South Texas · Texas
Alice business brokers and M&A advisors
MDR & Associates gives owners who intend to sell a company in Alice a team of M&A advisors on their side of the table alone, paid only if a sale closes. Alice is the Jim Wells County city where State Highway 44 runs through downtown as Front Street, about 45 miles west of Corpus Christi, and we meet owners there.
A cattle depot that became an oil town
The place began in 1883 as a depot called Bandana, was briefly called Kleberg, and in 1888 opened its post office under the name Alice, after Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg, a daughter of Richard King. Cattle carried the early economy. The discovery of petroleum in the 1940s brought a small population boom, and today the economy centers on the oil industry, with more than 100 different oil field companies in town. Coastal Bend College has a campus here, U.S. Route 281 passes west on a bypass, and the 2020 census counted 17,891 people.
Alice at a glance
- CountyJim Wells County
- Metro areaNear Corpus Christi (45 miles east)
- Companies we sell$3M–$100M
- Typical transaction3–9 months
- Fee if we do not closeNone
Valuing an oilfield company through the cycle
The hard part of selling an oilfield service or supply company is timing. Earnings in a strong year can be double those of a weak one, and a buyer will not pay a multiple on a peak. We look at several years together, adjust for one-time costs, and show what the company earns across a normal cycle. That figure is what a buyer applies a multiple to. In the size band we work in, roughly $3 million up to $100 million of annual sales, the multiple usually sits somewhere from three to seven times adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; adjusted means owner perks and one-off costs are added back.
Where a company lands in that range depends on things you can influence: how many operators you serve, how much work is under contract, the age of your fleet and equipment, and whether your field supervisors would stay after a sale. Our business valuation work lays out those drivers. Companies that supply parts and materials to producers are often valued like distributors, which our distribution page explains.
Starting the conversation
An advisor travels to Alice to meet you at your yard or office, or somewhere out of sight of competitors. Buyers see your company under a blind profile first. The wider South Texas page describes the market around you.
What we sell in and around Alice
Industry decides the buyer, the multiple and the diligence. These are the four sectors we work in most.
Manufacturing
Equipment, real estate, backlog and customer concentration decide what a manufacturer is worth.
How buyers value itHome Services
Plumbing, HVAC, roofing, landscaping and other home service companies — where repeat customers, crews and technicians decide the price.
How buyers value itDistribution & Wholesale
Inventory, working capital and supplier agreements decide what a distributor is worth.
How buyers value itBusiness Services
Recurring revenue and owner dependence separate a two-times business from a six-times business.
How buyers value itStraight answers
Questions Alice owners ask before they sell
Answered in full by the advisors who run the sales. Every San Antonio answer.
The process
How an Alice sale runs
Ten steps in four stages, typically three to nine months. Click any step to see it in full.
- Prepare
- Go to market
- Negotiate
- Close
We also work with owners near Alice
Questions owners in Alice ask
Should I wait for a stronger oil price before selling my Alice company?
Not automatically. Buyers value normal earnings across the cycle, so a single peak year adds less than owners expect, while a strong trailing record plus a solid backlog helps a great deal. The better test is whether your own plans, health and management team are ready.
My customers are a handful of operators around Jim Wells County. Can I still sell?
Yes, but expect the buyer to test those relationships. We show how long each operator has used you, what share of revenue each represents and who on your team manages the account. Master service agreements and approved-vendor status help reassure a buyer that the work continues.
Talk to an advisor about your Alice company
Four fields, a reply the same business day, and nothing shared with anyone. If you would rather talk, call (855) 637-2776.