Welcome to What's Next, hosted by Acuity Advisors, the show where we help business owners understand how to monetize the value of what they built, and navigate one of the most crucial steps in their financial lives, which is to say, succession planning, transition, and ultimately exit.
In this podcast, we look at the fundamentals of ESOPs, their benefits, drawbacks, and when and where they are a good fit for a business owner who is seeking a transition of ownership.
4 Jan 2023
ESOP Transactions & The Current Debt Markets – Are Deals Getting Done?
While 2022 was a challenging year for many index funds and most everyone’s 401(k), private market buyouts and ESOP transactions remained relatively robust, in terms of both valuation and transaction volume.
In this month’s episode, Chris and Chase sit down to unpack how, even amid rising interest rates and the prospect of a recession, business owners were still able to leverage ESOPs to achieve their succession goals, and what dynamics lay ahead for owners weighing a sale in 2023.
12 Oct 2022
Q4 ESOP Update: Topics, Trends & Takeaways from the CAWS Conference
As overall M&A activity in the U.S and around the world cools off, new ESOP formations continue to show high levels of activity, even amid turbulent macro conditions. In this month’s edition of What’s Next, Chris and Chase share their insights on how the market for ESOP transactions can be so resilient, and what the industry at large is focused on heading into year-end.
2 Jun 2022
Talking Talent: Recruiting, Retaining and Incentivizing your Leadership Team
In the era of virtual workspaces and unprecedented personal mobility, finding and landing senior talent seems more difficult than ever. At the same time, retaining and motivating the leaders you already have might be even more vital.
Join us for a lively discussion with Chris Craig, VP of Executive Search with McDermott + Bull, a worldwide leader in executive search and interim leadership placements. Chris takes us through today’s talent acquisition landscape, how companies are exploring and leveraging interim executives to meet their immediate goals, and what other perks and incentives are helping businesses keep their leadership teams on board and on track.
11 May 2022
Key Takeaways from the NCEO National Conference
Late in April, a large contingent from the ESOP community gathered in Seattle to reconvene at the National Center for Employee Ownership’s first in-person National Conference since Spring 2019. In this month’s episode, Chris and Chase sit down to go over the major themes discussed among ESOP company leaders and advisors at the conference, and how recent economic and market trends are impacting the environment for new and existing ESOP companies in 2022.
12 Mar 2022
Valuation Updates in a Post-Pandemic Economy
In this episode of What's Next, Chase and Chris are talking about five of the major themes impacting business valuation and transactions in the global economy today, including interest rates, inflation impacts, and a few other major topics that are front of mind for everybody right now. Take a listen and let us know what you think at acuityadvisors.com/contact.
23 Feb 2022
What’s Next 1-on-1: The Role of an ESOP Trustee
This month, we’re joined by our very first guest on the podcast, Mike Flesch of Alerus Financial. In his role with Alerus, Mike serves as the independent and institutional trustee for a number of employee-owned companies, and he stopped by the studio (office) to talk with Chris Kramer about what an ESOP trustee does, how to select a trustee if you’re planning to implement an ESOP, and some of the ways leadership teams and trustees can work together to help their companies maximize the benefits of an ESOP.
24 Nov 2021
Dealing Through the Pandemic: 5 Ways COVID is Changing M&A
In the early days of the pandemic, deal making in the middle-market came to a sudden and startling halt. Since then, overall M&A activity has reached a frenzied pace across virtually all industries and market segments, and shows virtually no signs of slowing down. In this month’s episode, Chris and Chase talk through the dynamics driving the surge in transactions, and how both buyers and sellers are navigating the lingering impacts of the pandemic.
28 Oct 2021
Getting from A to ESOP
Unlike 401(k)s or other common retirement plans, implementing an employee stock ownership plan generally requires a formal purchase and sale of shares, with preparation, negotiation and diligence - much like a traditional M&A transaction. But in several ways, the ESOP implementation process can be faster, less intrusive and more cost-effective than a third-party sale. Tune in to our latest episode to learn more about how we help business owners sell stock to their employees.
23 Sept 2021
You’ve Been Approach by a Buyer - Now What?
In Episode 4 of What’s Next Hosted by Acuity Advisors, Chris Kramer and Chase Hoover talk about what to do if you are approached out of the blue by a serious buyer offering to acquire your business. They’ll talk about how to respond initially, why it’s important to get a good team in your corner quickly, and how you can maximize the value of that offer without having to bring in any other bidders.
23 Aug 2021
What’s the Deal with ESOP?
Chris Kramer and Chase Hoover talk about a flexible, tax-advantaged alternative exit strategy for business owners who are ready to make that long-awaited transition. It’s a plan that can preserve or even enhance corporate culture, provide a meaningful employee benefit, and ensure the legacy and sustainability of the company over the long term. It’s the Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
21 Jul 2021
Getting Over the Goal Line (an M&A Case Study)
In our second episode, Chris Kramer and Chase Hoover roll out the first of our client case studies - the sale of a mid-sized business in the healthcare services space that successfully closed back in early 2020, just before the world turned upside down. We reflect on the challenges faced, strategies implemented, and ultimately the victories achieved, with the goal of helping our listeners share in the lessons learned for their own benefit.
Why revisit this particular deal? Well, as a California C corporation with over 400 employees, more than a dozen individual shareholders, and no outright majority owner, any viable transaction needed to balance the often-conflicting goals and objectives of the various sellers, while also satisfying key structural criteria to preserve after-tax outcomes for the entire group. Rigorous planning, tactful interaction, and cogent communication proved vital in getting our clients to the right result.
17 Jun 2021
What’s the Deal with Investment Bankers
In our first episode, Chris and Chase dive into a simple question with complex answers- why do middle-market business owners hire investment bankers?
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