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Sound Advice Years ago, when I was debating whether to leave a secure and promising position with a high-tech company to acquire a small (under $1M) wire harness company, I was fortunate to [...]

Are US Wire Harness Plants Ever a Low-Cost Option? My short answer to the above question is “Definitely.” And why does this important, fundamental question continue to be asked? Probably because [...]

Two Key Components in Optimizing a Deal by Loren Smith Valuation is, of course, the crux of the sale process, and within the valuation are two sometimes overlooked essentials: a detailed forecast [...]

Why Culture Matters Many years ago, as a new owner of a small (under $1 million revenue) wire harness company, I found myself sitting with about a dozen other wire harness manufacturers in the [...]

The Brokerage Scam Harness manufacturers often ask me about frequently receiving letters or emails from entities claiming to have a buyer interested in acquiring their company. Are these [...]

Getting Deals Done Remotely by Loren Smith Although the pandemic has accelerated a dramatic change in the way we communicate and learn, one might assume that a process as complex and delicate as [...]

Pandemic Realities by Loren Smith As one would expect, our business is not different from most during this time of extreme disruption caused by the coronavirus. I continue to stay in close [...]

Perception vs. Reality: An Avoidable Obstacle in Consummating a Deal by Loren Smith A gap between perception and reality––on the seller’s side or the buyer’s––is often the biggest barrier to [...]

A Downside of Debt By Loren Smith _________________________________ Because borrowing money to finance various business activities is such a normal practice, I am often asked about the pros and [...]

The Value of a CIM by Loren Smith  Often, wire harness owners who retain me to sell their company will ask if developing a CIM (confidential information memorandum) is really worthwhile. I [...]