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Prairie Middle Market Perspective Summer 2022

Any comparisons this year to the extraordinary 2021 M&A market, with record levels of middle-market and global deal activity, was likely to be disappointing...

Prairie Industry Perspective - Food & Beverage - June 2022

The significant disruption the COVID-19 pandemic wrought on global supply chains, along with rising inflation, has resulted in higher costs...

Prairie Industry Perspective - Metal Forming - May 2022

The U.S. metal forming industry converts ferrous and nonferrous metals into a variety of intermediate or end-use products..

Prairie Middle Market Perspective Spring 2022

The extraordinary 2021 M&A market saw record levels of middle- market deal activity, even with significant transaction processing constraints toward the end of the year.

Prairie Industry Perspective - Electrical Distribution - March 2022

Electrical Wholesaling reports that, during 2021, the performance of the electrical distributors industry improved substantially from the downturn experienced in 2020...

Prairie Industry Perspective - Construction - February 2022

The construction industry experienced both highs and lows throughout 2021.

Prairie Middle Market Perspective Winter 2022

Calendar year 2021 produced what was a significant 12 months in the post-pandemic recovery.

Prairie's 2021 ESOP Construction Survey

Prairie Capital Advisors is excited to share its ESOP Construction Survey. Prairie works with owners of private construction businesses across the country, providing advisory services ...

New Federal Infrastructure Funding and Surface Transportation Reauthorization Signed into Law

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers' (“ASCE”) 2021 “Report Card for America's Infrastructure,”

My Client Asked Me About an ESOP — What Do I Need to Know?

As a trusted advisor to business owners, you may be asked about Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“ESOPs”) and may be looking for answers on how to discuss them with your clients.

Why Sellers to an ESOP May Benefit by Pre-Paying Their Capital Gains Taxes in 2021

When a business owner sells their company to an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”), they are taxed on the profit made from selling the business; this is known as the long-term capital gains tax.

Maximize the Benefits of ESOPs

An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) can be a very effective tool for transitioning ownership for construction companies. Unfortunately, many construction business owners are unaware of the benefits that ESOPs provide.

Valuing Contingent Consideration in Corporate Transactions

When negotiating the sale of a business, contingent consideration provisions are oftentimes incorporated as a component of the total purchase price ...

Gift & Estate Tax Valuation Pointers: The Importance of a Qualified Appraisal

The owners of a closely-held business may be interested in exploring gift and estate tax planning strategies and, as part of the planning, need to know the value of the business.

Why Consider a Corporate Divestiture?

One aspect of a chief executive’s job is managing the portfolio of assets that comprise the company. While a mutual fund portfolio manager can readily buy and sell stocks in their fund, it is much harder for a CEO to buy a target company or sell units of his company...

FASB Finalizes Private Company Goodwill Triggering Event Standard Update

The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update 2021-03 (ASU 2021-03) detailing amendments to the rules for private companies ...

ESOPs: A Solid Ownership Foundation for Construction Companies

Many business owners in the construction industry have decided to pursue an Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP") as part of their exit strategy.

Driving Value with Innovation: A Critical Role for The CEO of an ESOP Company

A company can have many reasons for considering an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) as an ownership transition alternative. One major reason for embracing this strategy is culture.

Prairie's 2020 ESOP Construction Survey

Prairie Capital Advisors is excited to share its ESOP Construction Industry Survey. Prairie works with owners of private construction businesses across the country, providing advisory services ...

The Pandemic End Game: Preparing for a Resurgent M&A Market

Many economists are comparing the current pandemic situation to a natural disaster rather than a cyclical downturn.

Focus on Forecasting & the COVID-19 Pandemic

As one would imagine, the owners of shares in any company - including companies that are partially or completely owned by an Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Why Choose an ESOP?

When it comes to deciding upon an exit strategy, owners of closely held businesses...

Ownership Culture: Employee Resilience & Motivating the Millennial Workforce

In this article, we discuss factors such as the importance of information sharing,

Creating Value for Your Business When Your Best Assets Are People

For owners of closely-held, service-based businesses...

Three Fairness Opinion Myths

A fairness opinion evaluates different types of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs, spin-offs, and buybacks, among others.

The Building Blocks of Ownership Transition

Oftentimes, the owner of a privately-held company invests years - if not decades - in building a successful business.

The Importance of Developing Your ESOP Company's Future Leaders

Today’s business leaders are faced with growing pressure to deliver strong results in an increasingly complex and uncertain economic environment.

Preparing for the Sale of an ESOP Company

Generally, the idea of selling is not a priority for the senior management team or board of directors ("board") at a successful ESOP-owned company.

The Arithmetic of Ownership Transition

For many business owners of privately-held companies, the transition...

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Potential M&A Transaction Issues & The Way Forward

In this paper, we highlight what we view as the major post-pandemic M&A transaction issues.

Top Five Reasons You Should Consider Changing Your ESOP Valuation Firm

Typically, companies that sponsor an Employee Stock Ownership Plan

A Craft Beer Story...Is an ESOP Right for You?

‘Tis the season to be jolly. ‘Tis also the season to sell lots of beer…

Importance of Corporate Governance in ESOP Companies

When transitioning your closely held business to new ownership with an...

Repurchase Obligation Studies & The Other Importance of Future Share Price Estimates

Planning for ESOP repurchase obligation is an important issue facing companies with an ESOP when their stock is not traded on a public exchange...

The Top Five Reasons Social Services Companies Should Consider ESOPs

Social services companies can be uniquely suited to be employee-owned companies...

A Healthy Transition: Why ESOPs Can Be a Good Fit for Social Services Companies

Social services companies can be uniquely suited to be employee-owned companies...

Building a Strong Deal Team

M&A, recapitalizations, ESOPs and other types of ownership transitions...

The Top Five Ownership Transition “Inflection Points” for Dental Practitioners

As you know, there are a lot of “moving parts” in the day-to-day management of a business. Between dealing with staff and patients, improving profitability, ...

Harpoon: Tapping Into Employee Ownership

In the summer of 2014, Boston-based Harpoon Brewery became an employee...

The Top Five Reasons Craft Brewers are Turning to ESOPs

Liquidity options are plentiful for owners of craft breweries...

What’s Driving the Value of Your Business

Over 90% of all Companies in the U.S. are closely-held and many of these...

Hiring a Financial Advisory Firm

If you’ve ever sold a home, you know how complicated it can be

ESOP Planning: Expand & Grow Your ESOP

Companies with Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs") will face challenges...

Growing Your Business with Strategic Acquisition

For the owner of a closely held business, the end of the calendar...

Business Valuation: The Strategic Decision-Making Tool

As a business owner, the need to understand the current value

Retain & Reward Your Key Employees with Synthetic Equity

Locating, hiring and retaining the best employees is an...

Fractional Ownership Transition Strategies

For the owner of a closely held business contemplating ownership transition,...

What are Your Ownership Transition Alternatives?

There are several paths you can take when it comes time to...

Ownership Alternatives that Maintain Craft Brewer's Independence

Recent M&A activity has resulted in some independent craft brewers...

The GreatBanc & DOL Settlement Agreement

In the summer of 2014, there was a public announcement regarding the settlement...

The Corporate Divorce: Tactics for Dissolving a Business Partnership

Your business partner suddenly decides he wants to leave the

What is Your Business Really Worth

There are several paths a business owner can take when it comes...

The Pros & Cons of ESOPs

When it comes to choosing an ownership transition strategy, owners...

ESOP Structuring & Financing: Anticipating & Avoiding Obstacles

Do ESOP transactions ever fail to close? Absolutely.

The Importance of the Special Committee in Transactions

A basic tenet of corporate law is that the Board of Directors...

Structuring an ESOP

For many privately-held business owners, the sale of their company is a once...

Recapitalizations

Every business owner reaches a time when they want to develop a plan...

Beyond the Purchase Price

When discussing the sale of a business, one of the most frequently asked...

The Value of an M&A Process

Why do many financial sponsors try to avoid buying companies...

Creating a Strategy for a Sustainable ESOP Company

Sustainability is a concept that captures our ability to keep something going...

The Top Five Ownership Inflection Points

There are many moving parts in the day-to-day management of a business.