Business Acquisition & Merger Associates (BAMA) works every day to help founder and family-owned businesses achieve successful exits and strategic growth through M&A. While we don’t typically advise on transactions as large as Honeywell’s recent $2.2 billion acquisition of Sundyne, there are some valuable parallels, and key differences, that shed light on how deals unfold at different levels of the market.
In March 2025, Honeywell International Inc. announced it would acquire Sundyne, a manufacturer of high-speed industrial pumps and compressors. The deal is valued at approximately $2.2 billion in cash and represents a major move to strengthen Honeywell’s Energy and Sustainability Solutions (ESS) segment. Sundyne, formerly backed by Warburg Pincus, brings deep expertise in the petrochemical and renewable fuels sectors. These are areas Honeywell is targeting as part of its pivot toward energy transition and industrial automation.
So, how does analyzing this large, public acquisition substantiate facets of a quality M&A process and compare to the private, unannounced transactions that BAMA supports?
For starters, Honeywell and Sundyne are both highly specialized companies, which is something we see often with our clients. While our advisory services focus on businesses with $10M-$100M in revenue, the importance of strategic fit, cultural alignment, and long-term growth opportunities is just as critical. In this case, Sundyne fills a precise gap in Honeywell’s portfolio, adding niche engineering capabilities and access to infrastructure projects in energy and renewables.
Honeywell is a global powerhouse with diversified interests across aerospace, automation, building technologies, and advanced materials. In contrast, Sundyne is a mid-sized manufacturer with a narrower product focus but a strong position in its market. The all-cash structure proves there will be immediately accretive synergies and proves the buyer had a clear understanding of the value this acquisition would bring, and was willing to pay a premium to secure it.
BAMA specializes in helping buyers and sellers find that same kind of fit, on a personalized scale. By working with business owners who’ve built their company over decades and are now considering a full or partial exit to meet their long-term goals. Our clients look to us for hands-on guidance from a seasoned advisor who can educate them through each step of the process, help them understand the market, and negotiate on their behalf.
If we had represented Sundyne in a lower middle market version of this deal, here’s what we would have focused on:
- Strategic Positioning: We’d identify Sundyne’s unique value propositions early and build a targeted marketing narrative around its strength in high-reliability equipment, long-standing customer relationships, and crucial position in critical energy infrastructure.
- Buyer Outreach: Rather than going wide, we’d go deep, reaching out to a curated list of strategic acquirers and private equity groups already active in the energy or industrial tech space and tangential markets.
- Cultural Fit and Legacy: Because our clients care deeply about their legacy, we’d vet potential buyers for cultural alignment, transition support, and ability to support future growth of the company.
- Process Management: From data room management to LOI negotiation and due diligence coordination, BAMA drives a structured process designed to protect value and minimize surprises.
While deals of Honeywell’s scale make headlines, the same core principles, understanding your company’s value, finding the right fit, and managing a professional process, are just as critical in the lower middle market. BAMA is proud to bring that high-caliber strategy and white-glove support to our business owners clients every day.
Want to know how your company might fit into a strategic acquisition like this? Let’s talk today.
Business Acquisition & Merger Associates (www.buysellyourbusiness.com), a Charlotte, NC advisory firm, assists business owners in growth recapitalizations, business transfers to financial or strategic buyers, and management buyouts. BAMA also helps companies grow by providing buy-side sourcing services that identify potential add-on acquisitions to expand geographic footprint or add strategic products and capabilities.