Woodbridge International has been helping owners of mid-sized businesses navigate mergers and acquisitions since 1993.
Based in West Hartford, Connecticut, with a secondary office in Cape Town, South Africa, the firm spent three decades building a sell-side M&A practice focused on companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million or more.
In 2024, Woodbridge joined Mariner Wealth Advisors as a subsidiary, and the brand has since completed its transition to operate simply as Mariner though the team, process, and focus remain the same.
Key Takeaways
- Woodbridge International has operated as a middle-market M&A advisory firm since 1993, generating over $2 billion in client liquidity in the five years ending September 2025.
- The firm runs a structured 150-day auction process backed by a proprietary database of more than 450,000 buyers worldwide.
- Woodbridge rebranded as Mariner in 2024 after joining Mariner Wealth Advisors, adding estate planning, tax, and wealth management services to its existing M&A advisory work.
What Woodbridge International Actually Does
The firm handles sell-side transactions. That means when a business owner decides to sell, Woodbridge manages the entire process: preparing marketing materials, identifying and approaching qualified buyers, running a competitive bidding environment, and guiding the deal through to close.
The firm does not operate as a traditional business broker.
Woodbridge has consistently distinguished itself from brokers by focusing on more complex transactions and bringing full investment banking methodology to the table.
Business brokers typically work with smaller "Main Street" operations — single-location shops, restaurants, or companies with earnings under $1 million. Woodbridge's sweet spot sits a few rungs above that.
| Factor | Business Broker | Woodbridge / Mariner |
|---|---|---|
| Typical client revenue | Under $1M earnings | $10M–$150M+ revenue |
| Buyer outreach | Local/regional | 450,000+ global buyers |
| Process structure | Informal | 150-day structured auction |
| Post-sale services | None | Wealth, tax, estate planning |
| Valuation methodology | Basic | Full financial underwriting |
The 150-Day Auction Process
Here's where the firm's approach gets specific. Woodbridge doesn't leave the timeline open-ended. The closing date is established at the outset, and the process runs roughly 150 days from launch to close.
Within the first 30 days, the firm conducts financial underwriting on the seller's business a step designed to surface any issues before buyers are in the room, rather than after.
The standard sequence looks like this:
- Pre-launch: financial review, marketing materials, seller workshop
- Launch: outreach to targeted buyers from the firm's proprietary database
- 21-day bid acceptance window following the formal launch
- Buyer meetings and management presentations
- Letter of intent, due diligence, and close
The "time kills deals" principle is something Woodbridge has built its entire operational model around. A defined endpoint creates urgency on both sides and reduces the risk of buyers walking away during prolonged negotiations.
Buyer Database and Reach
The numbers are worth stating plainly. As of late 2025, Woodbridge's buyer database includes 8,400 private equity groups and approximately 410,000 strategic companies.
On recent closed transactions, the firm reported an average of 20 bids per deal across its last 30 closings.
More bids don't automatically mean a higher price, but they do mean more negotiating leverage and a broader set of options for the seller.
The difference between two serious bidders and twenty is not marginal when it comes to final deal terms.
Recent Deal Activity
The firm closed multiple transactions in 2025 across a range of industries:
- BlackJet Marketing, Inc. — sold to Third Century Management, LLC (September 2025)
- Ship Shape Car Wash — sold to Refuge Capital (September 2025)
- B&S Aircraft Alloys — sold to First Lexington, LLC and Dallas Opportunity Partners (July 2025)
- Hunter Displays — sold to Bridge Metal Industries (June 2025)
- Custom Chemical Solutions, LLC — sold to AAVIN Private Equity (June 2025)
The variety of industries tells you something. Woodbridge doesn't specialize in one vertical. The buyer-matching process is built around financial profile and strategic fit, not sector.
Seller Preparation and Marketing
One component that separates Woodbridge from more transactional advisors is the pre-sale work done with the seller.
Before the company goes to market, clients attend a half-day workshop covering best practices for the sales process.
The firm also produces a professionally made marketing video for each engagement not a slide deck, an actual video used to present the business to prospective buyers.
The logic is simple: better-prepared sellers make fewer mistakes during buyer meetings, and better marketing materials generate more interest at the outset.
What Joining Mariner Changed
The Woodbridge-Mariner merger in 2024 expanded what the firm can offer beyond the transaction itself.
Previously, a business owner who sold through Woodbridge would need to find separate advisors for tax structuring, wealth management, and estate planning.
Now those services are available through Mariner's affiliate network under the same umbrella.
For owners who net $10 million, $30 million, or $80 million from a sale, the question of what to do with those proceeds is immediate and consequential.
Having an integrated advisory team for both the transaction and the post-close financial planning removes a real friction point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Woodbridge International for?
Owners of businesses with revenues between $10 million and $150 million who are considering a sale and want a structured, competitive process rather than an off-market transaction.
Is Woodbridge the same as a business broker?
No. The firm operates as an M&A investment banking advisor, not a broker. The scope of services, buyer outreach capacity, and deal complexity are materially different.
What does the rebrand to Mariner mean for existing clients?
The team handling transactions is unchanged. The rebrand reflects the completed integration with Mariner Wealth Advisors and now includes access to broader financial advisory services post-close.
How does get paid?
As is standard in M&A advisory, the firm works on a success-fee basis tied to the completion of a transaction.
Does geography matter?
The firm maintains U.S.-focused client relationships with particular coverage in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and California. The Cape Town office adds international buyer outreach capacity.
By the Numbers
- Founded: 1993
- Headquarters: West Hartford, Connecticut
- Client liquidity generated (Sept 2020–Sept 2025): Over $2 billion
- Buyers in database: 450,000+
- Average bids on recent closed transactions: 20
- Typical deal timeline: 150 days
- Target client revenue range: $10M to $150M+
Conclusion
Woodbridge International now operating as Mariner built a specific process for a specific type of seller, and the firm's deal volume and documented liquidity figures suggest that process holds up over time.
For mid-market business owners weighing a sale, the combination of a structured auction model, a large buyer database, and post-close financial advisory access is a meaningful package to evaluate.