and avoiding wasted time. The number one reason companies don’t sell is that sellers have unrealistic expectations of value. So getting this right from the start is essential.
• Negotiating effectively: Knowing your company’s value empowers you to negotiate favorable terms.
• Making informed decisions: Valuation provides a clear picture of your company’s financial health and potential, guiding your decisions throughout the sale process.

Janitorial Supply Market Overview

The janitorial supply market forms an integral component of the broader facilities management sector, with a global market size valued at USD 31.15 Billion in 2023 and projected to reach USD 40.26 Billion by 2031, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 2.9% during the forecast period of 2024-2031.

In the United States specifically:

• The U.S. Facility Services market was sized at $267.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow steadily, reaching $370.7 billion by 2029.
• The U.S. Janitorial Services market alone had a size of $80.4 billion in 2024 and is forecast to increase to $92.3 billion by 2029.
• The Cleaning & Maintenance Supplies Distributors in the US generated approximately $9.9 billion in revenue in 2024, although this segment has experienced a decline at a CAGR of 2.4% over the past five years.
• The Janitorial Equipment Supply Wholesaling in the US reported revenue of $29.3 billion in 2024, with a modest growth of 0.5% CAGR over the previous five years.

Factors That Affect the Sale Price

The ultimate sale price of your janitorial supply company depends on a variety of factors:

• Financial Performance: Strong financial metrics including consistent revenue growth, healthy profit margins (EBITDA and net income), and stable cash flows significantly impact valuation.
• Customer Base: A diversified customer portfolio with low concentration reduces risk and increases value. High customer retention rates and long-term contracts indicate stability and predictable future revenue streams.
• Operational Efficiency: How efficiently your company manages its operations directly impacts profitability and attractiveness. Streamlined supply chain management, effective inventory control, and technology adoption for enhanced productivity all contribute to a higher valuation.
• Market Position and Competitive Landscape: Your company’s standing within the janitorial supply market, including market share, brand recognition, and geographical reach, influences its valuation.
• Management Team and Employee Stability: The experience, expertise, and stability of your management team are critical factors. Low employee turnover and a skilled workforce are positive indicators of a well-run business.
• Risk Profile: Overall risk factors associated with your business significantly impact valuation. These can include customer concentration, reliance on key personnel, financial instability, and potential regulatory challenges.
• Growth Potential: A business with clear growth potential, such as an expanding customer base or entry into emerging market segments, is more valuable.
• Product Mix and Specialization: Companies offering specialized or proprietary products often command higher valuations than those selling only commodity items.

Janitorial Supply Company Valuation Methods

Here are several methods you can use to determine the value of your janitorial supply company:

• Market Approach: This involves analyzing past market transactions of similar janitorial supply companies to establish a valuation basis. However, accessing transaction data for privately owned companies can be challenging.
• Cost-based Valuation: This approach calculates the cost of creating a similar company from the ground up, including tangible and intangible assets.
• Asset Approach: This method determines the net value of a business’s assets minus its liabilities. It’s crucial to use the market value of your equipment and inventory, and factor in goodwill or intangible value.
• EBITDA Multiples: This common approach applies an industry multiple to your company’s EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization).

Understanding EBITDA Multiples for Janitorial Supply Companies

EBITDA is a key metric for valuing janitorial supply companies. Here’s how to calculate it:

EBITDA = Net income + Interest + Taxes + Depreciation + Amortization

For privately owned janitorial supply companies, we often use Adjusted EBITDA:

Adjusted EBITDA = Net income + Interest + Taxes + Depreciation + Amortization + Owner Addbacks

Owner addbacks might include owner’s salary above market rate, personal expenses run through the business, one-time expenses, and other discretionary expenses that a new owner might not incur.

To determine your company’s value using EBITDA, you’ll calculate:

Your janitorial supply company’s value = Adjusted EBITDA × EBITDA Multiple

Current EBITDA Multiples for Janitorial Supply Companies in 2025

The valuation multiples for janitorial supply companies vary based on several factors, including company size, profitability, market position, and risk profile. Based on recent transactions and market data, here are the approximate EBITDA multiples:

EBITDA Multiples for Privately Owned Janitorial Supply Companies, Q1 2025

It is important to note that these multiples are current as of Q1 2025 and are subject to change based on market conditions.

Data from previous years indicated a mean EBITDA multiple of 8.3x and a median of 8.2x for M&A deals in the Janitorial Industry, while publicly-traded comps had higher mean and median multiples of 11.0x and 10.7x, respectively.

Revenue Multiples for Privately Owned Janitorial Supply Companies, Q1 2025

Data from previous years showed that the mean revenue multiple for Janitorial Industry M&A deals was 0.6x, with a median of 0.5x, while publicly-traded comps showed a mean of 1.4x and a median of 1.0x.

Other Factors Affecting the Value of a Janitorial Supply Company

Several other factors can influence the valuation of your janitorial supply company:

• Customer Type: Companies serving commercial, industrial, or healthcare sectors may be valued differently based on the stability and growth potential of these end markets.
• Recurring Revenue: Businesses with subscription-based models or long-term service contracts typically receive higher valuations due to predictable revenue streams.
• Technological Integration: Companies that have invested in e-commerce platforms, inventory management systems, or other technological solutions often command premium valuations.
• Brand Strength and Reputation: A strong brand with high recognition and positive reputation can significantly enhance company value.
• Geographical Footprint: Companies with a broader geographical presence may be more attractive to buyers looking to expand their market reach.
• Sustainable/Green Product Offerings: Companies focusing on environmentally friendly products may attract premium valuations due to growing market demand for sustainable solutions.

Trends in Janitorial Supply M&A in 2025

Several trends are shaping the M&A landscape for janitorial supply companies in 2025:

• Continued Consolidation: The industry is experiencing significant ongoing M&A activity, with private equity firms playing a prominent role. Companies like Imperial Dade (an Advent portfolio company) and BradyIFS + Envoy Solutions have been particularly active in acquisitions.
• Buy-and-Build Strategies: Private equity firms are implementing “buy-and-build” strategies, acquiring platform companies and then adding on smaller, synergistic businesses to build scale, expand geographic reach, and deepen service capabilities.
• Focus on Technology and E-commerce: Buyers are increasingly valuing companies with strong digital capabilities and efficient operational systems.
• Emphasis on Sustainable Solutions: Companies offering eco-friendly and sustainable cleaning products are attracting premium valuations due to growing market demand.
• Strategic Buyers Seeking Synergies: Larger existing companies are participating in M&A to achieve economies of scale, expand market presence, or gain access to new technologies and customer segments.

The Value of Expert Guidance

Selling a janitorial supply company is a time-intensive and complex undertaking. Engaging an M&A advisor with experience in the janitorial supply sector can significantly increase your chances of a successful sale at the best possible price. An M&A advisor with experience in the janitorial supply sector can:

• Help you accurately value your business
• Prepare necessary offering documents and financial models
• Market your company effectively to financial and strategic buyers
• Negotiate favorable terms
• Manage the due diligence process
• Ensure a smooth closing and transition

By understanding the key valuation methods, market trends, and preparation steps, you can confidently navigate the sale process and achieve the best possible outcome for your janitorial supply business.

About the Author and Jackim Woods & Co.

Rich Jackim is an investment banker, entrepreneur, and former mergers and acquisitions attorney.

For the last 25 years, Rich has been providing boutique investment banking services to middle-market companies in a wide range of industries, including the janitorial supply sector.

Rich also founded a successful training and certification company called the Exit Planning Institute, which he sold to a private equity group in 2012.

Rich is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Businesses.

Jackim Woods & Co offers skilled mergers and acquisitions advisory services to privately owned janitorial supply companies in both sell-side and buy-side transactions. Jackim Woods & Co has arranged over 100 successful transactions, ranging from less than one million to more than eighty million dollars in value.

If you own a janitorial supply company and are interested in exploring your options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you.

Feel free to contact me at 224-513-5142 or rjackim@jackimwoods.com.

This article is also available on LinkedIn.

How to Value Your Cybersecurity Business in 2025

Valuing Your Cybersecurity Business: A Comprehensive Guide for Owners

Read our previous article for information about mergers and acquisitions deals in the cybersecurity sector in 2024.

About the Author and Jackim Woods & Co.

Rich Jackim is an experienced investment banker, education industry entrepreneur, and former mergers and acquisitions attorney.

For the last 25 years, Rich has been providing boutique investment banking services to middle-market companies.

Rich also founded a successful training and certification company called the Exit Planning Institute, which he sold to a private equity group in 2012.

Rich is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Businesses.

Jackim Woods & Co offers skilled mergers and acquisitions advisory services to privately owned software, SaaS, tech-enabled, and cybersecurity companies in both sell-side and buy-side transactions. Jackim Woods & Co has arranged over 100 successful transactions, ranging from less than one million to more than eighty million dollars in value.

If you own a cybersecurity-related business and are interested in exploring your options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you. Feel free to contact me at 224-513-5142 or rjackim@jackimwoods.com.

Expert M&A Advisors: Flexible Solutions for Complex Transactions

In today’s dynamic mergers and acquisitions landscape, businesses need experienced advisors who can provide targeted expertise without the rigid structure of traditional full-service engagements. Our boutique M&A advisory firm offers flexible, hourly consulting services that give you access to senior-level expertise precisely when you need them.

Strategic Advisory Services Tailored to Your Transaction

Whether you’re preparing for a sale, evaluating an acquisition opportunity, or navigating complex negotiations, our experienced team provides comprehensive support across all critical aspects of M&A transactions. Our hourly consulting model allows you to leverage our expertise efficiently while maintaining control of your process and budget.

While we still offer clients the option of working with us under the traditional retainer and success fee or commission model, more and more clients are opting for the hourly consulting approach.  Here’s why.

Strategic Financial Planning and Analysis

Our seasoned advisors work alongside your executive team to strengthen your financial narrative and strategic positioning. We assist CEOs and CFOs in developing compelling financial presentations that highlight your company’s value drivers and growth potential. Our services include:

• Strategic financial analysis and report preparation
• Custom financial modeling and projections
• Valuation analysis and benchmarking
• Scenario planning and sensitivity analysis

Professional Transaction Management

Successfully navigating an M&A transaction requires meticulous attention to detail and deep market knowledge. Our team provides comprehensive support throughout the entire process:

• Data room preparation and management
• Professional presentation development
• Process mapping and milestone planning
• Timeline management and coordination

Expert Transaction Guidance and Negotiation Support

Leverage our extensive transaction experience to optimize your outcomes. Our advisors provide:

• Market intelligence on current terms and conditions
• Strategic negotiation support
• Term sheet and LOI guidance
• Deal structure optimization
• Purchase agreement consultation

Our Expert Team

Our firm brings together a diverse team of M&A professionals, each contributing specialized expertise to your transaction. Our team includes:

• Investment Bankers with decades of deal experience across various industries
• Financial Analysts who excel at modeling, valuation, and detailed financial analysis
• Project Managers who ensure smooth process execution and milestone achievement

Every team member is carefully selected for their transaction expertise and commitment to client success. This combination of skills ensures you receive comprehensive, professional support throughout your M&A journey.

Cost-Effective Advisory Services

Our innovative hourly consulting model represents a significant departure from traditional M&A advisory fee structures. By eliminating the standard success fee that most investment banks and M&A advisors charge, we can deliver substantial cost savings to our clients while providing the same high-quality expertise and service.

Significant Cost Savings

Traditional M&A advisory fees typically include a substantial success fee ranging from 1% to 5% or more of the transaction value. For mid-market transactions, this can translate to fees between $100,000 and $500,000 or more. Our hourly model eliminates these success fees, potentially saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars while still maintaining access to top-tier advisory services.

Flexible Engagement Model

Our hourly consulting approach allows you to access senior-level expertise without committing to a full-service engagement. This approach provides:

• Cost-effective access to expert guidance
• Flexibility to scale services up or down as needed
• Ability to supplement internal resources strategically
• Professional support throughout the transaction lifecycle

Senior-Level Expertise

Every engagement is staffed with experienced M&A professionals who bring:

• Decades of transaction experience
• Deep industry knowledge
• Proven negotiation expertise
• Strategic insight and practical guidance

Client-Centric Approach

We focus on delivering value through:

• Tailored solutions for your specific needs
• Direct access to senior advisors
• Clear, actionable guidance
• Efficient resource utilization
• Avoidance of any conflict of interest that is possible when a success fee is involved

To see if an hourly consulting or success fee engagement is best for you, please read our related article about the pros and cons of each approach.

Partner with Experienced M&A Advisors

In today’s complex M&A environment, having the right advisor can make the difference between a good deal and a great one. Our hourly consulting services provide the flexibility and expertise you need to navigate your transaction successfully while potentially saving hundreds of thousands in traditional success fees.

Contact us today to learn how our experienced M&A advisors can help you achieve your transaction objectives.

About the Author and Jackim Woods & Co

Rich Jackim is an attorney, investment banker, and entrepreneur. For the last 30 years, Rich and his team have been providing boutique investment banking services to small and middle-market companies in over 30 industries.

In addition to running a successful M&A advisory firm, Rich founded a successful training and certification company called the Exit Planning Institute, which he sold to a private family office in 2012.

Rich is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Businesses.  It became an Amazon best-seller in the business consulting category the year it was published.

If you own a business and are interested in exploring your options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you. There is no cost or obligation to you and all discussions are completely confidential.

Feel free to contact me at 224-513-5142 or rjackim@jackimwoods.com.

An Innovative Approach to Business Brokerage and M&A Fees

Working with a business broker or M&A advisor can significantly enhance your results when selling your business. At our firm, we recognize the distinct needs of each client and offer an innovative alternative to the conventional business broker fee structure. In addition to the traditional full-service commission or success-fee model, Jackim Woods & Co provides clients with the option to engage us as consultants and pay on an hourly basis, offering a more personalized approach tailored to your requirements.

Our innovative hourly billing option allows you to access our expert services as needed, ensuring you only pay for the specific assistance you need, resulting in significant cost savings. Regardless of the fee model chosen, we are committed to providing exceptional services and outcomes aligned with your unique objectives.

Deciding Between Fee Structures

Success-Fee Basis

PROS:

1. Aligned Interests: Our fee is contingent upon the successful sale, aligning our interests with yours and motivating us to get the highest price for you.
2. Minimal Upfront Costs: With only a small retainer upfront, you can minimize initial expenses.
3. Confidence in Broker’s Ability: Our willingness to work on a success-fee basis reflects our confidence our ability to sell your business.
4. Risk Mitigation: If the deal falls through, you incur no financial obligation other than the initial retainer, thereby reducing your financial risk.

CONS:

1. Higher Overall Cost: The success fee, a percentage of the sale price, will usually result in higher costs compared to hourly billing.
2. Focus on Larger Deals: Brokers may prioritize larger deals due to their compensation being tied to deal size.
3. Possible Rush to Close: There’s a risk of prioritizing closing the deal over negotiating optimal terms for you.

Hourly Basis

PROS:

1. Cost Control: Hourly billing offers predictability and manageability, especially for smaller transactions or prolonged processes, ensuring you pay only for the services you need.
2. Flexibility: You can tailor our services to your needs, from brief consultations to having us run a comprehensive sell-side process for you.
3. Objective Advice: Our fee structure ensures impartial advice focused on your best interests rather than simply closing the deal.
4. Transparency: Transparent billing simplifies expense tracking and comprehension.

CONS:

1. Upfront and Ongoing Costs: The hourly fee is due whether the deal closes or not, so the cost to you may be higher than the initial retainer under the success fee based approach.
2. Less Incentive to Close Quickly: Because we are solely focused on providing you with impartial, objective advice, it could potentially prolonging the process.

Case Study

Recently, we assisted the owner of a medium-sized court reporting firm in California. With a business valued at $1M, she sought our expertise in navigating a sale. She had already been approached by several buyers, so she just needed our help determining what her firm was worth, analyzing each buyer’s offer, providing assistance in negotiations and counterproposals, and help responding to the buyer’s due diligence requests.  Since she didn’t need us to run a full sell-side process, the consulting model was ideal for her.  Typically, brokers charge an 8-10% success fee, translating to $80,000 in this case. Opting for our hourly consulting model, she saved a substantial amount. With 40 hours of consulting time spent, including valuation, negotiation, and due diligence assistance, her total fee amounted to $15,800, saving her $64,200 compared to the traditional business broker commission model.

Conclusion

Recognizing the uniqueness of each client’s needs, we offer both traditional commission and consulting fee models. Whether engaged using a success-fee arrangement or hourly billing, our commitment remains steadfast to providing top-tier service tailored to your objectives.

About the Author and Jackim Woods & Co

Rich Jackim is an attorney, investment banker, and entrepreneur. For the last 25 years, Rich has been providing boutique investment banking services to small and middle-market companies in over 30 industries.

In addition to running a successful M&A advisory firm, Rich founded a successful training and certification company called the Exit Planning Institute, which he sold to a private family office in 2012.

Rich is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, The $10 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: Designing Successful Exit Strategies for Middle Market Businesses.  It became an Amazon best-seller in the business consulting category the year it was published.

If you own a business and are interested in exploring your options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you. There is no cost or obligation to you and all discussions are completely confidential.

Feel free to contact me at 224-513-5142 or rjackim@jackimwoods.com.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: Selling an RV Dealer

If you’ve ever heard the saying, “You don’t know, what you don’t know,” and never understood it, I was there also. I sold my family business about 18 months ago to a much larger company. At the time, I thought that knew a lot about the RV industry, after all, I was a third-generation owner. I figured if my grandfather and father had been successful for over 50 years, what they’d taught me ought to be enough. That idea, that concept embedded into the depths of my thought, couldn’t have been more wrong. I soon would learn “what I didn’t know.”

The first six months were really a blur. Our projections and goals were constantly changing based on more growth than I ever could’ve imagined. All of the new tools and information I now had at my disposal were amazing. Any question I had could be answered, and hunches could now be backed up with quantifiable data. I’ll admit it was a bit of an overload at first, but now it has become normal.

To people that have been brought into the light after having been in the dark, the world seems amazing, and this is how I felt. Along with this amazing feeling also comes a bit of shame. I now can say, “I didn’t know what I now know.” Shame comes from knowing that in 50 years of business, we never truly grew. Not when I came home from college with all my “fancy” degrees and learning. Not from an evolving economy. We only focused on small, consistent growth that was very risk-averse and preservation-minded. Debt was always considered bad. Sure, we made a great living, but now I know what could’ve been.

So to all those out there who “don’t know what you don’t know,” I suggest you learn before it cost you as much as it cost me. Sure, it cost me in the valuation of my company, but most of all, it cost me years of personal and professional growth. Now I am always searching for ways to improve, so if I am ever in the same position, my “don’t know” won’t last very long.

If you own an RV dealer, supplier, or OEM and would like to explore your growth options or exit options, I would welcome an opportunity to speak with you.  Feel free to contact me for a confidential, no-cost, no-obligation consultation at chudman@jackimwoods.com or 208-521-1521.  I look forward to speaking with you.