Vacuum Instrument Corporation

Vacuum Instrument Corporation

Sold to Valero Capital Partners

What made the business attractive to buyers?

  • Fortune 100 Customers
  • Strong Parts and Service Business
  • Ability to custom design solutions for customers
  • Some of the highest leak detection sensitivities in the industry

Challenges:

  • Market and product were mature
  • Business had significant investment in inventory
  • Owner wanted the sale of real estate along with the business.

The Company is a world leader in leak detection, devoted solely to the research, design, manufacture, distribution, and service of leak detectors and complete leak detection solutions. The Company’s staff of engineers, system design personnel and applications specialists provide a highly experienced team of leak detection experts. The Company offers an unparalleled breadth of applications knowledge and leak detection experience along with the fastest, simplest, and most sensitive leak detectors in the industry. Over one billion products around the world have been tested with its automated leak test equipment consisting of general purpose helium mass spectrometer leak detectors, mass flow and pressure decay systems, and industrial helium mass spectrometer leak detection solutions.

Why did the Owner want to sell?

After 50 years with the business as both employees and owners, the two managing shareholders thought it was time for a new management team.

Beacon’s Role and Results:

Beacon Equity Advisors assisted with the valuation, marketing, deal negotiations and due diligence necessary to bring about a deal the sellers desired, including:

One that allowed the company to continue in its current location saving the jobs of the 50 employees,

The buyer has industry expertise that will enable the business to operate more efficiently and grow.

Enable the sale of the business and real estate concurrently as desired.

Allowed for a short but smooth transition period for the retiring shareholders

Exactly the deal the owner of this business desired.

The Process:

Beacon marketed the business for approximately nine months to identify private equity firms with the industry knowledge, not only in test and measurement, but also in the leak detection space.

  • Beacon worked closely with approximately 54 buyers who showed interest after reviewing the Profile.
  • We narrowed this field down to 13 equity groups who continued to show significant interest and submitted indication of interest (IOI).
  • 4 buyers were invited to meet with shareholders and management for ½ day meetings and submit offers.
  • 2 groups were invited in for a two day meeting with shareholders and company management to make sure that before the LOI was signed, and the business taken off the market, the buyer group was reasonably comfortable, the fit was strong, and had a high likelihood of completing the deal.
  • Management and Buyers negotiated a final deal.

Owner was able to choose between two competing all cash deals and was able to choose a buyer they felt would be the best for the business and their employees.

About Beacon Equity Advisors – Since 1985 Beacon Equity Advisors, a leading New England M&A advisory firm with offices in eight key cities, including Boston, MA and Providence, RI has represented owners selling closely held businesses such as Vacuum Instruments Company or Ronkonkoma, NY.  Vacuum Instrument Company is a leader in the industrial custom leak testing industry.  Their ability to craft a customize test to ensure proper manufacturing, even down to the smallest of atoms enabled them to service domestic, European and Asian companies in their compliance testing.  Beacon Equity Advisors’ experience selling companies in the compliance test and measurement industry enabled them to tell an engaging story about this company who origins date back to the Manhattan Project.  Highlighting key enterprise attributes enhanced the company’s value as Beacon identified prospective buyers who were able to clearly recognize synergistic opportunities. Not only did Beacon tell their story well, they identified hidden assets the owners did not ever know they had.  By matching the right buyer with the right seller, shareholders were able to realize an above market value multiple in the sale of their business. Beacon represented the Board of Directors and Shareholders in identifying the buyer, negotiating deal terms and brokering the transaction to a buyer from Massachusetts.

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