Selling your company
Structured, discreet and competitive: we advise owners on the sale of their company, from Cologne for North Rhine-Westphalia and across Germany, from the first confidential conversation to closing.
A good sale is the result of a good process
For most owners it is their very first company sale, for the buy side it is routine. We level that playing field: with professional preparation, a structured, competitive process and consistent negotiation, so that in the end buyer, price and terms are right.
The occasion is as individual as the company: succession without a successor in the family, selling for retirement or selling to a strategic partner. What stays the same is the craft behind it.
Taking stock & valuation
Where does the company stand, what is it worth, which type of buyer fits? Often the path begins with a company valuation at a fixed price.
Preparation & documentation
Equity story, information memorandum, prepared financials: we make your company ready for due diligence before the first buyer hears about it.
Buyer search & discreet outreach
From our network and database, 3,500 financial investors and family offices, more than 800,000 companies, we approach fitting buyers anonymously first, nationally and internationally.
Competitive process & negotiation
Several interested parties in parallel, staged disclosure, clear deadlines: competition among buyers works for you, not against you.
Due diligence through to closing
Purchase agreement, warranties, handover arrangements: we run the intense final phase in a structured way and stay at your side until the signature and beyond.
Selling a company in Cologne, NRW and across Germany, with buyers from around the world
We have been advising from Gut Maarhausen in Cologne since 2014. Many of our mandates come from North Rhine-Westphalia: Cologne-based logistics company MBS Logistics, MBE Moderne Befestigungselemente from Menden in the Sauerland or KÖNIG + CO. from Netphen in South Westphalia. We equally advise owners far beyond: in Baden-Württemberg, for instance, fibre-optic specialist VISCO from Jagstzell and the shareholders of toy manufacturer Schleich, in Bavaria Germania Inkasso from Deggendorf, and in Hesse Leipold + Döhle GmbH. The buyers came from Switzerland, the USA, Belgium and Abu Dhabi.
That is precisely the point: those selling a company in NRW or elsewhere in Germany need an advisor close by, and at the same time a network that reaches far beyond the region.
MBS Logistics → AD Ports Group
Cologne-based MBS Logistics, established for almost 40 years, with more than 450 employees in 26 offices worldwide, became part of the listed AD Ports Group of Abu Dhabi, completed via its European logistics arm Noatum Logistics. A company sale that began in Cologne and ended globally.
More on this transaction →Questions about selling a company
How long does it take to sell a company?
Typically six to twelve months from preparation to closing, depending on complexity and the buyer universe. It can be faster: the sale of MBE to the SFS Group took five months including preparation.
What is my company worth?
Market value follows from recognised M&A methods, DCF, multiples and transaction comparables, and ultimately from a competitive process. Our fixed-price company valuation provides a first reliable assessment.
How does the sale stay confidential?
Buyers are approached anonymously first, details follow only after a signed confidentiality agreement and in stages. You decide who learns which company is for sale.
Who are the potential buyers?
Strategic acquirers such as competitors, customers or corporations, as well as financial investors and family offices. We identify fitting candidates from our network and database of 3,500 financial investors and more than 800,000 companies, nationally and internationally.
Does Zerbach & Company also advise on sales outside Cologne and NRW?
Yes, across Germany and cross-border. Being based in Cologne means short distances within North Rhine-Westphalia, while our buyer search and partner network operate internationally, most recently with buyers from Switzerland, the USA and Abu Dhabi. We are also active abroad on the sell side: in the UK, we advised on the sales of Emergency Lighting Products Ltd. (Billingshurst) and The Expanded Metal Company Ltd. (Hartlepool).
Thinking about selling your company?
The first conversation is non-binding and, of course, strictly confidential.