THE DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGN
Our Client – The Vendor
Based in Gladstone QLD, Vision Environment (“VE”) is a boutique environmental consultancy with a wide range of capabilities relevant to saltwater, estuarine and freshwater ecosystems. Its core business is the provision of water quality monitoring services to clients involved in commercial dredging &/or other industrial activities that impact on marine environments. The Business differentiates itself by bringing together a highly qualified and multi-disciplinary team of experts with a suite of its own proprietary research & technology solutions to offer real-time, fully-validated water quality monitoring. The strength of VE’s niche offering – backed by a 10-year track record – has seen this mid-sized, regional operator regularly win interstate engagements as well as overseas in New Zealand.
Vision was established in 2008 by two doctorate holders with deep environmental science experience, focused on applying the rigours of scientific investigation and academic research to the design & delivery of its service offering as well as to the development of its own technology solutions. After more than 10 years building the Business and 18+ years in the industry, the Directors wanted to setup a succession strategy and ensure continued future growth for the Business. They engaged Johnsons Corporate to undertake a sales campaign, seeking a strategic acquirer that could take the Business to the next level.
The International Sales Strategy
For prospective buyers, VE represented an established profitable business with a strong pipeline of future works, in addition to a highly experienced team, loyal customer-base and strong industry relationships. Furthermore, it presented multiple opportunities to leverage the strength of its unique offering and proprietary technologies into new markets &/or geographies.
Johnsons Corporate’s custom research & marketing focused on Environmental Consultancies in Australia and overseas as the primary target market. Secondary research segments spanned Engineering Consultancy, Project Management, Assets & Infrastructure Management, Dredging Services, and Testing & Inspection Services. Johnsons ran a proactive international marketing campaign that uncovered 21+ qualified, interested parties. Further vetting and negotiations resulted in the selection of a preferred buyer, with Offer and Acceptance secured within 16 weeks of going to market.
(Read more about how using a Specialised Mid-Market Business Broker Approach to selling your business could get you a better outcome – just like our client).
The Strategic Trade Buyer
Texas-based Trinity Consultants Inc is a PE-backed EHS (environmental health and safety) consulting company with offices across the United States, Canada, the UK, Asia and Australia. The acquisition of Vision Environment has increased the diversification of its service offering and has further added to its growing geographical footprint in Oceania.
What Our Client Had to Say
“Given the specialist nature of our business, and likely suitors, we needed a very strategic and targeted divestment strategy. Our appointed broker, Johnsons Corporate, certainly delivered on this front. Significant effort was made to understand our business and the attributes that would be valuable to potential buyers. This was then combined with a very robust international marketing program, ultimately identifying a very strong, multi-national strategic suitor for our business.”
Leonie Andersen & Felicity Melville Directors - Vision Environment