Selling a company in North Rhine-Westphalia
Structured, discreet and competitive: we advise owners across North Rhine-Westphalia on the sale of their company, from Gut Maarhausen in Cologne and with buyers from around the world.
Selling a company where the mid-market is at home
North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany's most populous federal state and economically as diverse as few regions in Europe: family businesses in the Sauerland and South Westphalia, industry in the Ruhr area and the Bergisches Land, machinery in East Westphalia-Lippe, trade, logistics and services along the Rhine. Yet the best buyer for a company from here is rarely found next door; more often it is abroad or among financial investors.
That is why we combine proximity with reach: we have advised from Cologne since 2014, and Leander Zerbach has served on the board of the Private Equity Forum NRW for many years. Our company sale page describes the process in detail.
From the Rhineland via the Sauerland to South Westphalia
Cologne-based MBS Logistics, with more than 450 employees in 26 offices worldwide, became part of the listed AD Ports Group of Abu Dhabi. MBE Moderne Befestigungselemente from Menden in the Sauerland went to the listed Swiss SFS Group in a competitive bidding process, within five months including preparation. And KÖNIG + CO. from Netphen found a buyer in the United States after almost 100 years in family hands. All three buyers came from outside the region; none would have been found through a purely local approach.
Assessment & Valuation
Where does the company stand, what is it worth, which type of buyer fits? The path often begins with a fixed-fee company valuation.
Discreet Buyer Search
We approach suitable buyers anonymously at first, in NRW, across Germany and internationally. Details are shared only after a non-disclosure agreement is signed.
Competitive Process to Closing
Several interested parties in parallel, clear deadlines and consistent negotiation, until purchase agreement and handover are in place.
KÖNIG + CO. → HBH Holdings, Inc.
A family business from Netphen in North Rhine-Westphalia with a history of almost 100 years, a world-renowned manufacturer of tank heads, cones and special pressed parts. When no continuation emerged within the family, we advised the shareholders on the succession solution through a sale to US-based HBH Holdings of Cincinnati.
Read the full announcement →Selling a company in NRW
Do you advise on company sales across all of North Rhine-Westphalia?
Yes. From the Rhineland via the Ruhr area and the Bergisches Land to South Westphalia, the Münsterland and East Westphalia-Lippe. Distances from Cologne are short. And of course we also advise across Germany and beyond.
Do the buyers come from North Rhine-Westphalia?
Sometimes, but rarely. In our most recent NRW mandates, the buyers came from Abu Dhabi, Switzerland and the United States. What matters is a competitive process with the right buyers, wherever they are based.
Why an M&A advisor from the region?
A company sale takes months and requires many personal meetings, from preparation to negotiation. Short distances make the process tighter and more discreet. The buyer approach itself is unaffected: it runs nationally and internationally.
Does the sale remain confidential, even in closely connected industries?
Yes. Buyers are approached anonymously at first; details follow only after a non-disclosure agreement and in stages. Precisely in NRW's mid-market, where people know each other, this discipline is essential.
Do you run a company in North Rhine-Westphalia?
The first conversation is non-binding and confidential, at your premises or at Gut Maarhausen in Cologne.