From our most seasoned industry professionals to our expert analysts and everyone in between, Logisyn's unique take on an outlook report features perspectives on many of the key topics we expect the transportation and logistics community will navigate in 2023. Download the full report now
Our team's distinctive expertise across the sectors is one of the true differentiators that Logisyn was built on and that knowledge shines through in this report as each member tackles an industry topic that they live and breathe every day.
- Trends in Changing Deal Structure | “...2023 is considered post-pandemic and with a dramatic reversal in volumes, rates, margins, and profits in the second half of 2022 continuing into 2023, sometimes even below pre-pandemic levels, we are now in a “buyer’s market...” - Jan H. Raymond, Managing Partner
- Private Equity & Debt Market Perspective | “...Current market conditions will be good for the private debt markets to both raise additional capital and continue growth as compared to traditional lending markets...” - Ron Lentz, Managing Partner
- Freight Forwarding & CHB Outlook | “...Regardless, 2023 & 2024 will continue to have extensive M&A activity in freight forwarding / CHB. Strategic buyers are flush with cash and their BODs are demanding growth while their own file counts and margins are falling. Acquisition growth is a logical solution…“ - Cris Arens, Managing Partner
- European M&A Activity | “...So far we are seeing a significant increase in small and medium-sized enterprise (“SME”) owners considering an exit. Many of them have done extremely well during the past 2-3 years (“COVID era”) and can afford to move up exit plans that were previously further out in the future...” - Mikael Olesen, Managing Director
- Transportation Brokerage & Digital Freight/E-Commerce | “...Brokers with niche or differentiated value propositions, vertical expertise, or value-added programs remain more aggressive and attractive to buyers than highly commoditized assets. We will likely see high M&A activity in this segment in 2023...” - Nikhil Sathe, Managing Director
- Logistics Tech M&A Trends | “...Despite market headwinds, we expect M&A to remain a viable avenue for executives at logistics technology companies; with both valuations and investor demand in the sector being well insulated due to the ongoing wave of digitization happening in the industry…” - Max Ibata-Arens, Research & Consulting Manager
- Logistics Tech Development Trends | “...The T&L industry has always adapted to unexpected hurdles and 2023 will be no different with the economic downturns. With the shift in business models and added technology, the transportation and logistics industry will continue to evolve...“ - Grace Haucke, Financial Analyst
- How Valuations Are Changing | “...Valuations will decrease across the board, but sellers who are prepared to prove their growth trajectory will be better positioned to negotiate against any overcorrections by buyers…” - Kevin Albrecht, Engagement Analyst
- Evolving the M&A Poker Face | “...In the end, the spoils of the valuation war will go to the party with the firmest hold on data and the most realistic set of expectations in this unparalleled era until the new norm becomes clear...“ - Martin T. Quigley, Engagement Director
- Creating Market Projections for Valuation | “...As a result, forecasting future results has become far more common and important in the deal-making process than it was prior to the pandemic, as both buyers and sellers strive to understand and estimate normalized EBITDA for the purposes of valuation and deal structure...“ - Jake Cunnane, Engagement Director
- Legal Counsel & Restrictive Documents | “...Your company’s ability to utilize digital tools for everything from document signing platforms to pulling reports in accounting software will have a direct impact on the speed of the transaction, and in this market, time is money…“ - Claire Mandell, Administrative Director
- Due Diligence & Current Common Obstacles | “...There is now much more uncertainty in the markets and the interest rate environment has made it more difficult to obtain financing for deals. These complexities have elongated the diligence process and have caused many deals to fall apart or to be put on hold. Going forward, it will be important to manage the expectations of both buyers and sellers from the onset of the process that the vetting of information will take more time…” - Tom Gujda, Engagement Director
- Determining a High-Quality Seller/Company | “...As the saying goes, “Rising tides raise all ships…” now the challenge is identifying which ships won’t sink as the tide comes back down...All of this goes to show that there is no cookie-cutter formula for a “high-quality” company. Each buyer has their own formula and ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder...” - Marijan Ljubic, Executive Sponsor
- What Buyers Are Looking For | “...How much of this revenue is sustainable in 2023 and beyond? Sellers who can point to year-over-year revenue growth, and reasons beyond increased rates, will be in demand when exploring a potential exit…” - Matt Laskowski, Buy-Side Manager
- Branding & Digital First Impressions | “...Across the industry, companies have been steadily rebranding and typically changing their marketing strategies alongside it… This constant evolution and quick pace of the digital world creates an environment that requires us all to embrace the need to “one-up” our competitors in order to stay ahead. This modern mindset is only expected to continue to evolve even as we move away from the virtual and head back into the real world.…” - Karin Mellin, Marketing Director
- Outreach Tactics to Resonate with Clients | “...The last few years have forced the digital world to adapt quickly and serve up new tools to keep up with the changing outreach tactics. By executing similar practices in 2023, businesses can position themselves for success in a very active logistics industry…” - Azael Martinez, Financial Analyst
Logisyn is an M&A advisor that caters specifically to companies in the logistics sector. Our customers include global freight forwarders, customs house brokers, domestic forwarders, trucking companies, logistics software providers, and many other companies across the industry. We provide a variety of services including buy-side advisory for companies looking to grow through acquisition, sell-side advisory for entrepreneurs looking to exit and capitalize on the businesses they’ve built, and enterprise valuation services for managers looking to gain a better understanding of the value of their business. We are actively engaged with leading companies across the logistics industry.
Logisyn was fortunate to act as an advisor in multiple transactions mentioned below, and we have a proven track record of advising executives looking to navigate the M&A process in the logistics industry. For additional information, please contact a member of our team.