Light Manufacturing & Job Shops
| Low | 2.5× |
| Median | 3.5× |
| High | 5× |
| Low | 3× |
| Median | 4.5× |
| High | 6.5× |
A precision machining or light manufacturing job shop with $500K SDE and diverse customer base (no single customer >20% of revenue) typically sells for $1.25M–$2.5M (median 3.5× SDE). Medical device or aerospace-certified shops command 4.5–5.5× EBITDA due to certification barriers.
U.S. manufacturing is a $2.4 trillion sector (NAM 2024). Light manufacturing (job shops, precision machining, sheet metal, injection molding) is highly fragmented with many family-owned shops retiring. Aerospace, medical device, and defense-adjacent manufacturing commands premium multiples due to certification requirements that create barriers to entry. General manufacturing faces commodity pricing pressure from imports.
Contact-based value drivers — buyer due diligence essential.
Manufacturing is well-financed through SBA 7(a) and 504 (equipment and real estate). Approval rates 70–78%. Lenders look at: gross margin (target >30%), equipment age and condition, customer concentration, and contract backlog. Large equipment purchases (CNC machines, injection molders) are often financed separately via SBA 504 equipment loans at 10-year terms.
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Open Business Valuation Calculator →Gross margin is the primary quality indicator. A precision machining shop should target 35–45% gross margin (revenue minus direct material and labor). Below 30% gross margin signals pricing pressure, inefficiency, or unfavorable material contracts. Additionally, calculate Equipment Value to SDE ratio: a shop with $500K SDE and $1.5M in modern CNC equipment has a very different risk profile than one with the same SDE and $200K in aging equipment. Modern equipment = lower capex risk = premium multiple.
Five multiple (and higher) typically applies to: (1) AS9100/ISO-certified shops in aerospace/medical that have 2–4 year qualification cycles competitors can't easily replicate, (2) shops with long-term supply agreements with investment-grade customers, (3) light assembly shops with proprietary processes or materials that create pricing power. Two multiple businesses are typically: (1) highly cyclical (construction, automotive), (2) dependent on a few large customers (one lost contract = 30%+ revenue loss), (3) using old equipment requiring significant capital investment to maintain output.
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