Acquisitions & Mergers

Unlike many buyout firms focused on short-term gains, Bast Holdings has spent over seven years building and maintaining long-term partnerships with portfolio companies and operating partners. Our investment approach allows business owners to retain significant equity, benefiting from multiple liquidity opportunities while ensuring strategic growth and stability.

We structure acquisitions and mergers to align with sellers’ divestiture goals, succession planning, and estate strategies. Our flexibility has been a defining strength, enabling us to successfully complete over 200 transactions.

Here are a few examples of our investment structures in action:

Multiple Liquidity Events

We partnered with a family-owned service business to facilitate a strategic acquisition:

• The selling family received a mid-seven-figure payout while retaining 49% ownership.
• Eight years later, the business was sold to management and existing owners, yielding 1.4x the original sale price while the family retained a 40% stake.
• Five years after that, the company was acquired by a third party, resulting in a 9x return on the original sale price—a substantial financial success for the family.

Management Buyout

When one of two equal partners in a profitable international company needed to retire for health reasons, we structured a buyout to support continuity and growth:

• Both original owners were bought out.
• One of the two founders and the retiring partner’s son acquired 30% each.
• Key management secured a 10% stake.
• Bast Holdings retained the remaining 30% to provide financial backing and strategic oversight.

Succession Planning

A father-son duo owned a financial services firm, but the father was no longer active in daily operations. Our acquisition strategy allowed for:

• A structured buyout, enabling both owners to exit.
• The son remaining as president with a 20% ownership stake.
• A significant expansion, positioning the company for long-term success.

Estate Planning & Liquidity Optimization

Two families, each owning 50% of a specialty apparel company for over 40 years, sought estate planning solutions while ensuring business continuity. Our structured merger provided:

• Immediate liquidity through a combination of cash and deferred payments.
• Each family retaining 30% ownership, with active second-generation members increasing their stakes.
• Key management acquiring 10% equity, fostering leadership alignment.
• Bast Holdings acquiring the balance, ensuring strategic growth.

Why Bast Holdings?

Our acquisition-driven approach ensures business owners, management teams, and next-generation leaders benefit from structured liquidity events while maximizing long-term value. Whether through full acquisitions, mergers, or structured buyouts, we provide tailored solutions that create sustained success for all stakeholders.