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$1.1 Billion Set New Record for C.I.A. Members

Concord, New HampshireCornerstone International Alliance (C.I.A.) members completed 146 business transactions in 2021, setting a new record of more than $1.1 billion in value. The Alliance is comprised of 25 industry-leading M&A and investment banking firms in the U.S., and across the globe, focused exclusively on serving businesses in the lower middle market.

“This is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to our member’s expertise, the strength of the organization and the global network it creates,” said Nick Olsen, Managing Director of Cornerstone International Alliance. “The members’ combined experience, resources and collaborative efforts are generating a new level of value for their clients in the lower middle market, and we’re excited about what’s ahead in 2022.”

The Alliance members typically work with business owners whose companies have $500,000 to $10 million in EBITDA or $5 million to $150 million in revenue; the primary services provided include business sales, acquisitions, and valuations.

“We’re always striving to find ways to help one another through networking and the sharing of best practices, which is the goal of the organization,” explains John Howe, Director of Business Transition Strategies(BTS). “Ultimately, the members are firms with a track record of success, high integrity professionalism at all levels of the market and actively work to set a high standard for M&A excellence in the lower end of the mid-market. We work with owners who have built impressive businesses - ones big enough to need a strategic transfer process like the one we use. We have a passion for the lower mid-market and understand the tug of war emotions involved in reaching a time when selling is a reality. I was among the founding members of this alliance which has grown through adherence to strong core values. We look forward to meeting owners and their teams.”

Founded in 2018, C.I.A. members have completed over 3,600 business transactions.

 

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BTS News

  • Manufacturer Sold and New Owner Expands It

    Manufacturer Sold and New Owner Expands It

    BTS served as advisor in the sale of PlasTech Machining Fabrication, Inc. to DelCam Holdings in 2020...the company has grown substantially, doubling employment and adding capacity to boost future prod

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  • How M&A Will Respond to Next Recession

    How M&A Will Respond to Next Recession

    The takeaway for business owners: Get back to basics. Don’t worry about hyper growth. De-risk your company as much as possible.

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  • Perception vs Reality with Small Businesses

    Perception vs Reality with Small Businesses

    Sometimes the economic picture on the news seems inconsistent with what is happening for many business owners. Nearly every owner we speak to is out straight.

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  • NH-Based Techinical Manufacturing Company Sold

    NH-Based Techinical Manufacturing Company Sold

    Hampshire Controls has a bright future with new ownership. The company was recently sold by Diane Rush, owner and president, to Pillar Imaging and its leader Dr. Michael Pilon.

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  • Be Ready When You Are Ready

    Be Ready When You Are Ready

    When a business owner says it’s time to sell, I ask, “How fast do you want to be out?” The answer I hear most is, “Yesterday.” But sellers underestimate how long the process takes.

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  • Looking at a Sale Through the Right Lens

    Looking at a Sale Through the Right Lens

    Sometimes our vision about the future is blurry because we aren’t considering the whole picture but only parts of it.

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  • 5 Deal Points from the Trenches

    5 Deal Points from the Trenches

    Today I work with clients of Business Transition Strategies who are implementing Growth Through Acquisition strategies. Here are a few observations from working on a wide variety of projects.

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  • Tax Changes Could Hurt Net Proceeds

    Tax Changes Could Hurt Net Proceeds

    Changes proposed to the capital gains tax suggest they may need to get 30% more in a transaction in the future just to net the same value they would get today.

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  • Good Ideas From Shark Tank Deal

    Good Ideas From Shark Tank Deal

    One of my colleagues in Cornerstone Alliance was front and center in a recent Shark Tank exercise. A business that had been sold was put in front of four potential buyer groups.

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  • Buyer Trends in Lower Mid-Market

    Buyer Trends in Lower Mid-Market

    Other businesses are a significant market for companies being sold within the lower mid-market.

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Case Studies

  • Precision Machining Company

    Initially, liquidation was a serious consideration. It would offer a quick exit but would hurt loyal employees and disrupt the customers who had come to rely on its quality production.

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  • Green Product Company

    Our client owners could dig in for the long haul…However, this would take five years or more. Owners simply lacked the horsepower to do it.

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  • Water Purification Company and Young Buyers

    Owners decided they wanted to retire. They also wanted to be fair to the staff who had been loyal to them. Could the company be sold, the staff retained and the facility remain in use?

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  • Magnetics Company with High Profile Customers

    (T)he manufacturer would need to focus on growing EBITDA to capture interest from major strategic buyers and achieve a higher multiple of earnings.

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