Retiring from your business: your options
You've built something that matters. Here's how to retire from it on your terms — and leave it in good hands.
Retirement is one of the biggest decisions an owner makes. After decades running a business, you want a fair price, but you also want to know that your staff will be looked after and that customers will keep receiving the service they rely on.
We work with retiring owners of UK industrial, engineering and manufacturing businesses who want exactly that: a clean, well-planned exit that respects what they've built.
Your options when you retire
Retiring owners usually choose between passing the business to family, selling to the management team, selling to a competitor, or selling to an investor. Closing the business is a last resort, and it usually destroys value that a sale would preserve.
Selling to an operator-led investor like INFRANOVA can combine the certainty of a professional buyer with the continuity of keeping the business independent.
Who we help
We work with the owners of established, founder-led UK businesses — often people who started or inherited the company, built it over decades and now want to plan what comes next. Some want to retire completely. Some want to step back gradually. Some want a partner with capital and operating experience to take the business further than they could on their own.
What they have in common is that they care about what happens after they sell. They want their staff looked after, their customers served properly and the name above the door to mean something for years to come. That is exactly the kind of owner we want to work with.
What we look for
We keep our criteria simple and we share them openly, so you can judge quickly whether a conversation is worthwhile. If your business doesn't fit neatly, talk to us anyway — we consider every enquiry on its merits.
- Based in the UK
- Enterprise value of roughly £2m–£10m
- 10+ years trading
- Profitable, with consistent cash generation
- A skilled workforce and loyal customers
- No single customer ideally above 15–20% of revenue
How a sale works with us
Selling a business shouldn't mean months of uncertainty before you know where you stand. We aim to give you a straight answer early, and a clear timetable after that.
- Initial screen: we'll tell you within days whether there's likely to be a fit.
- First conversation and site visit: we meet you, walk the floor and listen.
- Indicative offer: a clear view on value, explained openly, before any lengthy process.
- Due diligence: typically 4–8 weeks, run with as little disruption to the business as possible.
- Completion and handover: a structured transition, typically 6–24 months, at a pace that suits you.
What happens to your staff, customers and name
We buy businesses to build them, not to strip them. Your skilled workforce is the business, and protecting good people is central to how we create value. We don't plan to close sites or cut jobs to hit a number.
The relationships you have built with customers and suppliers are protected through the handover, and we introduce ourselves to them only when you're ready. Your business keeps its name, identity and heritage — we preserve what works and build on it. Our commitments are written down in our Owner's Charter so you can hold us to them.
Stepping back at your own pace
You don't have to leave on day one. We agree a structured handover, typically 6 to 24 months, so knowledge passes on properly and you can step back with confidence. Some owners stay on part-time; others prefer a shorter, cleaner exit.
Questions owners ask us.
Start a confidential conversation.
Tell us a little about your business. All conversations are strictly confidential.