2025 Year-End Review Recap
2025 Year-End Review Recap: Schwartz Heslin Group
2025 was a busy year at SHG. We worked with owners and leadership teams who needed clear answers and practical next steps. Some were planning for retirement. Others were weighing a buyout, preparing for a sale, or tightening executive compensation ahead of bigger moves.
This recap highlights a few moments from the year and what they showed us about the decisions business owners are facing right now. It also marks a milestone for our firm. In 2025, SHG celebrated 40 years of advising clients through high-stakes transitions. We are grateful for the trust our clients place in us and proud of the work we have delivered together.
40 Years of SHG
In 2025, SHG marked 40 years of advising business owners through big decisions. That work has always come down to the same goal. Give leaders clear answers, a steady process, and a plan they can act on.
Over four decades, we have seen markets shift and deal expectations rise. What has not changed is how we show up. We listen first. We focus on the details that drive value. We stay practical, even when the situation feels complicated.
We are grateful to the clients who have trusted us over the years. This anniversary is a reminder that good outcomes start with good advice and a team that stays close to the work.
The Year in Focus
Across 2025, we kept hearing a familiar question from owners and leadership teams. What is this business really worth, and what does that mean for the next step?
For some clients, the goal was options. They wanted to compare an internal transition with a third-party sale, with real numbers behind each path. For others, it was deal readiness. That meant tightening financial reporting, pressure-testing assumptions, and getting ahead of questions that arise during diligence.
We also saw more attention on leadership alignment. Compensation plans, incentives, and decisions came up early, not at the end. When those pieces are clear, teams move faster and negotiate from a stronger position.
2025 Client Highlights
Below are a few client highlights from 2025. They show how owners and leadership teams used valuation, transaction support, and compensation guidance to move forward with confidence.
Sacandaga Outdoor Center
Sacandaga Outdoor Center is a whitewater rafting outfitter in the Southern Adirondacks that has operated since 1987. The owner was preparing for retirement and wanted clarity on value, with two options in mind. An internal sale to employees or a third-party transaction. SHG completed an enterprise valuation, identified the main value drivers, and surfaced the risk factors that mattered most in each path. The work gave the owner a clear baseline for decision-making and a practical starting point for next steps.
Winn Development
Winn Development is a heavy civil construction business serving residential and commercial clients. The operating stakeholder was weighing strategic planning options for the business's future direction. We performed an enterprise valuation, then walked through both scenarios and how each one could play out. That created a more direct way to compare timing, pricing, and execution steps without guessing.
Tire Conversion Technology
Tire Conversion Technology designs and manufactures sustainable rubber products. In 2025, the team pursued the acquisition of a West Coast company and sought experienced support throughout the process. SHG advised on valuation, deal structure, diligence planning, and financing considerations. The transaction closed in December 2025.
GrabAGun
GrabAGun is a multi-brand ecommerce retailer of firearms, ammunition, and related accessories with a large national customer base. After a recent initial public offering (IPO) and a period of rapid growth, the executive group sought a professional perspective on compensation. SHG developed compensation recommendations for the C suite, including base pay and incentive design. Those recommendations were prepared for the board's review.
What These Engagements Reinforced
A theme we saw again and again in 2025 was the value of options. When owners understand the tradeoffs between an internal transition, a buyout, or a third-party sale, the next step becomes clearer. Decisions move faster because the discussion is grounded in real numbers.
We also saw how much confidence comes from preparation. When financials are clean and the story is consistent, diligence tends to run smoother. Teams spend less time reacting and more time staying ahead of the process.
Another takeaway was the role of alignment inside the business. Incentives and decision rights shape how leaders act under pressure. When compensation is well framed and tied to the right outcomes, it supports execution and helps avoid friction at the worst possible time.
Finally, valuation work is rarely only about a price. It helps owners see what drives value, what creates challenges, and where focus can pay off. That clarity is often the difference between waiting and moving forward.
Looking Ahead to 2026
In 2026, we expect more owners to start planning earlier. Not because they have to, but because it creates leverage. When you have time, you can choose the right path instead of taking the only one.
We will keep focusing on work that brings clarity and momentum. That includes valuations that hold up under scrutiny, transaction support that keeps the process moving, and compensation guidance that aligns leadership with the business's goals.
If 2026 is a year of transition for you, we are ready to help. Whether you are thinking about a sale, a buyout, or a longer-term succession plan, a clear view of value is a strong place to start.
Closing Thoughts for 2025
To our clients, partners, and referral sources, thank you for a strong 2025. We value the trust you place in our team, and we do not take it lightly. The work is personal because the decisions are personal.
If you are heading into 2026 with a big question on the table, we can help you get to clarity. That might start with a valuation, a transaction plan, or a fresh look at executive compensation. It can also start with a simple conversation.
Reach out if you want to talk through your priorities for the year ahead.
Ready to get a clear understanding of your business value and next steps?Contact SHG to discuss a valuation, evaluation, and a plan that fits your goals.
