Selling to an international buyer

The issue

The owner of a privately held UK building products manufacturer was approaching retirement age and sought to realise the value he held in the business. The business had a strong profile in the UK market, with a number of UK competitors, but could also be attractive to similar manufacturers in the US and Europe, if these could be accessed effectively.

Our approach

PwC leveraged its international network to establish where there were existing relationships within the firm with potential buyers in Europe, the US and elsewhere across the globe. Having identified means to access potential buyers on a local basis, PwC worked with shareholders to: prepare the business for sale; introduce the business to potential buyers on a local basis, ensuring key messages were delivered with maximum impact; manage an auction process involving pan European and US buyers; and provide full support through the auction process, offers and negotiations through to completion of the transaction.

The outcome

The business was sold to a US buyer seeking market entry into the business’s particular product area. For the owner, this represented a successful realisation of his investment, with the knowledge that the business had been tested with an international set of potential buyers. For the successful buyer, contact at the outset through PwC’s international network had established similar activities in the US, alongside an appetite to develop product range within European markets. This had secured the buyer’s inclusion in the auction process.

The lead PwC partner on this project was Tony Meeke. Contact him on 020 213 5580 to find out what PwC can do for your company.