West & North Texas · Texas
Crane business brokers and M&A advisors
When an owner is ready to sell a business in Crane, or wants to plan a sale a few years out, MDR & Associates is there as the seller's representative, with no ties to any buyer. Crane has been an oil boomtown since the 1920s and remains in the center of a prominent oil-producing region of the Permian Basin.
The only town in Crane County
Crane had a post office by 1908, but it was the 1926 oil discovery that brought enough people to make a town. It incorporated in the early 1930s, and its streets carry the names of the children of O.C. Kinnison, the realtor who laid it out. Crane is the only significant town in sparsely populated Crane County, and the county's only post office is here. U.S. 385 runs 32 miles north to Odessa and 21 miles south to McCamey.
The population peaked at 3,796 in 1960 and was 3,478 in 2020. In a town that exists because of oil, a company large enough to interest outside buyers is likely to serve the oil field in some way, whether through well services, hauling, equipment, fabrication or supply.
Crane at a glance
- CountyCrane County (county seat)
- Metro areaPermian Basin, 32 miles south of Odessa
- Companies we sell$3M–$100M
- Typical transaction3–9 months
- Fee if we do not closeNone
Pricing an oilfield company for a buyer
Buyers of oilfield companies know the cycle and price it in. Expect them to request revenue by year through the last up and down, the share billed to your biggest operators and a list of equipment owned free and clear. They will also want safety records and proof that your service contracts can pass to the next owner. A company with steady earnings through a downturn and a spread of customers can earn a far better multiple than one with a single good year.
Before any buyer sees your company, we restate three years of results, list the equipment and its condition and document the key customer relationships. A business valuation at the outset gives you a realistic range and shows which gaps are worth fixing first. Then we take the company to operators, individual buyers and private equity groups under confidentiality agreements and ask them to compete.
Meeting you at the yard
Our advisors come to Crane and meet you at the yard or office, or somewhere discreet. A free valuation snapshot online is a quick first step, and our West and North Texas page explains how we cover the Permian Basin.
What we sell in and around Crane
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 Crane owners ask before they sell
Answered in full by the advisors who run the sales. Every Texas-wide answer.
The process
How a Crane 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 Crane
Questions owners in Crane ask
Is now a bad time to sell a Crane oilfield company if activity is slow?
It depends on your earnings record, not only the current month. Buyers value companies that stayed profitable through slow periods. We look at three years of results with you and give an honest opinion of value. If waiting would clearly help, we will tell you so rather than push a sale.
My equipment is most of my company's value. How do buyers treat that?
They look at both earnings and assets. Well-maintained equipment with documented service records supports the price and helps buyers secure bank or SBA financing. We list each major piece with its age and condition so buyers can value it properly rather than discount it for unknowns.
Talk to an advisor about your Crane company
Four fields, a reply the same business day, and nothing shared with anyone. If you would rather talk, call (855) 637-2776.