Despite concerns about the global economy entering a recessionary cycle, with mounting headwinds including accelerating inflation, rising interest rates, a lower equity market and a continued energy crisis, many companies are confronted with an ongoing labor shortage. Stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees have not re-entered the market by choice or through early retirement, reflected in the nearly record number of U.S. job openings. Through April 2022, and updated as of June 2022, the number of U.S job openings was observed at 11.4 million — just short of the record of March 2022 of 11.9 million.
According to PWC’s Global M&A Industry Trends: 2022 mid-year update, the No. 1 risk factor to growth for companies is the workforce, primarily driven by the Great Resignation and the highest wage inflation in decades. As a result, acquisitions have become a focus for workforce strategy.
Holistically, strategic and financial buyers have had to realign acquisition strategies to place a greater emphasis on targeting quality companies with strong, stable workforces as a means to identify top talent and enhance overall human capital. From a seller’s perspective, companies that employ quality workforces and have demonstrated a history of positive financial performance are in a marketable position to take advantage of continued lofty valuations. These valuations are primarily due to the excess liquidity that remains in the market. According to Pitchbook, global dry powder in Q2 2022 exceeded $2 trillion, three times higher than during the financial crisis, and over $600 billion within the U.S. through Q1 2022. Additionally, U.S. cash on corporate or strategic balance sheets exceeded $1.9 trillion in the U.S. alone.
M&A activity
Following healthy M&A deal flow in the U.S. throughout the first quarter of 2022, deal volume has declined in recent months. U.S. M&A deal volume for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, was 15.2 percent lower than the same period in 2021, while deal volume for the six months ended June 2022 was 7.2 percent lower than the same period in 2021. Disclosed deal value within the U.S. M&A market, however, has increased by 79.4 percent for the six months ended June 2022 when compared with the same period in 2021.
More specifically, Northeast Ohio continues to navigate similar turbulence experienced by the broader U.S. M&A market, as deal volume for the six months ended June 30, 2022, was 19.7 percent lower than the same period in 2021. With that being said, Northeast Ohio experienced a number of transactions in June 2022 from reputable strategic and financial buyers including The Gorman-Rupp Co., Myers Industries, Park Place Technologies and Race Winning Brands. Additionally, Northeast-Ohio-based private equity firms Align Capital Partners and The Riverside Co. completed acquisitions or made investments as well.
DEAL OF THE MONTH:
On June 15, 2022, through its subsidiary KAG Logistics, the Kenan Advantage Group, headquartered in North Canton, Ohio, acquired Lafayette, Louisiana-based American PetroLog, a leading provider of logistics, transportation, storage and transloading services for commodities including water treatment chemicals, biofuels, lube oil, wax, missile fuel, rocket propellant, oilfield chemicals, alcohol and glycol. KAGL President Kevin Spencer says there are tremendous synergies between the organizations, allowing it to hit the ground running on day one. Jeff Colonna, president and CEO of American PetroLog, says the partnership will provide additional opportunities for both employees and customers as shippers are seeking to secure reliable capacity after the supply chain disruption faced by many over the last two years.
Evan Lyons is a senior associate and Mike Kostandaras is an analyst with MelCap Partners LCC, a middle-market investment banking advisory firm. For more information on MelCap Partners, visit www.melcap.com or email [email protected].
