Many engineering firm owners want to remain employee-owned but encounter valuation-related issues that potentially jeopardize this goal. On the one hand, the gap between discounted internal value and external offers may pressure owners to sell. On the other, unreasonably high valuations may not be sustainable—forcing a sale. Matt Fultz and Ryan Beach have performed hundreds of engineering firm valuations and look forward to sharing their experiences to help inform current and prospective business owners of the pros/cons of valuation formulas, the difference between book value and enterprise value, and the methods used by valuation professionals, to shed light on what it takes to design a durable ownership program that promotes fairness for buyers and sellers.

Learning objectives:

• Review commonly used methods for valuing a business, including the asset, market, and income approaches and how they differ from formula-based approaches.
• Gain a better understanding of the underlying financial factors that impact firm value.
• Explore the link between firm financial performance and building shareholder value.

Presenter:Matthew K. Fultz, ASA and Ryan Beach, Matheson Financial Advisors