In this episode, I have the pleasure of discussing mergers and acquisitions in the shredding and information destruction industry with Vlad Vasak, a partner at K-2 Partners. We explore his journey in the industry, starting with his early days at Brambles in Australia and his move to the US to join Iron Mountain. With his extensive background in the industry, Vlad shares how his unique expertise in operational efficiencies and understanding buyers' needs led him to join K2 Partners, where he continues to provide mergers and acquisitions support to the shredding industry.
We delve into the impact of the past few years, particularly the COVID pandemic, on mergers and acquisitions in the industry. As the shredding industry begins to recover, we examine the lasting impacts of the pandemic, such as the accelerated shift towards a paperless office and the influence of high paper prices on business valuations.
We further examine the influence of higher interest rates and warehouse costs on the valuation of businesses in the industry, as well as the potential for smaller, local independent companies to acquire even smaller operations. Additionally, we discuss the differences between smaller and larger shredding companies in the M&A process, touching on factors like market fit, due diligence, and risk. Finally, we explore the importance of being "sale ready" when considering selling a shredding or information destruction business.
Join us for this exploration of M&A in the shredding and information destruction industry!
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Vlad Vasak
Partner
K-2 Partners, LLC
https://www.k-2partners.com/about/our-team/vladimir-vasak/