—Catanzaro“Keiter Stephens Advisors is unique because they understand the art of selling a family foodservice distributor. They helped us identify the key areas of value in our business, and their due diligence work left no guesswork. Most importantly, throughout the process, they never let things slide, they constantly worked to keep things moving to the next stage, they kept the entire family focused and unified, and made sure we knew what was happening every step of the way.”
—Mid-America“When it came to getting my company ready for sale, I know I couldn’t have done this on my own: you think you know what the business is worth, but Keiter Stephens was able to run the numbers to establish the true marketable price with the right paperwork behind it. I was very comfortable working with them and had a lot of confidence in them throughout the process – Keiter Stephens really knows foodservice, and they are completely professional. They were also highly confidential – they made sure no news leaked inside or outside our company. After excellent preparation, I sold to my general manager for the right price. I have nothing but praise for Keiter Stephens and recommend them highly.”
—NATCO“The costs of an independent foodservice distributor are growing faster than our gross margin dollars, but more importantly, our customer base was struggling in a tough market. Rarely did a week go by where I didn’t hear from someone who had a client looking to buy someone “just like me”. They didn’t even know me. The calls went to voicemail, the letters hit the trash, and the e-mails were deleted.
KSA approached me with a warm, genuine offer to see if it made sense to consider selling the business. They worked hard to understand me and what made my business unique. They understood the pride that every owner feels.
Now that the sale has been completed, I can say Keiter Stephens was aggressive on value but compassionate and supportive to my emotional needs, and they commanded a higher multiple than what those other finance firms were proposing. I sold my business before I thought I would, but I’ve never felt better.”
—Valley Food Service“I contacted KSA to help me evaluate my options regarding the business. Like so many other independent distributors, our customer base has struggled in a tough economy, sales have fallen off and that put a strain on my operation. I needed an alternative that would provide those long time customers with uninterrupted service, while securing a fair value of my life’s work. Bill Beattie and his team were able to quickly help me consider my options, then put together a transaction with Reinhart that accomplished both of these objectives. I am happy to say that the speed at which KSA was able to put together a transaction, combined with the value I realized, surpassed my expectations.”
—Great Western Meats“Earlier this year, our family decided we should consider selling our distribution business. We turned to Bill Beattie at Keiter Stephens Advisors for advice and he confirmed there had been a recent increase in the number of industry transactions.
We have known Bill for many years and had confidence his firm could deliver the results based on their experience in marketing food distribution companies and meat processors. KSA guided us through the process of developing the information, determined whom to approach and conducted the negotiations on our behalf. Bill kept us well-informed and worked with us to assure we achieved the business and family objectives we had in mind.
KSA brought the right resources to the table, kept the process moving and helped us achieve an outcome that exceeded our expectations.”
—Glover Foods“My first experience with KSA was on the opposite side of the table when Glover was purchasing a distributor in Alabama they represented. I was immediately impressed with their expertise. After that transaction was completed, we retained KSA for a multi-year advisory relationship. While I believe their industry expertise, insights on today’s buyers and technical skills are unparalleled, the most impressive quality they showed during our negotiations was their humanity. The KSA team was keenly aware of the emotional impact on all the stakeholders involved in selling our 120 year old family company and helped us through those challenges.
Even though we didn’t have a “for sale” sign in the front yard, our partnership with KSA eventually helped us develop and solidify a relationship with US Foods. Bill’s experience with them was an important factor in helping us reach the comfort level we needed to make a deal happen. While selling our family’s business was one of the toughest decisions we’ve ever had to make, it was the right move made at the right time. Bill Beattie, Chris Hagen, and company worked long hours to ensure the best deal for Glover. They were there with us every step of the way and we couldn’t be happier with and the results of our deal.”
—SOC Reporting Assisted in AcquisitionOne of our technology industry clients provided services that were financially significant to their customers and as such, their customers required a SOC 1, Type 2 report to be completed. Our client’s rapid growth and excellent client service model positioned them as a strong target for acquisition. The SOC 1 report (formerly SAS 70) that we performed made a good impression with the acquiring company and helped solidify a favorable deal for the business owners.