In economic terms, corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are kind of like inorganically growing a company. Acquiring mid-market companies (those companies with between $5 million and $3 billion yearly revenue) is a sure-fire way for larger companies to increase their own asset and revenue numbers. While organic growth was until recently the preferred means of expansion, a new report from Citizens Commercial Banking details a shift in this business paradigm.

“Our 2015 survey indicates that the appetite for acquisitions and sales has increased since last year,” said Bob Rubino, executive vice president and head of Corporate Finance and Capital Markets for Citizens Commercial Banking. “Many owners are looking for strategic acquisitions that can help them grow. Buyers are no longer sitting on the fence.”

For a start-up entrepreneur, taking an acquisition offer for their small business was until recently a far-down-the-road exit strategy. But to give you an idea of how pervasive M&A has become, 2,357 private tech firms were bought in 2012, according to a PrivCo study, and the top buyers were heavy-hitters in the tech industry like Facebook, Google, and Twitter. For a glimpse at just how many subsidiaries a single corporation may acquire over time, check out Microsoft or Oracle.

A strong economy affords big business the leeway to make strategic long-term decisions rather than short-term opportunistic ones when it comes to these types of mergers. As the U.S. slowly recovers from the recession, buyers are once again looking to bring mid-market companies under their umbrella. According to the report, however, it’s unclear whether this dynamic favors buyers or sellers. Here are the study’s key findings on the 2015 market outlook:

• Many executives believe that the market is shifting in the favor of sellers, although a majority still feel that market conditions favor buyers.

• Once-passive buyers have reached a tipping point and are ready to make a decision either to buy now or hold off on M&A activities for at least a year.

• Compared to last year, more companies are now engaged in or actively seeking an acquisition, a trend that is especially true among larger mid-market firms.

• Both buyers and sellers are worried about the impact of a transaction on human capital.

• The impending retirement of the first wave of baby boomers has significant implications for M&A activities.

• Commercial banks continue to be the most used third-party partner.

As we enter 2015, 60 percent of big companies are either currently involved, actively seeking, or “passively receptive” to a merger or acquisition of some sort. Inversely, 64 percent of companies of companies are unwilling to consider selling at all in the next 12 months. Big buyers may be eager to take advantage of low interest rates — smartly, as they’re expected to rise soon — but small and mid-market companies are in no hurry to take the first bid that comes their way.