Sell your Distribution business
Distribution and wholesale businesses are valued on earnings plus inventory, and they attract both strategic and financial buyers. Here’s what yours is worth and how to sell it on your terms.
What it’s worth
Distribution valuation multiples
Distribution and wholesale businesses commonly trade around 4–6× EBITDA, plus saleable inventory. Supplier relationships, margins, and customer diversification move the range.
These are general, illustrative ranges for healthy businesses—not a valuation or an offer. Actual value depends on size, margins, recurring revenue, customer concentration, owner dependence, and deal structure. For a real number, request a free confidential valuation.
What drives your multiple
- Supplier and manufacturer relationships and exclusivity
- Customer concentration and recurring order patterns
- Inventory quality, turns, and obsolescence
- Gross margins and pricing power
- Logistics, warehousing, and systems
Who’s buying
The buyer landscape
- Strategic distributors expanding lines, territory, and customers
- PE platforms consolidating distribution niches
- Operators and searchers acquiring established, profitable distributors
Florida & beyond
What’s specific to selling here
- Florida’s ports and population make it a strong distribution hub
- Buyers value supplier exclusivity and diversified, recurring customers
- Inventory and working capital are central to deal structure
Before you go to market
How to prepare—and lift your value
1
Diversify customers and secure key supplier relationships
2
Clean up inventory and document turns and margins
3
Normalize working capital ahead of going to market
FAQ
Selling your distribution or wholesale business: FAQ
How are distribution businesses valued?
Typically 4–6× EBITDA plus saleable inventory. Supplier relationships, margins, customer diversification, and inventory quality drive the range.
Who buys distribution and wholesale companies?
Strategic distributors, PE platforms, and operators are active — especially for profitable niche distributors with supplier exclusivity and recurring customers.
How does inventory affect my sale?
Inventory is usually valued and negotiated alongside the business. Clean, well-turning inventory supports value; obsolete stock is discounted.
Start here
Thinking about selling your Distribution business?
Start with a confidential conversation and an honest read on your value, your likely buyers, and your timeline.