The McFarland Group Extends M&A Advisory for Closely Held Businesses

Omaha-based advisory firm The McFarland Group, which has facilitated over 200 ownership transitions and more than $3 billion in transactions over two decades, is placing an expanded emphasis on its M&A advisory practice for closely held business owners. The firm's M&A advisory covers both sell-side and buy-side transactions, including exit readiness assessment, due diligence preparation, buyer identification, and transaction management through close. This practice targets owner-led businesses with revenue between $5 million and $100 million, a segment the firm has extensively served through its management buyout work. The expanded focus comes as more owner-clients consider external sales alongside or instead of internal transitions to management. The firm's approach follows a patient, senior-led model, with Byron McFarland and the principal team remaining directly engaged throughout each engagement rather than delegating to junior associates.

Engagements at The McFarland Group typically run six to twenty-four months, allowing the firm to engage early in an owner's planning horizon—often before the business is brought to market. This ensures questions of readiness, deal structure, and buyer fit are addressed in sequence rather than under pressure. Byron McFarland emphasizes that selling a business to an external buyer is one of the most consequential decisions an owner will make and deserves more time than most processes give it. The goal is clarity for the owner, not speed for the dealmaker. By slowing down the front end, the entire transaction tends to go better at every subsequent step.

Across its history, The McFarland Group has supported more than 200 ownership transitions, with additional practice areas including management buyout advisory and performance equity compensation design, which complement the M&A practice for owners evaluating multiple paths forward. More information on the firm's M&A advisory is available at themcfarlandgroup.com/service/m-and-a-advisory-services.