The U.S. Small Business Administration released SOP 50 10 8.1 on August 14, 2026, introducing several meaningful changes to how SBA-backed business acquisitions will be structured and underwritten beginning October 1. For manufacturing and industrial business owners and buyers, these changes deserve attention. SBA financing plays an important role in lower-middle-market M&A, particularly at the […]
The latest M&A market data provides encouraging news for owners of quality manufacturing and industrial businesses considering a sale. The Q2 2026 Market Pulse Report, produced by the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and M&A Source, shows a market that continues to favor sellers in the Lower Middle Market. Buyer competition remains strong, valuation multiples […]
For many manufacturing business owners, selling the company is about far more than achieving the highest possible purchase price. You may have spent 20, 30, or 40 years building the business. Some employees may have worked alongside you for decades. Customers and suppliers may have become personal relationships. Your company may be an important employer […]
Inside the Trends Driving Industrial M&A Across the Lower Middle Market For years, many founder-owned manufacturing businesses across the Midwest quietly built successful companies without much outside attention. They focused on serving customers, investing in equipment, developing skilled workforces, and delivering quality products rather than actively preparing for a future sale. Today, however, many of […]
The Spring 2026 M&A Source Conference brought together many of the leading lower middle market M&A professionals from across North America for several days of education, networking, and dealmaking in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Held twice each year, the conference serves as one of the premier events for M&A advisors, investment bankers, private equity professionals, lenders, attorneys, […]
Each year, the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) hosts its Annual Conference, bringing together many of the most experienced business brokers, M&A advisors, investment bankers, valuation professionals, and transaction specialists from across North America and globally. I recently returned from the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I participated in several days of […]
Why Aging Ownership, Labor Constraints, and Buyer Demand Are Reshaping Lower Middle Market Industrial M&A For decades, the Midwest manufacturing economy has been built by founder-led and family-owned businesses that quietly became essential suppliers to American industry. Many of these companies were not created through institutional capital or rapid-growth startup models. Instead, they were built […]