Calder Associates
Calder Associates is a privately-held M&A advisory firm founded in 2002 that provides sell-side and buy-side representation, business valuations, and equity growth consulting to middle-market companies in the $5M to $100M+ revenue range across manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and technology verticals, operating from offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersMonmouth Junction, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Calder Associates does
Calder Associates is a privately-held M&A advisory firm founded in 2002, headquartered in Mt Laurel Township, New Jersey with additional offices in Newtown, Pennsylvania and Wesley Chapel, Florida. The firm serves middle-market business owners and acquirers in the $5M to $100M+ revenue range, providing sell-side representation, buy-side representation, business valuation services, and equity growth consulting. Its client base spans manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and technology verticals. The firm is led by founder Steve Wain (President) and managing partners Susan Rosner (Pennsylvania), Cress Diglio (Florida), and partner Susan Wain, collectively claiming 100+ years of M&A experience with rare industry credentials including M&AMI and CBI designations and past IBBA Chairmanships.
The firm generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on completed M&A mandates, supplemented by professional services fees for valuation and equity growth consulting engagements. Its go-to-market is partner-led and relationship-driven: senior partners are directly involved in every transaction, supported by content marketing (blog, weekly newsletter, gated eBook), speaking engagements at IBBA and industry conferences, and referral-based client acquisition. The firm's core operational differentiators are the proprietary Best Offer Marketing system, which cultivates vetted buyer pools and qualifies them on Money, Motivation, and Management Fit criteria, and the Sellability Assessment tool for evaluating client readiness. Securities transactions are conducted through a regulatory relationship with Realta Equities, Inc.
The firm operates with 1-10 employees and claims $500M+ in cumulative transaction value closed, with an 85% close-within-12-months rate (claimed to be 5x the industry average) and 95% of clients receiving within 10% of expected valuation. There are no funding rounds, institutional investors, or parent company relationships; the firm is founder-owned and independently operated.
Calder Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Calder Associates
- Legal name
- Calder Associates, LLC
- Website
- https://calderassociates.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Calder Associates is a privately-held M&A advisory firm founded in 2002 that provides sell-side and buy-side representation, business valuations, and equity growth consulting to middle-market companies in the $5M to $100M+ revenue range across manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and technology verticals, operating from offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Calder Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- M&A Advisory Services
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ), M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)
Keywords
Where Calder Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Monmouth Junction
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Calder Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory: Advisory services for business owners selling their companies. Services include valuation, business preparation, buyer identification, negotiation, and deal closing.
- Buy-Side M&A Advisory: Services for buyers acquiring businesses, including target identification, evaluation, due diligence management, and closing coordination.
- Business Valuation Services: Comprehensive business valuations and opinions of value for sellers, legal requirements, SBA financing, and estate planning purposes.
- Equity Growth Consulting: Exit planning and strategy consulting services to help business owners increase business value before selling.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Transaction-based M&A advisory fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Calder Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Calder Associates is a middle-market M&A advisory firm that guides business owners through the sale or recapitalization of their companies (sell-side representation) and helps buyers identify, evaluate, and acquire target businesses (buy-side representation). Complementary offerings include business valuation services, machinery and equipment valuations, equity growth consulting, and due diligence management. Their proprietary Best Offer Marketing system and Sellability Assessment underpin a five-step process from initial consultation through deal closing.
Product overview
Calder Associates offers a unified suite of M&A advisory services for middle-market companies in the $5M-$100M+ revenue range. The core offering consists of sell-side representation (guiding business owners through sale preparation, marketing, and closing) and buy-side representation (helping acquirers identify and close on target businesses). These are supported by complementary services including business valuation, equity growth consulting, and due diligence management. The firm's proprietary Best Offer Marketing℠ system differentiates their buyer attraction process, while the Sellability Assessment tool helps owners evaluate readiness for sale. All services are delivered through a five-step process: consultation, opinion of value, business preparation, buyer attraction, and closing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sell-Side Representation End-to-end advisory service for business owners seeking to sell or recapitalize their company, covering valuation, sellability assessment, buyer identification, marketing, negotiation, due diligence management, and deal closing.
- Buy-Side Representation Advisory service for buyers acquiring businesses, including target identification, industry and compatibility assessment, valuation, due diligence management, financing assistance, and closing coordination on terms that maximize ROI.
- Business Valuation Services Comprehensive business valuation and opinion of value services for sellers, legal requirements, SBA financing, and estate planning purposes, including fair market value assessments.
- Equity Growth Consulting Exit planning and strategy consulting that helps business owners increase company value by up to fifty percent before going to market, addressing the factors that drive enterprise value.
- Best Offer Marketing Proprietary buyer-attraction system that cultivates a vetted pool of qualified buyers through extensive databases, online marketplaces, and M&A networks, qualifying prospects on Money, Motivation, and Management Fit to drive competitive bidding and higher valuations.
- Sellability Assessment Structured assessment tool that evaluates whether a business is financially, organizationally, and operationally sound to successfully complete a transaction, identifies the five key factors that may limit value, and provides actionable recommendations to improve attractiveness to buyers or investors.
- Machinery and Equipment Valuations Official equipment valuation services performed to USPAP standards for use as loan collateral, meeting requirements for SBA, IRS, courts, lenders, CPAs, and attorneys.
- Due Diligence Management Coordination and management of the due diligence process during business transactions, including document preparation, information flow, and compliance tracking across parties.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of businesses represented sell within 12 months (5x industry average)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Calder Associates
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Calder Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Calder Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Calder Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Generational Equity: Generational Equity is one of the largest US middle-market M&A advisory firms, specializing in sell-side representation for companies with $10M-$500M+ in revenue. Highly comparable to Calder in target client profile, service mix, and transaction-based fee model.
- Benchmark International: Benchmark International is a global middle-market M&A advisor with offices across the US, UK, and South Africa. Targets transactions in the $5M-$500M+ range with sell-side and buy-side services, directly overlapping with Calder's offering and target market.
- Woodbridge International: Woodbridge International is a middle-market M&A advisory firm handling transactions generally between $5M and $100M. Provides sell-side advisory, valuation, and deal management services directly comparable to Calder's core practice.
- Sunbelt Business Advisors: Sunbelt is the world's largest business brokerage franchise network, focused on lower-middle-market M&A transactions (typically $1M-$50M revenue). Calder was previously affiliated with the Sunbelt franchise (per 2010 IBBA 'Largest Closed Transaction' award), making it a closely comparable peer in services and target segment.
- Transworld Business Advisors: Transworld is a large business brokerage and M&A franchise network with 100+ offices in the US, serving the lower-middle market ($1M-$50M revenue). Comparable to Calder in service mix, target segment, and franchise/affiliate-led delivery model.
- Cornerstone Business Services: Cornerstone is a US business brokerage and M&A intermediary focused on selling small to mid-sized businesses. Comparable service mix and target company profile to Calder, particularly on the lower end of the mid-market.
- Morgan & Westfield: Morgan & Westfield is a US M&A advisory and business brokerage firm specializing in the sale of small and lower-middle-market businesses. Offers sell-side, buy-side, and business valuation services closely aligned with Calder's core offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with a strong middle-market M&A advisory franchise. Operates across multiple verticals and transaction sizes, providing sell-side and buy-side advisory well above and within Calder's target band.
- BDO USA Corporate Finance: BDO USA's Corporate Finance practice provides M&A advisory, business valuation, and transaction support for middle-market clients. A scaled, multi-discipline incumbent that competes with Calder on larger middle-market sell-side and buy-side mandates.
- KPMG Corporate Finance: KPMG's Corporate Finance group provides M&A advisory and valuation services globally, serving middle-market and larger clients. A broad incumbent peer whose middle-market practice competes with Calder for sellers in the upper end of the $5M-$100M+ band.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Calder Associates social profiles
Digital presenceCalder Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Calder Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Calder Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Calder Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Calder Associates
What does Calder Associates do?
Calder Associates is a middle-market M&A advisory firm that guides business owners through the sale or recapitalization of their companies (sell-side representation) and helps buyers identify, evaluate, and acquire target businesses (buy-side representation). Complementary offerings include business valuation services, machinery and equipment valuations, equity growth consulting, and due diligence management. Their proprietary Best Offer Marketing system and Sellability Assessment underpin a five-step process from initial consultation through deal closing.
Is Calder Associates a public or private company?
Calder Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Calder Associates founded?
Calder Associates was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Calder Associates based?
Calder Associates is headquartered in Monmouth Junction, United States, in the North America region.
How does Calder Associates make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Sell-Side M&A Advisory is the primary driver. The others are buy-Side M&A Advisory, business Valuation Services and equity Growth Consulting.
Who are Calder Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Generational Equity, Benchmark International, Woodbridge International, Sunbelt Business Advisors, Transworld Business Advisors, Cornerstone Business Services and Morgan & Westfield. Broad incumbents are Houlihan Lokey, BDO USA Corporate Finance and KPMG Corporate Finance.
Does Calder Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Calder Associates.
What industry is Calder Associates in?
Calder Associates's product category is M&A Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAA, Sell-Side M&A Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAEAGAB, Buy-Side M&A Advisory. Its SIC code is 8742.