This San Francisco Bay Area importer of exclusive brands of woodworking tools, kitchen knives, gardening tools and other hardware has, over 35 years, built a loyal customer base of craftsmen, woodworkers, restoration professionals, cabinet makers, boat builders, professional chefs, gardeners and landscapers throughout the country. The company publishes, semi-annually, an 80- page catalog which, combined with internet sales, drives about 70% of the business’s revenue. The remaining revenues are generated through the retail store. The owner has embraced the latest in online marketing tools including search engine optimization techniques, Google AdWord advertising, Facebook and Twitter initiatives. The sellers believe that adding increased sophistication to the web site and online marketing efforts offer the greatest potential for increasing sales.

Since the start of the recession revenues have remained relatively constant, but the business has seen its profits and margins adversely impacted by a decline in the value of the dollar thereby increasing its cost of sales. The owner has not hedged currency exchange rates which would protect against this cost squeeze. The owner’s age and health motivate him to sell now, and the business is priced only slightly above the value of its inventory and equipment. Opportunities exist to add sophistication to the business’s web site, engage in currency hedging to lock in exchange rates, and to bring new energy and sophistication to what is already a successful business.