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August 7, 2020
Don’t overreact to short-term disruption, says COhatch CEO Matt Davis
COhatch CEO Matt Davis on his company's response to the pandemic and why long-term decisions shouldn’t be made in a crisis....
By Adam Burroughs
August 3, 2020
FocusCFO Raises Angel Funding
FocusCFO, a Columbus-based provider of CFO-level financial and management services for small and middle-market companies, recently raised $285,000 of convertible debt financing from undisclosed investors....
By Michael Marzec
August 3, 2020
7-Eleven set to acquire Speedway
As part of the agreement, 7-Eleven will acquire approximately 3,900 Speedway stores located in 35 states, for $21 billion in cash....
By Adam Burroughs
August 3, 2020
Kennedy Cottrell Richards and Rea & Associates set to merge
Rea & Associates Inc., a regional accounting and business consulting firm, is set to merge with Gahanna, Ohio-based firm, Kennedy Cottrell Richards....
By Adam Burroughs
July 30, 2020
Branch Secures $24 Million Series A
Branch, a technology-driven home and auto insurance company, has closed a $24 million Series A funding round co-led by Greycroft and HSCM Bermuda....
By Adam Burroughs
July 27, 2020
SMB Insurance Bought By Kernan Insurance Agency
Columbus-based online insurance agency SMB Insurance has been acquired by Kernan Insurance Agency of Powell. Terms were not disclosed....
By Michael Marzec
July 16, 2020
OPENonline Acquired By Universal Background Screening
Columbus-based OPENonline, a provider of employment background checks and investigative services, has been acquired by Universal Background Screening of Scottsdale, Ariz. Terms were not disclosed.v...
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 9, 2020
AB Bernstein’s Kara Lewis and Heather George on the seller fatigue factor
AB Bernstein's Kara Lewis and Heather George explores the seller mindset and how that might affect deal availability for buyers....
By Adam Burroughs
July 8, 2020
Popcom Crowdfunds $2.3M
PopCom, a Columbus-based smart vending and kiosk startup, has completed its second equity crowdfunding campaign....
By Adam Burroughs
July 7, 2020
Drive Capital contributes to Immuta's $40M funding round
Drive Capital is among the investors helping Boston-based Immuta, the automated data governance company, secure $40 million in funding....
By Adam Burroughs
July 6, 2020
Bricker & Eckler acquires Ohio PACE, Energize Kentucky from The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
Law firm Bricker & Eckler LLP has acquired the Ohio PACE and Energize Kentucky commercial PACE programs from The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance....
By Adam Burroughs
June 22, 2020
Installed Building Products buys Nationwide Gutter
Installed Building Products Inc., a Columbus-based national installer of insulation and complementary building products, has acquired Nationwide Gutter LLC, which expands its presence to multifamily and commercial customers throughout Texas and surrounding states....
By Jayne Gest
June 12, 2020
ChromoCare’s Hugh Cathey: It’s time for careful, creative thinking
It's a challenging business environment right now, which calls for care and out-of-the-box thinking. Hugh Cathey discusses what he’s seeing in today’s market through the lens of both business owner and investor....
By Jayne Gest
June 10, 2020
Aware raises $2.2M in venture funding
Nullable Inc., dba Aware, recently raised $2.2 million in venture funding in the form of convertible debt from undisclosed investors, bring the Columbus company’s total funds raised to date to $11.1 million through five rounds, PitchBook reports....
By Jayne Gest
June 10, 2020
Nationwide invests in Planck
Nationwide recently made a venture capital investment in Planck, which has created an artificial intelligence-driven data platform for commercial insurance. The funding, which was part of a $16 million Series B round, comes from Nationwide’s $100 million venture capital investment fund....
By Jayne Gest
June 5, 2020
BroadStreet Partners raises $100M in mezzanine financing
Penfund, an independent provider of junior capital to North American middle market companies in Toronto, recently completed a $100 million second lien debt and equity co-investment in Columbus-headquartered BroadStreet Partners Inc....
By Jayne Gest
June 3, 2020
Performance Dealerships buys Bobby Layman Cadillac GMC
The Performance Columbus Family of Dealerships including Honda Marysville, Honda Marysville Motorsports, Toyota Direct and Performance Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM (Georgesville & Delaware) has acquired Bobby Layman Cadillac GMC of Fairfield County, Ohio....
By Jayne Gest
June 3, 2020
Salon Lofts raises funds
Salon Lofts Group LLC, a Columbus-headquartered operator of a beauty parlor chain, recently received $1.06 million of development capital from undisclosed investors, according to PitchBook....
By Jayne Gest
June 1, 2020
VentureOhio closes; young professional program continuing
VentureOhio’s board has decided to sunset the trade association, which advocated for increased capital and greater collaboration. The decision to wind down VentureOhio came following CEO Falon Donohue’s departure earlier this year, assessing the impact of COVID-19 and recognizing Ohio’s regional entrepreneurial support organizations are well-positioned to advance VentureOhio’s mission....
By Jayne Gest
May 29, 2020
Advocate Solutions sold to KSM Consulting
Indianapolis-headquartered consulting firm KSM Consulting has acquired Advocate Solutions, a 25-year-old Columbus consulting firm specializing in public assistance contact centers, modernizing legacy applications and managing technology programs for state and local government agencies....
By Jayne Gest
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
Ice Miller’s Michael Jordan and Rob Ouellette: M&A and business in a turbulent market
Are deals dead? Ice Miller Partner Rob Ouellette says “no,” but they have taken on a different look. Ouellette and Ice Miller Managing Partner Michael Jordan share their thoughts on M&A and other issues C-suite executives are dealing with during the COVID-19 crisis....
By Dustin S. Klein and Jayne Gest
May 13, 2020
Deal Pulse: April M&A Activity in Central Ohio
The state of Ohio was under a stay-at-home order for the entire month of April, with many businesses shut down. While middle market M&A activity has severely slowed in Central Ohio, notable deals included Break Trail Ventures, Nationwide Ventures and Midwest Equipment Sales....
By Michael Shaw
May 5, 2020
Finite States raises a $12.5M Series A round
Finite State has raised $12.5 million in a Series A funding round, in order to scale its engineering team. The round was led by Energy Impact Partners, along with Zetta Venture Partners, cybersecurity veteran Niloofar Howe and other undisclosed investors....
By Jayne Gest
May 5, 2020
HR Gray sold to Anser Advisory
Orlando-headquartered Anser Advisory has acquired H.R. Gray, a 76 employee owner’s representative, construction management and dispute resolution firm based in Columbus....
By Jayne Gest
May 4, 2020
L Brands to spin out Victoria’s Secret after deal terminates
L Brands Inc. has agreed to allow Sycamore Partners to terminate its deal to buy Victoria’s Secret. The company plans to establish Bath & Body Works as a pure-play public company and prepare the Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, Victoria’s Secret Beauty and PINK businesses to operate as a separate, standalone company....
By Jayne Gest
April 27, 2020
MWE Sales recapitalizes with funding from Provariant, Tecum
Midwest Equipment Sales has taken on investment partners in order to grow the Columbus-headquartered business. The funding was led by Provariant Equity Partners, with investment from Tecum Capital Partners, the existing CEO and Centerfield Capital Partners....
By Jayne Gest
April 27, 2020
Seamless.AI raises $2.4M in funding
Seamless.AI, a Worthington-based provider of sales automation software, has raised $2.4 million of venture funding....
By Jayne Gest
April 24, 2020
Intellinetics purchases CEO Image Systems assets
Intellinetics Inc., a Columbus cloud-based document solutions provider, has acquired substantially all the assets of CEO Imaging Systems Inc., doing business as CEO Image Systems, a Michigan document solutions company....
By Jayne Gest
April 23, 2020
JAAS Systems Sells Manufacturing Software Business To Acumatica
Footprint Capital acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to JAAS, working with both parties to consummate the agreement under a tight deadline for announcement at the 2020 Acumatica Summit earlier this year....
By Michael Marzec
April 22, 2020
Sycamore Partners wants to cancel pending Victoria’s Secret sale
Sycamore Partners has delivered notice to L Brands Inc. purporting to terminate the transaction agreement relating to the sale of a 55 percent interest in Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, Victoria’s Secret Beauty and PINK....
By Jayne Gest
April 17, 2020
Deal Pulse: March M&A Activity in Central Ohio
M&A activity in Central Ohio continues to move forward despite the impact of the coronavirus on the markets and Ohio’s mandated shutdown of non-essential businesses and “shelter-in-place” orders given in March....
By Michael Shaw
April 8, 2020
Heartland Completes Purchase of Kentucky's Victory Community Bank
Whitehall-based Heartland BancCorp has completed its acquisition of Ft. Mitchell, Ky.-based Victory Community Bank for 58,934 shares of Heartland common stock and $35.5 million in cash....
By Michael Marzec
April 1, 2020
Grief completes CPG divesture, buys minority stake in Centurion Container
Greif Inc. has completed its divestiture of the Consumer Packaging Group business for $85 million in cash to Graphic Packaging Holding Co. The company also purchased in minority investment stake in Centurion Container LLC....
By Jayne Gest
April 1, 2020
Drive Capital’s Chris Olsen on how coronavirus impacts VC
Drive Capital partner Chris Olsen talks about the state of dealmaking, what portfolio companies should expect from their shareholders and his advice for investors....
By Adam Burroughs
March 31, 2020
Olive Raises $51M to Accelerate Health Care AI Product
Columbus-based Olive said it closed a $51 million funding round led by General Catalyst that will fund acceleration of its development of an artificial intelligence bot that manages administrative tasks for hospitals....
By Michael Marzec
March 31, 2020
Thayer Power & Communication Acquired By PE Firm
Thayer Power & Communication, a Pataskala-based provider of repair, maintenance and upgrade services for the utility and telecommunications industries, has been acquired by Calera Capital in partnership with management....
By Michael Marzec
March 23, 2020
Deal Pulse: Central Ohio companies active in health care tech
Central Ohio companies were active last month in transactions involving health care tech. Copper Run Capital's Michael Shaw shares what deal activity he's seen throughout February 2020....
By Michael Shaw
March 19, 2020
Cori Care, Absolute Care purchased by Caregiver Inc.
Caregiver Inc., a Fort Worth, Texas-based provider of long-term care services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has acquired four companies in Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee, including Cori Care and Absolute Care in Columbus....
By Jayne Gest
March 18, 2020
Washington Prime Group reduces its common dividend
Due to the heightened uncertainty relating to the duration and potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Washington Prime Group Inc. plans to enhance its overall liquidity position, which includes a further reduction of the company’s cash dividend for common shares and operating partnership units....
By Jayne Gest
March 12, 2020
The art and science of letting go
Sunsetting your career isn’t an easy transition — and the emotional issues are usually tougher to navigate than the financial or business concerns. BriskHeat Corp. President Dominic Federico and advisers from Wells Fargo Private Bank discuss what happens post sale....
By Jayne Gest
March 11, 2020
Nexus purchased by Medicus IT
Medicus IT, a health care-focused managed services provider based in Alpharetta, Georgia, has acquired Nexus Practice IT Services, a Columbus health care managed IT services provider....
By Jayne Gest
March 9, 2020
DHL Supply Chain’s North American headquarters sold
Arch Street Capital Advisors and VEREIT have acquired DHL Supply Chain’s North American Headquarters in Westerville. The property, located within the recently developed Westar Place Business Park, is a new, build-to-suit, 145,000 square foot class A office building....
By Jayne Gest
March 6, 2020
Ancora, NY-Based Macellum Takes 11 Percent Stake In Big Lots, Calls For New Board
Citing a number of strategic mistakes, an investor group has issued an open letter to shareholders of Columbus-based retailer Big Lots Inc. calling for a new board that it believes can maximize and return shareholder value....
By Mark Scott
March 4, 2020
Intellinetics Completes Equity And Debt Financing, Buys Graphic Sciences
Intellinetics Inc., a cloud-based document solutions provider, has closed an equity and debt private placement financing and raised a total of $5.5 million....
By Mark Scott
March 3, 2020
Hy-Tek Material Handling buys Johnson Stephens Consulting
Hy-Tek Material Handling Inc. has acquired Atlanta-based Johnson Stephens Consulting Inc., a supply chain operations consultancy serving retailers, wholesalers and distributors nationwide. With the transaction, a Hy-Tek consulting division was formed....
By Jayne Gest
March 3, 2020
Rev1 Ventures participates in Upshift’s $3.7M funding round
Cincinnati-based startup Upshift raised $3.7 million of Series A venture funding in a deal led by Indeed, according to PitchBook. Columbus startup studio Rev1 Ventures participated in the round....
By Jayne Gest
March 2, 2020
Installed Building Products buys Royals Commercial
Installed Building Products Inc. has acquired Royals Commercial Services Inc. in Millersville, Maryland. With approximately $10 million of annual revenue, the transaction expands IBP’s presence in the greater Baltimore and mid-Atlantic markets....
By Jayne Gest
March 2, 2020
Rocky Brands to repurchase shares
Nelsonville, Ohio-based Rocky Brands Inc.’s board has approved a new share repurchase program of up to $7.5 million of the company’s outstanding common stock....
By Jayne Gest
