Reading between the lines, they've been looking for a buyer for some time and the white knight has not appeared. Hence the uncertainty in the tone of the message, and the implication that the owner is no longer prepared to postpone retirement. Both purchase of the company and closing of the company are mentioned, which are opposite outcomes.
I wonder if Mike and a group of his employees will work out a deal where they continue to operate the company and he and his heirs receive a cut of any profits forever, rather than an employee purchase of the company with a capital investment. Many have said that cash flow is a significant issue in this and similar cottage industries. Apparently no one outside the company is willing to make a capital investment of a size commensurate with their annual sales. But this insider scenario could be best for the hobby, the company, and maybe in the long run for its founder and his heirs. I'd guess he would have preferred someone to come up with tens of millions to buy him out (if he is, as is apparently the case, a sole proprietor). For reasons others have mentioned, it hasn't happened.
It ain't over till it's over.
