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October 20, 2023

Steve Ball On Growing Zesty Paws Ahead Of Its $610M Sale

Steve Ball, the former CEO and board member of Zesty Paws, helped lead the pet supplements company to extraordinary growth that eventually led to its sale to Health & Happiness (H&H) Group...

By Adam Burroughs

June 23, 2023

Exiting Is A Juggling Act For Owners

After a stint practicing law, Ron Cundy decided, during the depths of the Great Recession, to start a company. He and a partner launched recteq, a business that made grills, but couldn't get a product...

By Adam Burroughs

March 10, 2023

Data, Transparency Play Large Roles In A Deal

Highwood USA CEO and Founder John Quarmley talks through the company's recent sale process....

By Adam Burroughs

August 12, 2022

Engineered From Personal Need, Nollapelli Is Ready To Grow

Nollapelli founder Allison Howard talks with the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast about how she created Nollapelli and prepared the company for early-stage investing. ...

By Dan Pender

July 11, 2022

Oldcastle Closes Acquisition of Barrette Outdoor Living

Oldcastle APG has completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Middleburg Heights-based Barrette Outdoor Living, a manufacturer of fencing, railing, outdoor accents and related products....

By Michael Marzec

March 5, 2020

Robert Levin Makes Deal To Save Levin Furniture From Closing

Levin has reached an agreement to acquire the Pennsylvania and Ohio assets of Levin Furniture and Wolf Furniture through a court restructuring of the parent company Art Van Furniture LLC....

By Mark Scott

February 6, 2020

Sherwin-Williams To Build New Global HQ In Downtown Cleveland

Preliminary plans call for Sherwin-Williams to invest a minimum of $600 million to build new HQ, as well as a new R&D Center in Brecksville....

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

December 24, 2019

Culligan Buying AquaVenture Holdings for $1.1B

AquaVenture offers point-of-use filtered water systems and related services, as well as desalination and wastewater treatment products to governmental, municipal, industrial and hospitality customers....

By Michael Marzec

December 17, 2019

Frontenac Completes Sale Of Liquid Technologies

Founded in 1998, Chino, California-based Liquid Technologies is a contract formulator and manufacturer of high-end professional hair and skin care products....

By Mark Scott

December 4, 2019

Pondera Holdings Leads $31M AutoPets Recap

The investment is intended to accelerate the company's growth, as well as provide a liquidity event to the founders of the business....

By Mark Scott

November 6, 2019

Riverside-Backed SureWerx Buys Sure Foot

Sure Foot, the company behind the Due North® brand, offers a comprehensive portfolio of multi-purpose footwear traction aid products....

By Mark Scott

November 5, 2019

Matt Kaulig: The Path From Risky Move To Smart Play

The founder of LeafFilter explores the mindset of entrepreneurs and dealmakers when it comes to taking risks....

By Matt Kaulig

November 4, 2019

Cell Phone Repair Sold To Assurant

Assurant acquired CPR from a subsidiary of Independence-based investment firm Merrymeeting Group and a third party....

By Mark Scott

September 26, 2019

How Ted Karkus sold Cold-EEZE for $50 million

ProPhase Labs CEO Ted Karkus shares the strategy behind the 2017 sale of Cold-EEZE to Mylan for $50 million....

By Adam Burroughs

September 24, 2019

RhinoSystems, maker of Navage, raises $10.4M

RhinoSystems, Inc, the Brooklyn-Heights-based company responsible for Navage, has raised $10.04 million in angel funding from undisclosed investors....

By Adam Burroughs

September 4, 2019

CORE Industrial Partners Buys Fleco

Fleco will transition its overall corporate name to Saylite. CORE plans to pursue strategic acquisitions with Saylite to extend the company’s product and brand portfolio....

By Mark Scott

August 26, 2019

IMMY Raises $100,000 In Angel Funding

The company manufactures audio and visual headsets which offer virtual augmented reality experiences, typically through playing video games....

By Mark Scott

August 15, 2019

Macedonia’s Sunless bought by Castle Harlan after Riverside exit

Sunless Inc., a Macedonia-based manufacturer and marketer of spray tanning equipment and related accessories, has been acquired by New York private equity firm Castle Harlan Inc. The seller was Cleveland-based private equity firm The Riverside Co....

By Adam Burroughs

July 23, 2019

Selling Your Business: Take Time To Do It Right

Spectrum Diversified Designs founder Sheldon Goodman talks about the process he followed to find the right buyer and the importance of having industry experts in your corner who can guide you to a more informed decision....

By Mark Scott

July 22, 2019

Etsy To Buy Reverb In $275M Deal

Acquiring the leading online marketplace for new, used and vintage musical instruments will enable Etsy to expand into a new vertical with a company that has a similar strategy and business model....

By Mark Scott

June 28, 2019

Michael Araten: When PE backing isn’t about the money

How former K'NEX CEO Michael Araten chose the best private equity partner to back his international expansion — before his business became collateral damage in the Toys 'R' Us bankruptcy and was sold....

By Adam Burroughs

June 21, 2019

Selling an ESOP: How Remington Products Sold To Private Equity

We take an inside look at how CEO Rhonda Newman worked with investment bank Cascade Partners to sell the ESOP company to Gridiron Capital....

By Mark Scott

June 7, 2019

Trevco Acquires California Print-on-demand Company

Trevco works with licensors such as Warner Bros., Hasbro and Paramount Pictures to manufacture consumer products and create digital e-commerce campaigns....

By Mark Scott

June 6, 2019

Braxton Miller learns the Xs and Os of investing

Braxton Miller isn’t just putting time in on a football field these days. He’s turned to business — investing in and endorsing several brands....

By Jayne Gest

May 16, 2019

Jelmar Adds ESPRO Brand To Cleaning Product Portfolio

Jelmar has added to its household cleaning product portfolio with the acquisition of the ESPRO brand of sports cleaning products....

By Mark Scott

April 30, 2019

Riverside invests in Alpha-H

The Cleveland-based private equity firm has invested in the Queensland-based developer and manufacturer of premium skincare products, including the Liquid Gold skincare line....

By Adam Burroughs

April 30, 2019

TriMas buys Taplast, second Italian acquisition in 6 months

The move is the second Italian acquisition in the past six months for the Bloomfield Hills-based company as it seeks to accelerate the growth of its packaging platform....

By Mark Scott

March 20, 2019

Lubrizol expands natural, botanical offerings with acquisition of French supplier

The Lubrizol Corp. has acquired Laboratoire Phenobio, a French supplier of naturally-derived extracts and botanical active ingredients....

By Adam Burroughs

March 1, 2019

Hinkley buys Regency Ceiling Fans

St. Louis-based Regency will join Hinkley Lighting at its headquarters in Avon Lake....

By Michael Marzec

January 8, 2019

Plan your exit before you need it

Ring Beams co-founder David Levine talks about planning your exit, saying no to investors and the risk of feeling dangerous....

By Mark Scott

December 21, 2018

OurPet’s being acquired by Hyper Pet

OurPet’s, a seller of a range of pet supplies, will merge with a newly formed subsidiary of Hyper Pet and become a wholly owned subsidiary of the pet hardgoods and treats company....

By Adam Burroughs

August 17, 2018

Blue Point acquires Next Level Apparel

The acquisition marks the first platform investment for Blue Point IV, the firm’s fourth middle market buyout fund....

By Adam Burroughs

May 25, 2018

Kichler Lighting’s Dave Pamer

Dave Pamer discusses how preparation, delegation and communication can facilitate a smooth transaction....

By Brooke Bilyj

April 6, 2018

J. M. Smucker Co. acquires Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food brand in Ainsworth deal

Deal is to acquire Ainsworth Pet Nutrition LLC for approximately $1.7 billion....

By Adam Burroughs

March 9, 2018

Smucker scraps Wesson deal; may sell baked goods unit

The J. M. Smucker Co. is dropping its chase for Conagra's Wesson oil brand after the Federal Trade Commission challenged the deal....

By Adam Burroughs

February 2, 2018

Chris Quinn: What I learned selling Step2

For InterDesign CEO Chris Quinn, dealmaking is all about trust. “Trust begins the very minute you decide to engage and go through the sale process."...

By Mark Scott

January 12, 2018

Mr. Beams deal has nice Ring to it

Ring acquired Mr. Beams to integrate smart, energy-efficient lights into more of its security devices....

By Mark Scott

December 15, 2017

Yan brothers back on top at TCP

Former CEO Ellis Yan and his brother Solomon are set to buy their former company, TCP International Holdings Ltd., in what should end a tumultuous period for the company and its estranged founder....

By Adam Burroughs