If you’re in the industrial machinery game: components, equipment, servicing, or fabrication, you’ve likely felt it. The mix of momentum and caution. Buyers are looking around for the right kind of business. Acquirers are watching the economic dials, ready to move. Owners are weighing legacy and leadership.
Right now, you’re in one of those rare windows where things actually line up, maybe not perfectly, but better than they have in a long time.
Interest rates are easing, inflation is largely under control, debt is more accessible, buyers are cashed up, and industrial is still a favourite. William Buck’s 2025 Dealmaking Insights report shows that industrial deals made up 31% of total M&A activity in Australia last year.
This window won’t stay open forever. Do you know your play? Can you act —or watch— with confidence that it’s the right action for your business?
Would’ve acted… if you’d had clarity.
Well, here it is.
Inflation’s sitting in the Reserve Bank’s comfort zone of 2–3%. The official cash rate dropped from 4.35% to 3.85%, with forecasts from Westpac suggesting further falls through FY2026. That means funding is back on the table for mid-market acquirers, especially private equity and mid-tier lenders, and capital isn’t as tight as it was last year.
For the first time in a while, the economic conditions are clear enough to make long-term plans, especially if you’re running a family-owned industrial business where opportunities often slip by while you’re waiting for a sign.
Could’ve grown… if you’d been ready.
The competition is moving. We’re seeing more activity from both sides:
- Private equity is circling industrials with good cash flow and clean systems.
- Strategic buyers are chasing bolt-ons in machinery, warehouse automation, and field services.
- Local deals are happening, we see it with our customers like Headland Technology buying Noble Industrial in WA, or Genesis Equipment acquiring Cornish Lubrication to offer full workshop fitouts.
What do these businesses have in common? Tight books, clean systems, and repeatable operations. It’s about being ready.
Because in these favourable conditions, you’re either growing through acquisition, preparing a strategic exit, or watching others make the moves. The ones that miss out are still chasing margin in spreadsheets.
System clarity, team alignment, and financial normalisation aren’t future projects; they’re the table stakes now.
VIP EARLY-ACCESS
M&A System Readiness: A Workbook for Business Owners
Be first to receive a free copy, built from real customer insights and packed with checklists to get you deal-ready.
First release: Limited copies sent to early registrants only.
First 10 get free M&A system readiness assessment.
Should’ve known… before the rules changed.
Timing used to be about valuation alone. But now it’s also about regulation.
Starting FY2026, Australia’s ACCC has implemented mandatory pre-merger notifications for a broader range of mid-sized transactions. Deals that once sailed through now take longer to review, which means a properly documented exit or acquisition plan is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s risk management.
And it’s not just the rules. Markets move quickly. The Ai Group’s Australian PMI data has shown manufacturing hovering on the edge of expansion. If it tips, valuations will too.
The ones making confident moves in FY2026 are paying attention to rates, demand, and regulation, and building their playbook while conditions are still in their favour.
The real question: Are you ready?
This window won’t stay open. Rates will shift again. Valuations will move. Competitors might close deals you hesitated on.
Ready doesn’t mean “itching to sell.” It means knowing what your business is worth— to a buyer, a partner, or even just to you. It means having a team that can keep things running if you step back tomorrow. A system that makes due diligence look easy. A plan that says: we’ve thought this through.
From our work across the industrial sector, merger and acquisition readiness comes down to clear systems, clean data, and confidence in how the business runs. Do you know which regions, products, or service lines drive your margin? Do you know how another business could slot into your operation? Data helps you to understand where you stand.
We are soon to release the M&A System Readiness: A Workbook for Business Owners to help leaders in the industrial machinery space pressure-test their system readiness, whether you’re preparing to sell or scale. It covers the core functions buyers and investors will scrutinise — from finance, legal, HR, customers, marketing, and projects through to operations, supply chain, inventory, and IT.
Inside, you’ll find structured checklists, broken into functional areas your leadership team can work through, showing where you are prepared today and where your systems need attention. The aim is to give you clarity and confidence that your data, processes, and digital foundation will support valuation, negotiation, and smooth integration — whichever side of the table you’re on.
Register to receive the guide. Work through the checklists. Talk to your team.
There’s a narrow window to make a move on your terms — whether that means selling your business or acquiring another. But beyond the transaction itself, it’s worth stepping back to ask: does your business run like it’s ready for a deal?
