Omaha Advisory Firm Expands M&A Practice to Serve Texas Business Owners

The McFarland Group, an Omaha-based advisory firm with a track record of supporting more than 200 ownership transitions totaling over $3 billion, has announced an expanded emphasis on its M&A advisory practice for closely held business owners evaluating sales to external buyers. The firm's approach, detailed in a recent announcement, structures engagements to run six to twenty-four months before a transaction closes, a timeline that founder Byron McFarland argues is essential for thoughtful decision-making.

According to the firm, the M&A advisory encompasses both sell-side and buy-side transactions, including exit readiness assessment, due diligence preparation, buyer identification, and transaction management through close. The practice targets owner-led businesses with revenue between $5 million and $100 million, a segment the firm has served extensively through its management buyout work. The expanded focus reflects a growing number of owner-clients who are considering an external sale alongside or in place of an internal transition to management.

Byron McFarland emphasized the importance of time in the process. "Selling a business to an external buyer is one of the most consequential decisions an owner will make, and it deserves more time than most processes give it," he said. "Our work brings the same calm, structured approach we have built over two decades of ownership-transition advisory. The goal is clarity for the owner, not speed for the dealmaker."

The firm's model involves engaging early in an owner's planning horizon, often before the business is brought to market. This allows questions of readiness, deal structure, and buyer fit to be addressed in sequence rather than under pressure. "Owners deserve to know what they are walking into before they commit to a process," McFarland said. "When we slow the moment down at the front end, the entire transaction tends to go better at every step that follows."

For Texas business owners, this news matters because the state is home to a large number of closely held companies in the $5 million to $100 million revenue range, many of which are approaching ownership transitions. The firm's patient, senior-led model—where Byron McFarland and the principal team remain directly engaged throughout each engagement rather than passing work to junior associates—offers an alternative to the accelerated timelines common in many M&A processes. By focusing on readiness and buyer fit, the approach aims to help owners avoid rushed decisions that could undermine long-term value.

The McFarland Group's additional practice areas include management buyout advisory and performance equity compensation design. More information on the firm's M&A advisory is available at themcfarlandgroup.com/service/m-and-a-advisory-services.