March 28, 2024

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Maine M&A gurus forecast offer momentum to choose up

3 min read

Portland-based accounting company BerryDunn kicked off 2021 by joining forces with a Connecticut peer, in what some professionals predict will be a additional energetic yr for mergers and acquisitions involving Maine organizations.

When most bets are on acquirers from out of point out wanting for shopping for opportunities in the Pine Tree State, advisers be expecting a gradual pickup in the two directions.

The predictions come after offer volume in and out of Maine declined sharply in 2020 in the course of the onset of COVID-19, according to information compiled for Mainebiz by Dealogic.

Information show there have been just 7 bargains by Maine acquirers in 2020, down from 23 in 2019, although the quantity of Maine-focused discounts dropped by half, from 32 in 2019 to 16 in 2020.

Offer price amounts trended in reverse instructions, with $400.8 million well worth of Maine-specific mergers and acquisitions in 2020, significantly down below $1.86 billion in 2019.

By distinction, Maine-based mostly acquirers ran up a a bit larger tab, paying a combined $686.3 million in 2020 compared to $582.6 million in 2019.

The greatest chunk of the 2020 greenback price total came from two acquisitions really worth a put together $577 million by Portland-primarily based economic technologies firm WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX), completed at a portion of the authentic price tag.

‘With uncertainty will come opportunity’

What is the basic outlook for M&A this 12 months?

Pierce Atwood companion Chris Howard, a member of the Portland regulation firm’s business group, expects an active 12 months.

“Business that have been ready to preserve a company fiscal footing in excess of the past 9 months are on the lookout to the entire world and declaring, ‘OK, this has been a challenging surroundings, but alongside one another with challenge and uncertainty comes option,'” he instructed Mainebiz.

Noting which is driven in part by “outrageous” minimal desire prices and valuations that have arrive again into manageable ranges, he said, “That has induced a lot of businesses that perhaps didn’t have an acquisition program or technique to seriously believe about progress by way of M&A.”

While he expects Maine to carry on to have extra sellers than customers, Howard said he also has some shoppers with acquisition ambitions.

“I am operating correct now with a couple of solid Maine-primarily based enterprises that do not have frequent acquisition applications that are hunting to do out-of-point out acquisitions,” he said. “They want to expand their market place in an environment wherever there may possibly be chances.”

Whilst sectors this sort of as hospitality and retail adversely afflicted by the pandemic offer you present-day getting alternatives to fascinated suitors, companies in house goods production and lumber could be be looking to grow, both through investing in their own facilities or obtaining aligned amenities.

“It can be a seriously diverse environment on the full,” he stated. But he also cautions that would-be acquirers must not drag their heels, declaring, “These prospects are heading to be on the desk for possibly the following 12 months and not for a longer period.”

He also recommends that corporations tread cautiously, specifically if they haven’t produced preceding acquisitions, cautioning, “It can be effortless to get it completely wrong.”

Restaurants ‘on the market’

Murray Plumb & Murray’s Chris Branson, a spouse who heads the Portland regulation firm’s company exercise group, reported that most of his clients are holding off on promotions for the minute.

“They’re all in a holding pattern for hundreds of distinct good reasons, substantially of them COVID-associated,” ‘he stated. He mentioned he can feel of 3 bargains previous 12 months influenced the the pandemic, two of which did not take place and one particular that experienced to be considerably renegotiated.

Now, Branson said, “my hunch is that there’s almost certainly opportunistic acquiring options occurring.”

When he has not witnessed a great deal action but on that front, he explained, “I have a few of restaurant businesses that are on the marketplace that would go for deal costs appropriate now.”

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