#1 Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor for the Background Screening Industry. Over 6 dozen deals completed.

Buying or selling a background screening business?

Berg Consulting Group facilitates Mergers and Acquisitions as an advisor exclusively for the Background Screening Industry. We serve as an M&A advisor for pre-employment screening businesses, tenant screening companies, technology companies, researchers, wholesalers etc… to help buyers and sellers meet their goals in the most efficient way.

Now in our 23rd year, Berg Consulting has completed more deals in our industry than ALL other intermediaries combined. Our experienced team and proven methods have helped large and small businesses successfully reach their goals. Whether buying or selling, size is no barrier, from a $150,000,000 transaction to a small company doing $1500 a month. Our professionals match buyers and sellers to create the optimum win-win for all involved.

With our extensive and unparalleled industry insight, long standing relationships, and in-depth knowledge of who is buying, who is selling, proper valuations and more, our clients receive unrivaled outcomes. We know who has the ready capital, who’s ready to buy and who is thinking about selling. Our extensive experience maximizes your results.  Background screening brokers come to us to source deals. Scroll down to view a sample list of deals we have facilitated.

Don’t buy or sell without at least talking to the premier mergers & acquisitions advisor for the background screening industry! If you have an interest in buying or selling a background screening industry related business, call Evan at: (303) 875-1718. You can learn about opportunities that fit your goals.

From start to finish, CRA owners receive extensive guidance and support in order to get the desired outcome. As a client of Berg Consulting Group you will know the true value of your business and take comfort in knowing that no detail will be left unturned.

What is involved in selling a business?  Click here for our Free Checklist for Selling A Business.

 

Deals Done by Berg Consulting Group (this is only a sampling)

1. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Universal Background Screening (AZ)
  • March 2019

2. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Graymark
• Sales: $1,250,000
• EBITDA: $76,000
• Net to New Owners: $345,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.07
  • On EBITDA: 17.7
  • On Net to New Owners: 3.88

3. Industry Segment: Criminal Researcher

• Company: Criminal Data Specialists
• Sales: $355,000
• EBITDA: $4,000
• Net to New Owners: $160,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 0.84
  • On EBITDA: N/A
  • On Net to New Owners: 2.2

4. Industry Segment: Pre-Employment Assessment Testing

• Company: American Tescor
• Sales: $3,750,000+
• EBITDA: $750,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 2.4
  • On EBITDA: 12.0

5. Industry Segment: Assessment/Personality Profiles

• Company: Hilson Research
• Sales: $1,200,000
• EBITDA: $500,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 3.3
  • On EBITDA: 8.0

6. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: ASi
• Sales: $1,280,000
• EBITDA: $250,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.1
  • On EBITDA: 5.1

7. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Cannot be disclosed
• Sales: $6,500,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.7
  • On EBITDA: 7.2

8. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Omnia Background Search
• Sales: $472,000
• EBITDA: $0
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.5
  • On EBITDA: N/A

9. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Robert Arden
• Sales: $800,000
• EBITDA: $100,500
• Net to New Owners: $390,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.6
  • On EBITDA: 12.5
  • On Net to New Owners: 3.2

10. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Confidential
• Sales: $800,000
• EBITDA: $5,000,000+
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.6
  • On EBITDA: 6.8

11. Industry Segment: Drug TPA

• Company: Florida Drug Screening
• Sales: $3,373,000
• EBITDA: $475,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 0.74
  • On EBITDA: 5.3

12. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Factual Business Information
• Sales: $1,200,000
• EBITDA: $400,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.5
  • On EBITDA: 4.5

13. Industry Segment: Drug TPA

• Company: Accurate Biomedical
• Sales: $800,000
• EBITDA: ($5,000)
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 0.1
  • On EBITDA: N/A

14. Industry Segment: Background and Tenant

• Company: World Information Network
• Sales: $325,000
• EBITDA: $173,000
• Multiple Received
  • On Sales: 1.4
  • On EBITDA: 9.6
  • On Net to New Owners: 2.8

15. Industry Segment: Data Provider to the Industry

• Company: Confidential
• Sales: $23,500,000
• EBITDA: $2,200,000
• Multiple Offered
  • On Sales: 0.6
  • On EBITDA: 6.8

Note: Seller received LOI for 50% more than his asking price, but chose to not sell.

16. Industry Segment: Criminal Wholesaler

• Company: Confidential
• Sales: $5,100,000
• EBITDA: $1,400,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.2
  • On EBITDA: 4.8

Note: Seller received LOI for his asking price, but would not sell.

17. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: HR Plus
• Sales: $9,700,000
• EBITDA: $2,000,000
• Multiple Offered
  • On Sales: 1.6
  • On EBITDA: 8.0

Closed: 2008

18. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: IntegrityWorks, Inc.
• Sales: $300,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.5
  • On EBITDA: N/A

Closed: 2012

19. Industry Segment: Field Researcher

• Sales: $350,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 0.9
  • On EBITDA: 5.5

20. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $1,000,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.5
  • On EBITDA: 5.5

21. Industry Segment: 3rd Party Software Platform

• Sales: $300,000+
• Multiple: 1.0 on Sales

22. Industry Segment: Criminal Research

• Sales: $220,000+
• Multiple: Confidential

23. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $1,250,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.25
  • On EBITDA: 5.0

24. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $39,000,000
• Value: $100,000,000+
• Multiple
  • On EBITDA: 7.1

25. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $750,000
• Value: $325,000
• Multiple
  • On adjusted EBITDA: 9+

26. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $1,325,000
• Value: $2,400,000 with $1M deferred
• Multiple
  • On adjusted EBITDA: 4.2

27. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $200,000
• Value: $160,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 0.8

28. Industry Segment: Tenant Checks

• Sales: $1,500,000
• Value: $1,600,000 with large holdback contingency
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.1

29. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $580,000
• Value: $465,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 0.8
  • On EBITDA: 4.9

30. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $65,000
• Value: $70,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.1
  • On EBITDA: 7.0

31. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $30,000,000
• Value: $44,000,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.5

32. Industry Segment: References

• Year: 2021
• Sales: $67,000
• Value: $70,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.04
  • On EBITDA: 3.5

33. Industry Segment: Background Screening

• Year: 2021
• Sales: $200,000
• Value: $160,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 0.8
  • On EBITDA: not meaningful

34.  Industry Segment: Tenant Screening

• Year: 2022
• Sales: $1,500,000
• Value: $1,600,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.07
  • On EBITDA: 8.5

35. Industry Segment: Background Screening

• Year: 2022
• Sales: $530,000
• Value: $425,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 0.80
  • On EBITDA: 5.1

36. Industry Segment: Background Screening/Drug

• Year: 2022
• Sales: $8,000,000
• Value: $16,000,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.0
  • On EBITDA: 10.0

37. Industry Segment: Background Screening

• Year: 2022
• Sales: $330,000
• Value: $345,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.05
  • On EBITDA: 8.4

38. Industry Segment: Background Screening

• Year: 2022
• Sales: $5,000,000
• Value: $10,000,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.0
  • On EBITDA: 9.1

39. Industry Segment: Background Screening

• Year: 2022
• Sales: $10,000,000
• Value: $20,500,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.05
  • On EBITDA: 10.25

40. Industry Segment: Employment Screening

• Year: 2023
• Sales $9,100,000
• Value: $29,850,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 3.28
  • On EBITDA: 7.85

41. Industry Segment: Tenant Screening

• Year: 2023
• Sales: $189,000
• Value: $400,000
• Multiple
  • on Sales: 2.1
  • On EBITDA: 7.9

42. Industry Segment: Employment Screening

• Year: 2023
• Sales: $170,000
• Value: $125,000
• Multiple
  • on Sales: 0.74
  • On EBITDA: 7.0

43. Industry Segment: Employment Screening

• Year: 2023
• Sales: $9,900,000
• Value: $11,300,000
• Multiple
  • on Sales: 1.14
  • On EBITDA: 4.6

Other Deals Done

1. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $2,000,000
• EBITDA: Unknown
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.1
  • On EBITDA: Unknown

Closed: 2007. Note: Premium price because company has unique vertical market with huge potential.

2. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $3,000,000
• EBITDA: Unknown
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.1
  • On EBITDA: Unknown

Closed: Mid 2007

3. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $8,000,000
• EBITDA: $1,800,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.35
  • On EBITDA: 6.0

Closed: 2005. Note: After increasing sales by 25% and improving EBITDA by 8%, this company was resold in early 2008 for $15,000,000.

4. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $1,300,000
• EBITDA: $200,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.35
  • On EBITDA: 6.0

Closed: 2006. Note: Purchase price was based on certain sales goals being met, which did not happen.

5. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Sales: $750,000 Estimated
• EBITDA: Unknown
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.0
  • On EBITDA: Unknown

Closed: May 2007

6. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: HireRight–Public Co.
• Sales: $88,000,000
• Sell Price: $249,000,000
• Cash: $40,000,000
• EBITDA: $13,600,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 2.8+
  • On EBITDA (less cash): 18.3

7. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Certigo
• Sales: $2,300,000
• Sell Price: $3,300,000
• EBITDA: $800,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.43
  • On EBITDA: 4.1

Closed: 2003

8. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: Intellifacts
• Sales: $1,300,000
• Sell Price: $2,200,000
• Multiple
  • On Sales: 1.69
  • On EBITDA: Unknown

Closed: 2003

9. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: American Backgrounds
• Sales: 0.6 Multiple, Meaning Less Multiple on Earnings
• Sell Price: $15,000,000

Closed: 2010

10. Industry Segment: Background Checks

• Company: ABSO
• Sales: $18,000,000
• EBITDA: $3.2 ($12M debt)
• Sell Price: Not Published

Closed: December 2009

11. Industry Segment: Employer Services

• Company: Lexis-Nexis, former ChoicePoint
• Sales: $180,000,000
• Sell Price: Not Published

12. Industry Segment: Background Checks, Assessments, Other

• Company: Global HR Research
• EBITDA (Anticipated 2016): $6,500,000
• Sell Price: $24M in cash and $18M in Stock = 6.5 Times Anticipated 2016 Adjusted EBITDA