Sablewood Merchant Partners counsels owners of established private companies on sales, acquisitions, and new capital. Each decision is weighed as a principal would weigh it, with your money and your name in mind.
The old merchant banks won their clients’ trust by judging a business as its owner would: by the cash it threw off, the people who ran it, and what it might still become. We have kept that habit.
Our partners have spent their careers on transactions for private companies, from family manufacturers to specialist service firms. When you hire us, one of them takes the assignment personally, and the advice you get is the advice we would want if the company were our own.
A principal’s judgmentEach offer and term sheet is tested against what it means for you, not against the closing date.
Sales and financing togetherBecause we raise capital and also sell companies, we can say honestly whether selling makes sense at all.
Discretion by defaultNames, figures, and plans stay with us until you agree to release them.
Where we advise
Six kinds of engagement account for most of our work. Turn any card to read what it involves.
Mergers & acquisitions
Company sale
Mergers & acquisitions
Company sale
A sale of the whole business, run as a disciplined competition. We get the company ready for inspection, pick bidders with a real reason to pay well, and keep control of the talks until the money is wired.
Minority or control investment from buyout funds and family-owned investors, with every candidate vetted for character and plans as closely as for price.
Senior loans, private credit, and acquisition funding, sought from several lenders in parallel so that rates and covenants are won rather than simply offered.
Knowing a sector decides whom we call and which arguments we make on your behalf. Our partners have advised most often in these eight.
Food and beverageBranded producers, co-packers, and distributorsAerospace and defensePrecision machining and component suppliersTransportationFleets, freight brokers, and logisticsBuilding productsMillwork, materials, and specialty tradesChemicals and materialsSpecialty formulators and processorsIndustrial technologyAutomation, controls, and equipmentEnergy and powerInstallers, contractors, and field servicesBusiness servicesOutsourced, technical, and B2B providers
First meeting to closing
Whether we are selling a company or raising money for it, the work moves through five stages. The timing varies; the order never does.
Stage 1
Assessment
We learn the business, what you hope to achieve, and the market it competes in, then tell you plainly what it is worth today.
Stage 2
Preparation
Analysis of the numbers, a written profile of the company, and a data room, all finished before an outsider reads a page.
Stage 3
Outreach
Chosen buyers, investors, or lenders are contacted under confidentiality and kept to a single timetable.
Stage 4
Negotiation
Offers are weighed on value, terms, and certainty, and the strongest parties are pressed to do better.
Stage 5
Closing
We steer diligence and documents alongside your attorney and accountant until the transaction funds.
What owners ask first
Why the words merchant partners?
They describe how we think, not a separate product. The old merchant houses sized up a company the way its owner would, and we bring that practical, long-range view to every sale, purchase, and financing we advise on.
Which companies suit you best?
Chiefly established private businesses with a record of steady earnings, held by founders, families, or a small circle of partners.
We are torn between selling and raising capital. Can you help?
That question is where much of our work starts. Before you commit, we show what each route would mean for your proceeds, your say in the company, and your timetable.
How do you protect our privacy?
No outside party learns the company’s name until a confidentiality agreement is signed, and nothing is shared beyond what you have approved.
Is there a fee for a first discussion?
None. The opening conversation is free and commits you to nothing.
Start a private conversation
Tell us briefly what the business does and the choice you face. Every message is read by a partner, who replies in person, and nothing you send goes further.
