Subscribe to Smart Business Dealmakers
May 28, 2021
What to know when buying businesses in the cannabis industry
Jamil Taylor and Kevin Slaughter discuss the unique considerations that need to be made when buying businesses in the cannabis industry....
By Adam Burroughs
March 31, 2021
Diane Pearse: Brand leads the way in M&A at Hickory Farms
CEO Diane Pearse talks about Hickory Farms' M&A approach as well as the current and future state of the business....
By Adam Burroughs
March 5, 2021
Stuart Sorkin on why disruption is overrated
Former Affy Tapple CEO Stuart Sorkin talks investment approach and deal criteria, and why disruptors are overrated....
By Adam Burroughs
February 5, 2021
Warren Young values sellers who stick around
Warren Young, chairman of Acme Industries and Automation NTH, on his experience as an acquirer, and advice to sellers on striking win-win deals....
By Adam Burroughs
January 8, 2021
Locke Lord’s Michael Wilson sees a faster deal pace, but caution, in 2021
Locke Lord Partner Michael Wilson says though M&A activity remains high, the ways in which investors are transacting — a flight to quality, greater willingness to do minority investments — has changed heading into 2021....
By Adam Burroughs
December 11, 2020
Dean Zayed on how being a seller informed his approach to being a buyer
Brookstone Capital Management's Dean Zayed talks about both the AmeriLife and the FormulaFolios deals, and how one informed the other....
By Adam Burroughs
October 2, 2020
John Rowady Keeps rEvolution Ready For Action
John Rowady, rEvolution’s founder and president, says now is the ideal time for meaningful acquisitions that could set a business up for wins well into the future....
By Adam Burroughs
September 2, 2020
Minimize risk and protect shareholders with financial opinions
Greg Cook, a director with Prairie Capital Advisors, explores fairness and solvency opinions as a means of minimizing risk and protecting shareholders....
By Greg Cook
August 7, 2020
VillageMD's Tim Barry: Keep Your Investors Close In Tough Times
VillageMD CEO Tim Barry talks about the importance of communicating with investors and keeping the door open to opportunity during the disruption....
By Adam Burroughs
August 6, 2020
MRI Software Buys MacMunnis
Solon-based MRI Software has acquired Chicago-based MacMunnis Inc., a provider of lease administration solutions to businesses managing complex lease portfolios....
By Michael Marzec
July 15, 2020
Thirty-One Gifts Gets Growth Capital From Kanbrick
Thirty-One Gifts founder Cindy Monroe has taken on a growth equity partner in Kanbrick, the investment firm led by former Waren Buffett deputy Tracy Britt Cool and Brian Humphrey. Terms were not disclosed.v...
By Michael Marzec
July 2, 2020
Cyprium Partners’ Michael Conaton: Get Ready For EBITDAC
Cyprium Partners co-founder MIchael Conaton discusses where he thinks investors will look when they begin scrutinizing deals as the economy starts to recover and the rise of EBIDTA before COVID....
By Adam Burroughs and Mark Scott
June 25, 2020
Cyprium Partners makes non-control investment in Chief Enterprises Holding
Cyprium Investment Partners has completed a new preferred equity and subordinated debt investment in Chief Enterprises Holding LLC...
By Adam Burroughs
June 19, 2020
Bravo Wellness Acquires PUSH Wellness
Cleveland-based Bravo Wellness has acquired Chicago-based PUSH Wellness. The companies both provide personalized, progress-based health improvement goals that materially reward each program participant....
By Michael Marzec
June 12, 2020
Howard & Howard’s Dan Cotter: Don’t Wait To Make A Business Interruption Claim
Many companies will be taking a harder look at their business interruption and disaster recovery insurance coverage in the wake of COVID-19, says Dan Cotter, an attorney with Howard & Howard....
By Dustin S. Klein & Mark Scott
June 8, 2020
Wintrust’s Paul Carlisle: Investors Who Weather Pandemic Will Find Deal Opportunities On Other Side
Paul Carlisle discusses how investors view the current deal market and what business owners can do to prepare for the second half of the year....
By Dustin S. Klein & Mark Scott
May 26, 2020
Cresco Labs Reaches Deal To Acquire Four Ohio Cannabis Dispensaries
Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. Upon closing, Cresco would have a total of five dispensaries in Ohio – the maximum allowed by the state....
By SBN Staff
May 15, 2020
Prairie Capital Advisors' Ken Serwinski: Dealmakers Continue To Operate With An Abundance Of Caution
Buyer’s market, or seller’s market? In this time of global pandemic, how about neither, says Prairie Capital Advisors Co-founder and Chairman Ken Serwinski....
By Dustin S. Klein & Mark Scott
May 8, 2020
Conco sold to Rising Point Capital
Chicago-based Rising Point Capital has acquired Conco Holdings, which is located in the Pittsburgh area. Tecum Capital Partners and UMB Capital Corp. provided subordinated debt and equity. The investor group also partnered with the Saxon-Godish Family and existing management team, who will remain with Conco and retain a significant stake....
By Jayne Gest
April 23, 2020
Greg Achten: Strategic Tips On How To Manage Your Investments In The Wake Of Economic Crisis
Liquidity is often an elusive goal in the wake of an economic downturn. As business owners and investors try to collect themselves in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greg Achten has found that many of his clients at UBS are in decent shape....
By Dustin S. Klein & Mark Scott
March 19, 2020
Banner Solutions’ Brendan Deely: Kick The Tires A Little Harder To Find The Right Deal
Dominating strategy always wins out over dominant personalities as Brendan Deely is assessing potential acquisition targets....
By Mark Scott
March 4, 2020
John Rowady: Why It’s OK To Be Selfish As You Consider Your Company’s Future
Selling your company is a big deal. It’s OK to put your own interests first in pursuit of your desired goals, says rEvolution’s John Rowady....
By Mark Scott
March 3, 2020
PPG completes Alpha Coating Technologies purchase
Pittsburgh-headquartered PPG has completed its acquisition of Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, a Chicago manufacturer of powder coatings for light industrial applications and heat sensitive substrates....
By Jayne Gest
February 26, 2020
Crash Champions buys Auto Body Collision & Glass
Crash Champions, a Chicago-based collision repair group, will acquire Auto Body Collision and Glass, a three location collision group in Columbus. Crash Champions will begin operations at these locations on March 2. The transaction marks the first out-of-state acquisition for the organization....
By Jayne Gest
February 20, 2020
TMA’s Scott Y. Stuart: Tips For Navigating The Risky World Of Distressed Investments
As you consider investing in or buying a company that is in a tough spot, you need to be honest about the situation....
By Mark Scott
February 6, 2020
Dean Zayed: Ready To Deal, Not Ready To Walk
Dealmaking provides options. Darryl Ronconi and Dean Zayed found a way to sell a majority interest in Brookstone Capital Management and retain a strong voice in the company moving forward....
By Mark Scott
February 5, 2020
PPG to buy Alpha Coating Technologies
Pittsburgh-headquartered PPG has agreed to acquire Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, a West Chicago manufacturer of powder coatings for light industrial applications and heat sensitive substrates....
By Jayne Gest
February 5, 2020
A. Stucki Co. parent company buys Salco Products
Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LLC’s SCI Rail Holdings LLC has — through its subsidiary, A. Stucki Company in Moon, Pennsylvania — has acquired Salco Products Inc. The acquisition of Salco, which is based in a Chicago suburb, broadens SCI Rail’s freight car product offering and expands its customer reach....
By Jayne Gest
January 23, 2020
Cresco Labs Enters Into Senior Secured Credit Agreement
Cresco Labs has entered into a non-brokered credit agreement for a senior secured term loan in an initial aggregate principal amount of up to $100 million, with a mutual option to increase the size of the facility to a maximum of $200 million....
By Mark Scott
January 23, 2020
Frontenac’s Ronald W. Kuehl: Find Ways To Create Value, Then Execute Your Plan
Frontenac's Ronald W. Kuehl focuses on investments in the commercial, industrial and business service sectors, using a mix of patience and urgency to find good deal opportunities....
By Mark Scott
January 22, 2020
Walton Street Capital, CT Realty Acquire Columbus, Ohio Parcel
CT acquired the 382-acre property in a joint venture with Walton Street Capital, a Chicago-based private equity real estate investment firm that has invested over $11 billion in real estate equity....
By Mark Scott
January 22, 2020
Tenth And Blake Buys Detroit-Based Atwater Brewery
Tenth and Blake Beer Co. is the Chicago-based U.S. craft division of Molson Coors Beverage Co. Atwater Brewery is highly regarded in the Michigan craft beer community for its traditional German-style lagers and unique ales....
By Mark Scott
January 21, 2020
Wynnchurch Capital Closes Fund V At $2.277B
The fund, which had a target of $1.6 billion, was significantly oversubscribed, resulting in the fund reaching its hard cap and closing quickly after its initial launch in September 2019....
By Mark Scott
January 21, 2020
Reynolds Consumer Products Sets IPO Terms
The company has applied to list its shares of common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “REYN.”...
By Mark Scott
January 21, 2020
Cerity Partners, Sullivan & Serwitz Merge
Cerity Partners has merged with Los Altos, California-based wealth management firm Sullivan & Serwitz. With this merger, Cerity Partners now manages approximately $26 billion in assets....
By Mark Scott
January 20, 2020
Samya.AI Raises $6M In Seed Funding Led By Sequoia India
Samya.AI is an enterprise revenue growth AI SaaS company headquartered in Chicago with offices in London and its main product and R&D center in Bangalore, India....
By Mark Scott
January 16, 2020
LaSalle Network’s Tom Gimbel: Entrepreneur Still Searching For The Right Deal
The decision to make a deal is often a matter of perspective, says LaSalle Network’s Tom Gimbel....
By Mark Scott
January 15, 2020
Amynta Completes Deal To Buy American AutoGuardian
The AAGI acquisition is expected to further solidify Amynta's market leading position, now serving approximately 15,000 dealerships in the U.S. and Canada....
By Mark Scott
January 15, 2020
May River Capital Buys NSL Analytical Services
Under the leadership of Larry Somrack, NSL has grown to approximately 75 employees serving over 1,700 customers globally from two locations in Warrensville Heights, Ohio....
By Mark Scott
January 14, 2020
Wynnchurch Capital-Backed Midland Industries Buys Stainless Adapters Inc.
SAI CEO Michael Baker will join Midland as general manager of the company’s new Houston distribution center, which is slated to open in the spring of 2020....
By Mark Scott
January 14, 2020
Cerity Partners Merges With NY-Based EMM Wealth
With this merger, Cerity Partners now manages approximately $26 billion in assets. EMM Wealth has taken on Cerity Partners' name and branding....
By Mark Scott
January 14, 2020
Ice Mobility Buys Mobileistic
Lincolnshire-based Ice Mobility has acquired assets of Grand Prairie, Texas-based Mobileistic LLC, a distributor and manufacturer of mobile device accessories....
By Mark Scott
January 13, 2020
WESCO and Anixter to merge
Anixter International Inc. has agreed to allow Pittsburgh-based WESCO to buy Chicago area-headquartered Anixter in a transaction valued at approximately $4.5 billion. The transaction will deliver greater scale with an enhanced geographic footprint and supply chain services in the industries of network and security, electrical and electronic, and utility power....
By Jayne Gest
January 13, 2020
Middleby Buys RAM Fry Dispensers
The Middleby Corp. announced the acquisition of RAM Fry Dispensers, a business unit of Automated Equipment LLC based in Red Wing, Minnesota. RAM is an industry leader in automated frozen fry dispensing equipment....
By Mark Scott
January 9, 2020
Americaneagle.com’s Michael Svanascini: When Customer Acquisition Wins Out Over Cultural Fit
While cultural fit is often critical to achieving a successful acquisition, it’s not mandatory, says Americaneagle.com’s Michael Svanascini....
By Mark Scott
January 9, 2020
CG Life Buys Colorado-Based The Market Element
CG Life is integrating The Market Element team to serve clients in a variety of ways, from developing campaign strategies to creating and executing digital architectures....
By Mark Scott
January 9, 2020
WESCO revises Anixter proposal in bidding war
Pittsburgh-headquartered WESCO International Inc. submitted an improved proposal to the board of Anixter International to acquire the Cook County, Illinois, company for $100 per share in cash and stock....
By Jayne Gest
January 9, 2020
Riverside buys ImPact Applications
Itasca, Illinois-based Riverside Insights, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors, has acquired ImPACT Applications Inc., a Pittsburgh provider of research-backed concussion assessments....
By Jayne Gest
January 8, 2020
Chicago’s Wolff Landscape Architecture To Join Confluence
The Chicago expansion is one part of two simultaneous acquisitions by Confluence. The firm is also adding Land Elements, an award-winning landscape architecture firm in Fargo, North Dakota....
By Mark Scott
January 8, 2020
Cresco Closes Deal To Buy Origin House
With the closing of the deal, Cresco has significantly increased its footprint and accelerated its entry into the California cannabis market....
By Mark Scott
