Our Business

CRI Capital Advisors is a nationally recognized investment bank specializing in the preparation, positioning, and sale of family-owned and closely-held companies. These companies have unique dynamics and surprising complexities that require specific focus and attention. CRI Capital Advisors has extensive experience in navigating the path toward a successful outcome for clients facing the opportunities and challenges specific to family-owned and closely-held companies.

Our committed team of mergers and acquisitions professionals provides guidance and support toward the client’s targeted outcome including: a complete sale of a company, a partial sale of a company, and preparation for eventual sale. When partnering with CRI Capital Advisors, you can expect the highest level of attention and respect from the senior-most members of the firm. Supported by a parent company comprised of more than 2,000 tax, audit, financial, and valuation professionals, we deliver tailored advice and precise execution for each client.

CRI Capital Advisors exists to serve the clients of Carr, Riggs, & Ingram, LLC.

Complete Sale

Likely the option most familiar to business owners, the complete sale of a company may represent the best scenario for clients seeking immediate or near-term retirement, or simply a change of direction in professional life. A complete sale often provides the largest immediate pay-out, but normally precludes the seller from benefiting significantly from the future growth of the company. In this scenario, CRI Capital Advisors provides clients with exceptional access to strategic and financial acquirers, with extreme focus on achieving the highest possible immediate valuation of the company and the cleanest deal structure possible that disentangles the client from the company. The complete sale of a company requires special care in positioning the transition with the company’s customers, employees, and suppliers,as the total exit of an owner can destabilize a company if not handled properly. Our recent success in selling 100% of a sixty-year-old, third-generation company to an international, publicly traded acquirer bears witness to our team’s ability to navigate complex and delicate transactions with precision.

Majority Sale

Perhaps a lesser known option, but one with potentially the largest total payout to the client, is the majority sale, also called a majority recapitalization. In this scenario, the client sells a majority of the company (normally 60% to 80%), but retains a meaningful minority ownership position and continues to exercise day-to-day operational control over the company. This option is most attractive to business owners who wish to continue to lead the company for three to seven more years but would like the financial security of immediate personal liquidity. A majority sale also enables the business owner to participate in the financial benefits of the company’s continued growth without the ongoing investment and risk to personal capital normally required to fund aggressive growth. CRI Capital Advisors identifies and matches its clients and facilitates deal structures and terms with well-funded, highly-reputable financial partners, enabling the business owner to achieve financial security and asset diversification while continuing to lead the business forward. These financial partners, often private equity groups or family offices, also possess the business skills and connections to further accelerate the growth of the company. This is called “smart money,” as these financial partners bring more to the table than financial backing. When the business owner ultimately seeks a final and full exit through the sale of his or her minority interest in the business, due to the company's rapid growth, this second payout is often as large or larger than that achieved at the time of the initial transition.

Minority Sale

In some circumstances, it makes sense for a business owner to bring in a financial partner to provide the needed funding for the next phase of the company’s rapid growth. This can be achieved through a minority sale, which is often most attractive to business owners who feel they are just hitting their stride and simply need access to capital in order to execute their vision. The presence of a well-funded, professional, and business-savvy financial partner with a track record of enabling high-growth companies to achieve scale, often creates a tailwind that rapidly accelerates the growth of the company without requiring the business owner to incur unhealthy levels of debt, relinquish control of the company, or struggle to grow from an undercapitalized position. CRI Capital Advisors has the expertise, experience, and access to capital markets that enable our team to understand your business, create a profile of the ideal partner, and locate that partner within the vast expanse of our network.

Preparation for Eventual Sale

The sale of your company will likely be the most significant business transaction of your life.
Early preparation could make the difference between an acceptable outcome and an exceptional outcome.
The CRI Capital Advisors team guides its clients through an extensive pre-sale process, which includes:

• a statistically-driven, detailed assessment of your company,
including benchmarking in comparison to participants in your specific industry

• in-depth industry research to discern the current business environment and future outlook

• analysis of mergers and acquisitions activity, trends, valuation metrics, and likely acquirer profiles

• a determination of your company’s current market value and areas for potential value enhancement.