Dallas–Fort Worth · Texas
Cleburne business brokers and M&A advisors
MDR & Associates serves as Cleburne business brokers and M&A advisors to the owners of profitable industrial, distribution and service companies. Cleburne, the Johnson County seat south of Fort Worth, has been a railroad and manufacturing town since the Santa Fe shops opened in 1898, and because the firm is based in the Metroplex, we meet owners here in person.
The Santa Fe shops and the plants that followed
Cleburne was mostly agricultural until the railroad arrived in 1879. Access to water helped attract the Santa Fe shops, which opened in 1898 and were the city's largest employer for more than a century. Several railroads still cross the city, and BNSF controls the freight moving through it.
Industry is a large part of the economy today. Major employers include a Walmart distribution center, Johns Manville, James Hardie Industries, Wabash National and The Greenbrier Companies, along with Hill College, Johnson County and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital. Amazon and La Moderna, a pasta maker, are recent additions. The city had 31,352 residents in 2020 and borders Joshua and Keene.
Cleburne at a glance
- CountyJohnson County
- Metro areaDallas–Fort Worth
- Companies we sell$3M–$100M
- Typical transaction3–9 months
- Fee if we do not closeNone
Plants, people and customers: a Johnson County industrial sale
A Cleburne manufacturer or industrial supplier will be judged on its equipment, its people and its customers. Buyers ask for an equipment list with age and condition, safety and environmental records, a breakdown of revenue by customer and the terms behind the largest accounts. If you supply one or more of the big plants, expect detailed questions about how secure that work is.
Our manufacturing practice has sold Texas makers such as Smith Tool & Mfg., and a skilled, stable workforce is often what an industrial buyer values most. Documenting who does what, and how, helps them see it.
Owners of rail-served or freight-heavy businesses should also gather their shipping contracts and freight costs. A buyer will want to know whether those rates carry over after the sale.
Taking a Cleburne company to market
Your first meeting with us is confidential, free and held where you choose, and it ends with an opinion of value. For the market, we prepare a written package, restated financials and a filmed company video, then bring in several bidders at once. We work purely on a success fee, which the fees page sets out. The firm serves owners across Dallas–Fort Worth, and you will not sit across from a buyer without one of our principals beside you.
What we sell in and around Cleburne
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 Cleburne owners ask before they sell
Answered in full by the advisors who run the sales. Every Dallas–Fort Worth answer.
The process
How a Cleburne 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 Cleburne
Questions owners in Cleburne ask
Will buyers care that my Cleburne plant sits next to a rail line?
For some companies, rail access is a real advantage, and buyers will value it if you use it. For others it makes little difference. We describe your site and logistics accurately so buyers understand what they are getting.
My workforce is my biggest asset. How do I protect it during a sale?
Keep the sale confidential until late, and plan how key people will be kept on. Buyers often ask for retention agreements with supervisors. We help you decide when and how to tell your team so good people stay through closing.
Talk to an advisor about your Cleburne company
Four fields, a reply the same business day, and nothing shared with anyone. If you would rather talk, call (855) 637-2776.