Ahern & Associates, Ltd., Launches New Pre-Audit Review Service
(PRWEB) May 21, 2015 -- Ahern & Associates, Ltd., the premier consulting company and merger and acquisition transportation advisory firm, has launched its new pre-audit review program for trucking and logistics companies that want to sell. The advisory firm is well-known throughout the trucking and transportation industry as being an innovator in transportation consulting and M&A advisory services.
Clients of Ahern & Associates have been involved in more than 450 transactions, and as a byproduct of that, Ahern has examined why certain transportation sellers never cross the proverbial finish line. The reasons found by Andy Ahern, Founder and CEO of Ahern & Associates, are that there are red flags in the due diligence process, sellers are not prepared properly, and they cannot capture operating data sufficient enough to satisfy a buyer’s needs.
Ahern has already seen resounding success with the new pre-audit sales program, during which the firm will send an auditor on-site for a 2 to 3-day period to conduct a “mock buyer” review of a company. At the end of the visit, Ahern provides a bullet point presentation on how to improve the bottom line within a 30 to 60-day, and 90-day period. Ahern will also provide a sample due diligence data checklist that needs to start being gathered before a seller goes through the process.
As an added bonus, Ahern will also build pricing software and give it to the client so that it can be used as a valuable tool when dealing with a prospective buyer. This software is proprietary, built from the ground up, and it is based upon each client’s own operating expenses. The user pushes a button and in 5 seconds, on every single dispatch, whether the client is a trucking company or a logistics company, the program will display how much profit or loss the company has on each movement and each customer, based on a client’s own operating expenses.
“Strategic buyers like to capture this type of information because they can quickly analyze lanes to make a determination if they can improve profitability,” Andy Ahern explains. “Not to mention that as a seller is going through the sales process and building their business to sell their company, it can improve the bottom line significantly in a short period of time.”
As part of Ahern’s pre-audit sales program, there is a unique proviso in the contract: If a client engages services for the pre-audit, and if Ahern is able to bring a buyer that eventually purchases the client’s company, at closing, the consulting fees are returned to the client. Clients have already found great success with the program, and Ahern has received several notes of thanks as such:
“Prior to Ahern I was getting contacted at least once and as many as three times a week by merger and acquisition companies, and they made it sound good so I did try twice,” writes one client. “What I found is what I call bottom feeders. They were looking for a quick deal with no concern for me, the owner, and no knowledge of the business I was even in. Andy, on the other hand, before he did anything else, sent in an industry expert. He spent 3 days on-site, evaluating the business model, reviewing financial statements, customer base to name a few, and to go as far as interviewing a cross section of all our employees. He then provided a very useful report showing the strengths and weaknesses of my company.” The client goes on to state, “So let’s back up. I listened and provided information twice and found that the other companies saying they had companies looking to buy, and I am sure you have seen their letters (We have a buyer interested in buying your company!) were either just looking to steal a company or didn’t have a clue to what they were even looking at. When Andy got into the picture, he took the time to learn the business and match a buyer not only to the current business culture, but to the personalities of the seller and in my case, the buyer.”
Another client shared with Ahern: “My dealings with you far exceeded my expectations. Starting with your initial detailed company review, along with the on-site visits from your professional consultants, (we) gained valuable insight about our company’s true strengths and weaknesses. As we went forward with finding the right partner to acquire our business, things got even better. Your ability to find the best financial opportunity for our company was surprisingly coupled with matching (us) with a partner who shared our same values and culture. I realize this was part of your plan and that is rare to find in a consultant.”
A third client of Ahern’s pre-audit sales program writes, “The suggestions you’ve made to improve our overall performance have been very valuable. All of your advice and direction has been thoughtful and caring; I feel that you truly care about our business and success. You’ve done everything you said you would do and then some, working with you and your dedicated staff has been a pleasure and will improve the productivity of our company. I look forward to a long relationship with Ahern & Associates.”
Owners of trucking and transportation companies who are interested in learning more about Ahern & Associates’ pre-audit sales program can call 602-242-1030 or visit http://www.ahern-ltd.com.
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About Ahern & Associates, Ltd.
Ahern and Associates is North America’s leading trucking and transportation management consulting firm. The skilled consultants at Ahern and Associates specialize in mergers and acquisitions of trucking and logistics companies as well as the restructuring and evaluation of existing carriers that seek to increase operating efficiency and improve profitability. Since 1987, Ahern and Associates has aided hundreds of buyers in the acquisition of trucking and logistics companies throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as assisting many transportation and logistics companies in reducing their overall operating costs and increasing their profitability.
For more information, please call 602-242-1030 or visit http://www.ahern-ltd.com.
Andy Ahern, Ahern & Associates, http://www.ahern-ltd.com/, +1 (602) 242-1030, [email protected]
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