9 Ownership Transition Issues Specific to Contractors

All businesses face challenges with an ownership transition.

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There are nine interrelated issues that heavily impact contractors. 

Succession: 9 Ownership Transition Issues Specific to Contractors.

We will dive deeper into each of these over the next week:

  1. Strength and alignment of the management team (post-deal)
  1. Culture of the company - Is it prepared for an ownership succession and compatible with the new owner? Seems “soft” but is very “hard” and can destroy value quickly.  
  1. Key relationship continuity with employees, customers, and others.
  1. Financial partner alignment with banking, surety, and possibly insurance.  
  1. Cash generation capabilities.
  1. Asset vs. stock sale - who owns past liabilities, how are they quantified, and what is the tax implication?
  1. Sustainable growth strategy and plan to ensure value is created for all stakeholders.  
  1. Future direction of the construction industry and ensuring you are neither selling nor buying the equivalent of a horseshoe manufacturer and installer in 1900.  
  1. Extremely low barriers to entry for new contractors can easily create competitors out of unaligned stakeholder groups, which often destroys value.  

9 Ownership Transition Issues Specific to Contractors
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

9 Ownership Transition Issues Specific to Contractors
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Organizational Structures and Leadership Development
As contractors look at their organizational structures with an eye toward both sustainable growth and succession, they must balance the efficiency a functional area structure provides with the leadership development of a business unit structure.
The Capability and Market Balance (The Chicken or Egg Dichotomy)
Sustainable growth for contractors requires balancing capabilities and capacity with the available market. Like balancing on the toes of one foot, balance is not a static relaxed state. It requires focus, continuous adjustments, and deliberate practice.
Succession Fact #1: Capital and Cash Flow
Succession Fact #1: No deal structure will substantially create capital or cash flow. It is only the business performance that ensures all major stakeholder groups are compensated properly for their time and capital put at risk.