Buying a business
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Founded in 1986
21 employees
Headquarters in Montreal
When sellers and buyers share a common vision
Whether you are a buyer or seller, transferring a business requires solid preparation. The first step is to fully understand all the human and financial elements of a successful transfer.
At Desjardins Capital, we are committed to protecting Quebec entrepreneurs. That's why we support you and help you successfully transfer a business. What matters most to us is ensuring that the transition is smooth and the business continues to grow.
A successful business transfer in every way
Keep the business moving forward, growing and competitive! Since 1986, this has been the mission of the two owners of Multiforme Métal, a manufacturing company in eastern Montreal. After 30 years, the time had come to sell their business to motivated buyers, eager to ensure its long-term viability.
Kristel Miville and her partner, Jonathan Gobeil, wanted to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. The idea of taking over a business and growing it, without starting from scratch, was natural and exciting for them. After looking at about 40 companies, they finally found the ideal business: Multiforme Métal.
With its unwavering commitment to innovation, the company still had plenty of growth potential. Specializing in the design and manufacture of laundry chutes, garbage chutes, garbage compactors, containers and balers for the residential and industrial markets, Multiforme Métal had many major customers, such as the City of Montreal, which continued to showed sustained interest in its products.
The initial meetings quickly revealed that the buyers and seller were united by a common vision. Without a doubt, there was a strong connection between Kristel, Jonathan and the company owners. The transaction quickly came to a close.
Ever since, the former owners have retained a role in the company to make the transition smooth. The new leaders, meanwhile, have become familiar with the company and have successfully launched new projects. Since the transfer, the staff and sales have grown.
Interview with Kristel Miville, President of Multiforme Métal
[A woman with short blonde hair is being interviewed.]
Kristel Miville: A year and a half ago, I started doing research. I analyzed over 40 businesses before finding the one of my dreams.
[Background music: Upbeat instrumental music.]
[Aerial footage of downtown Montreal at the foot of the Mount .]
[Text on screen: A successful business transition.]
Kristel Miville: Kristel Miville, president of Multiforme Metal and proud Montreal entrepreneur.
[Kristel poses with her arms crossed, smiling broadly.]
Kristel Miville: I took the plunge into entrepreneurship because I wanted to become my own boss. I was raised by entrepreneurs and I've always worked in the manufacturing industry, so this was a natural transition for me.
[Kristel and a colleague speak together as they walk through the Multiforme Metal factory. Metal cylinders of various sizes are arranged side by side. An employee works on rectangular pieces of metal, operating a machine that folds their edges.]
Kristel Miville: I started doing research a year and a half ago. I analysed over 40 businesses before finding Multiforme Metal last year.
[In the factory, employees work on the construction of containers, compactors and garbage chutes bearing the logo of Multiforme Metal.]
Kristel Miville: Desjardins Capital was the leader in this transaction. With their help, we were able to create a sound business model with my other financial partners. They've allowed me to build something flexible in order to pursue the goal that we had set for ourselves.
[An employee suspends a large metal structure with a pulley. Another opens an electrical box and works on the wires inside. A third transports a blue garbage chute using a forklift and loads it onto the back of a truck.]
Kristel Miville: The future of Multiforme Metal depends on innovation. We are working on products and developing an intelligent chute that meets the criteria put forward by municipalities like Montreal, a chute that will be able to separate compost, trash and recycling materials. It's the niche product that we are currently concentrating on.
[A man enters a waste disposal room and pushes a button reading "recycling" on a control panel, and then inserts a newspaper into the chute. In the basement, the massive blue structure divides waste into three separate containers.]
Kristel Miville: My advice to young entrepreneurs would be to find great financial partners, to know their limits well and to abide by them throughout the project in order to find an acquisition or business that really aligns with their core personal values.
[Image on screen: Desjardins Capital logo]
"If I have one piece of advice to give, it's to follow your heart and surround yourself with people who share the same values. It sounds cliché, but I'm convinced it makes all the difference in business. At Multiforme Métal, it's allowed us to go at our own pace and maintain our personality and integrity as a business." – Kristel Miville, President, Multiforme Métal
Desjardins Capital's analysis
After 30 years in business, Multiforme Métal was still a company with significant growth potential. This made it an attractive business opportunity for managers who wanted to be in charge of their own business.
Given the company's strong roots in the community, both Desjardins Capital and the two parties wanted to keep the company in Quebec and even increase the number of employees.
For three decades, Multiforme Metal has had a reputation as a company run with integrity and kindness by principled people. It was essential for the former business owners to feel that the new generation of managers shared their vision of a responsible business and wished to give it new life.
Multiforme Métal's strengths
- Growth potential
- Sound financial situation
- Well-built business plan
- Shared values
- Skilled management team
The keys to a successful business transfer
For both the seller and buyer, the transfer of a business is not to be taken lightly.
For the seller, it was about bequeathing the fruits of his labour and ensuring the long-term viability of his business, in addition to securing his personal wealth. For the buyers, it was about seeking a company in line with their values that could still grow.
For both parties, the process required discussion and analysis. This planning, carried out beforehand, enabled the entrepreneurs to consider all the ins and outs of the transaction. This is a process that could be smoother if guided by experts who, through their strategic advice, could make this ambitious deal a reality.
Desjardins Capital's support
"Buying a business without financial advice is impossible! With my partner, we approached many investors, but Desjardins Capital stood out with a tailor-made, flexible financing solution that meets our needs. With the support of Eric Krause, our investment manager, his close proximity and advice — which was adapted to our situation — we felt confident from the start. Without his support, I do not believe that the purchase of the company would have been based on conditions favourable to us and that Multiforme Metal would have progressed as quickly." - Kristel Miville, President of Multiforme Métal