The next generation of Meier Industries begins with the right buyer.

Four key figures on the planned process.

Meier Industries AG, a family-owned supplier of precision components, faces succession. The owning family wants a buyer who continues the site and the workforce. Helvetia structures the sale as a controlled, discreet auction.

Deal size

EUR 220 to 280 M

Expected bidders

37 qualified addresses

Process duration

9 months (industry avg.: 14)

Comparable transactions

14 sell-side since 2018

A quality asset with substance.

Meier Industries makes precision components for machinery and medical technology. 320 employees, EUR 140 M revenue, a 19 percent EBITDA margin, long-standing customer relationships with high repeat rates. Exactly the profile strategics and PE are hunting for today.

Unsplash

Discretion before price.

A sale is decided before the first number. Cast the net too wide too early and you burn confidentiality and leverage.

A family business does not sell itself twice. Discretion, process certainty and access to the right buyer universe decide the outcome, not the headline of the first indication.

The market favours the seller.

Researched market context, backed by sources. The timing for a sell-side process in the DACH mid-market is favourable.

1. 1

   Succession drives supply

   A growing number of family-owned DACH companies face succession, keeping the sell-side market active.^[3]

2. 2

   Strategics and PE compete for quality

   Ample liquidity at strategics and private equity targets high-margin niche assets and supports multiples.^[1][2]

3. 3

   Structured processes pay off

   Carefully run competitive processes deliver measurably better outcomes than bilateral approaches.^[2]

Market context, researched. Full references in the Sources section.

37 pre-qualified addresses, grouped into five segments.

Filtered from 240 addresses by strategic fit, capacity and acquisition history. Each segment gets its own approach, its own value narrative and its own pace.

Expectation: 12 to 15 indicative offers, narrowed to a shortlist of 4 to 6 bidders.

EBITDA multiples on comparable deals.

Three recent transactions in the same segment mark the range. Meier Industries sits at the upper end of the peer group on margin and order book.

Three scenarios for the proceeds.

The range follows the realised multiple. A competitive process shifts the outcome from the base to the bull case.

Assumptions: 7.5× / 9.5× / 11×. Adj. EBITDA 2024: EUR 26 M.

Why Helvetia.

Sell-side in the DACH mid-market is not a side business, it is our only one. Four numbers on the record since 2018.

Nine months from engagement to closing.

Four phases, clearly timed. Each phase has a defined outcome and a decision point for the owning family.

1. 1

   Preparation (mo. 1 to 2)

   Data room, information memorandum, vendor due diligence, buyer-list validation.

2. 2

   Market approach (mo. 3 to 4)

   Discreet approach to the 37 addresses, NDA, IM dispatch, about 12 to 15 indicative offers expected.

3. 3

   Due diligence & LOI (mo. 5 to 7)

   Buyer DD, management presentations, LOI negotiations, shortlist of 4 to 6 bidders.

4. 4

   SPA & closing (mo. 8 to 9)

   Exclusivity, SPA negotiation, antitrust and regulatory approvals, signing and closing.

Success-based. Lehman+ across three tranches.

Our fee rises with the proceeds, the interests are aligned. We earn substantially only at closing.

Retainer EUR 25,000/mo., creditable at closing.

Three steps to the engagement.

1. 1

   First conversation

   60 minutes, fully confidential, no obligation.

2. 2

   Indicative memorandum

   Within 14 days, with valuation, buyer list and process roadmap.

3. 3

   Engagement

   Term sheet and engagement letter, then preparation begins.

References and market sources.

Every market claim above is backed by publicly available industry sources.

1. 1Global M&A ReportBain & Company · 2024 · bain.com
2. 2Global M&A Industry TrendsPwC · 2024 · pwc.com
3. 3Mergers and acquisitions in GermanyStatista · 2024 · statista.com