170 (Estimated Number of North American PCB Shops)
According to GP Ventures’ database, the number of PCB companies in North America is now down to 170. Just 22 months ago, the number was 199. Frankly, the actual number of active PCB manufacturers in the United States and Canada is probably closer to 150, but it is hard to keep track of the smaller... Read More →
Breaking Out of the Box
Many businesses are “in a box,” that is, stuck within a range of revenues and profits. Some boxes can be velvet-lined and comfortable; others are lined with sandpaper. Buyers will usually pay more for companies that are growing, profitable, investing, and are doing something different from the competition. Buyers will pay less for companies that... Read More →
Mid-Year PCB and EMS North American M&A Update
Mergers and acquisitions in North America in the PCB and EMS sectors during the first eight months of 2022 were down compared to the same period in 2021. In the PCB sector, we counted four deals in 2022 compared to seven during the first eight months of 2021. In the EMS sector, we are aware... Read More →
Concerns About ESG Issues in PCB M&A
Recently, ESG issues have become more prominent in business as well as in M&A deals. ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. Too bad it does not stand for “Eat something good,” but it can stand for improving operations and how stakeholders view the business. Here are some of the factors that go into an... Read More →
A Primer on M&A
Feature Interview by Dan Beaulieu D. B. MANAGEMENT GROUP Tom Kastner of GP Ventures is a busy man these days. He’s been involved in several M&A deals, including the sale of Royal Circuits and Advanced Assembly in May to Summit Interconnect. Tom spent some time with Dan Beaulieu, who often consults with PCB and PCBA companies,... Read More →
Today’s M&A: Right on Target
Feature Interview by Nolan Johnson I-CONNECT007 In this enlightening conversation with M&A specialist Tom Kastner, Nolan Johnson learns that it’s a buyer’s market—and a seller’s market too. This sets up an interesting dynamic no matter which side you might be on. What trends are in play that have led to this situation and how can... Read More →
How to Incentivize Employees During a Deal
Many owners like to reward their employees when a business is sold. It is a great way to thank the employees for their years of service and to help keep them around for the buyer. In addition, it is a good idea to pay key employees a bonus during the sale process. Not only will... Read More →
GP Ventures Represents Royal Circuit Solutions and Advanced Assembly in their Sale to Summit Interconnect
Summit Interconnect is pleased to announce the acquisition of Royal Circuit Solutions with California operations in Hollister and Santa Ana and affiliate Advanced Assembly located in Aurora, Colorado. The acquisition expands Summit’s PCB offering in rigid, flex, rigid/flex and ATE PCBs, significantly strengthens engineering and service resources providing CAM, DFM/A, PCB design/layout, and also adds... Read More →
The Unwritten Laws of M&A
There are many unwritten laws of sports. For example, when a batter gets a hit in baseball, one of the greatest sins of the game is to flip (throw) the bat. However, when we were kids and we got a hit in whiffle ball, we would throw that bat as high in the sky as... Read More →
M&A Activity: Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Feature Interview by Dan Beaulieu D.B. MANAGEMENT GROUP M&A activity is on the rise and shows no indication of slowing down, even if interest rates climb. In the past two years, there were more than 45 deals. Where does your company fit in? In this interview with Dan Beaulieu, M&A expert Tom Kastner breaks... Read More →