RANDY RUA
CRYSTAL BALL
Founder and President Rua Associates LLC Zeeland
PHOTO: KATY BATDORFF
Rua Associates works on both the buy-side and sellside of mergers and acquisitions, primarily with small- to medium-sized manufacturers. His best advice for both buyers and sellers: Plan ahead to reduce the chance of surprises and setbacks in a transition.
Visit www.mibiz.com
“We see financial statements for a lot of privately held companies in West Michigan and based on their performance for 2013 and the anticipated sales pipeline, we believe they will continue to grow. The current backlog and workload for manufacturing companies is very high, so there is significant opportunity for growth in that space. In regards to mergers and acquisitions, this will mean business owners will be able to sell their companies for more due to better utilization and margin resulting in increasing cash flow and the continuation of a positive revenue trend. Strategic companies have more cash on hand and will continue to pursue the acquisition of other companies aggressively to develop capacity and take market share. Lastly, there is good news for financial buyers as well, as banks are finally starting to use their excess capital and want to lend money for business transitions.�
Special Year-End Edition: MiBiz Crystal Ball 2014 / DECEMBER 23, 2013
41