Subscribe to Smart Business Dealmakers
March 24, 2023
FHN Facilitates Service for Underbanked Consumers
Jennifer Tescher on her company’s investments strategies and goals for assisting their partners during harsh economic times. ...
By Dan Pender
March 10, 2023
Cleveland Deal Pulse: The Role of the Rollover
MelCap Partners David Shibley looks at trends and deals in the Northeast Ohio M&A market over the month of February....
By David Shibley
March 10, 2023
Pittsburgh Deal Pulse: The Role of the Rollover
MelCap Partners David Shibley looks at trends and deals in the Greater Pittsburgh M&A market over the month of February....
By David Shibley
March 10, 2023
No "Risky Bets" When Investing In CEOs
The Edgewater Funds Senior Partner David Tolmie on what he looks for in an executive, investment red flags, preparing for exits and negotiating deal terms. ...
By Adam Burroughs
March 3, 2023
How Ascent Solution Managed A Change In Business Model And Ownership
Ascent Solutions' Chairman and CEO JD Harris on the firm's ownership transition as well as the switch that was made in its business model....
By Adam Burroughs
March 3, 2023
The Three-Phase Set Up of Society Brands' Success
Society Brands CEO Michael Sirpilla on financing business growth....
By Adam Burroughs
February 24, 2023
Borrowing Against IP
Mark Fox, managing partner at Ghost Tree Partners, and Joseph Rossi, AVP, Aon Intellectual Property Solutions at Aon, on methods for lending against a company's IP....
By Adam Burroughs
February 24, 2023
VendEngine Revs Up Revenue Prior to Sale
Silas Deane on his company, VendEngine, Inc.,which created a way to improve the process of gifting money to inmates and later sold the company for $83 million....
By Dan Pender
February 24, 2023
Is The Sky Falling In 2023?
3 Rivers Capital's Rob Carskadden, Continuim Equity Partners' George Pilafas, Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe's John Lewis and SDI Companies' Scott Kiger offer their predictions on what changes occurring in 2023 will be the most impactful....
By Adam Burroughs
February 24, 2023
Lifting Lucy Creates Opportunities for BIWOC
Tranice Watts created Lifting Lucy when she was in her early twenties, working in an industry not known for much diversity. Watts, the first Black woman to co-own and operate a craft brewery in the state of Maryland, was on a subcommittee of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). She noticed an area where people could do proposals for diversity, equity and inclusion. Lifting Lucy has since grown into a network of businesses, organizations, and philanthropists serious about disrupting the barriers of entry and major hindrances toward the progress for Black, Indigenous, and other Women of Color (BIWOC) in the brewing industry....
By Dan Pender
February 17, 2023
Digital Health Frenzy Propelled SteadyMD
Guy Friedman is a Co-Founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer and President at SteadyMD, a B2B telehealth infrastructure provider that enables telehealth patient experiences in all 50 states. He spoke on the Dealmakers Podcast about how he built SteadyMD as a direct-to-consumer offering, but quickly realized it’s value to other businesses. ...
By Dan Pender
February 3, 2023
ChromoCare's Hugh Cathey On Lessons That Shaped His Career
In a more personal interview, Hugh Cathey, CEO of ChromoCare, a genetics testing firm, spoke on Smart Business SmartTalk about his successes and missteps, who and what helped shape his career, what motivates him and more. ...
By Adam Burroughs
January 27, 2023
Tough Decisions In Family-Led Businesses
Herschend Family Entertainment started in 1960 in Branson, Missouri by Jacob Herschend's grandparents. They leased a cave and made it available for tours. As it increased in popularity, they built...
By Adam Burroughs
January 20, 2023
The Dos and Don’ts in Today’s M&A Landscape
Chuck Morton, Partner, Venable LLP, has been recognized for decades as one of best middle-market deal lawyers in the United States. During his time as an M&A attorney, he’s seen business leaders make some excellent choices and some not-so-brilliant decisions. He sat down for a discussion on the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast to elaborate. ...
By Dan Pender
January 20, 2023
Jared Paquette Examines His Firm With The Eyes Of An Investor
After 20 years working in private equity, Jared Paquette recently struck out on his own, launching Conanicut Capital, a PE firm focused on the lower middle-market. "I went to a great lower-middle-market firm for about 10 years. And what I found in going to the lower middle market is you get much closer to the founders and the owners of businesses," he says. "Some of the best deals that I've been a part of are ones in which you're really working as the first institutional pool of capital." ...
By Adam Burroughs
January 6, 2023
Rocco DiLillo On His M&A Legacy
Rocco DiLillo on the many businesses he's built, bought and sold, and offers advice to entrepreneurs looking to experience similar successes. ...
By Adam Burroughs
December 16, 2022
Entrepreneur Focus: Jennifer Tescher
Financial Health Network President and CEO Jennifer Tescher on her company, its mission and the challenges it faces....
By Adam Burroughs
November 23, 2022
Former Medtronic CEO Bill George On How Ego Can Crush A Deal
Harvard Business School Senior Fellow and former chairman and CEO of Medtronic Bill George on the M&A lessons he's learned over his career. ...
By Adam Burroughs
November 18, 2022
Entrepreneur Focus: Kathryn Finney
Genius Guild Founder, CEO and Managing Partner Kathryn Finney shares her entrepreneurial journey and the impact she's been able to have through it....
By Adam Burroughs
November 11, 2022
WJ Connell's John Stephenson On What He's Leaving Behind
WJ Connell's John Stephenson on what he learned from his first job, how mentorship has impacted his career, his regrets and his motivations....
By Adam Burroughs
October 28, 2022
Despite Two Retirements, Ralph Della Ratta Is Still Going
Kirtland Capital Partners' Ralph Della Ratta on what he's learned from his four decades in M&A, his keys to success and how that experience will be brought to bear in his newest role....
By Adam Burroughs
June 17, 2022
Argo Fresh's Clint Lewis: Running A Public Company With A PE Partner
In AgroFresh, Clint Lewis is leading a public company that has a private equity investor. 'It's a unique dynamic," Lewis says....
By Adam Burroughs
June 10, 2021
George Nemphos of Nemphos Braue
Podcast: The founding member of law firm Nemphos Braue shares his thoughts on the activity he’s seeing, deals he’s been closing for clients, and what’s different from the deals that got done in 2019 and early 2020....
By Dustin S. Klein
May 13, 2021
Darrell Freeman on firing himself to grow his business
When serial entrepreneur Darrell Freeman was running Zycron, an information technology company he founded in 1991, the market decided that he wasn't the best person to run it. So he fired himself....
By Adam Burroughs
May 7, 2021
Thomas Hillman and Jim Eberlin share lessons learned
Thomas Hillman, managing partner at Lewis & Clark Capital, and Jim Eberlin, founder and CEO of TopOPPS offer their perspective and approach to dealmaking, as well as some of the lessons they’ve learned over their decades-long careers....
By Adam Burroughs
February 12, 2021
Truck Centers’ John Hopkins on moving the family business forward
While he expects to participate as an acquirer, Truck Centers’ John Hopkins is structuring the family business so that selling remains the furthest thing from the family's mind....
By Adam Burroughs
January 8, 2021
Dealmaker Conversations: Hugh Cathey
ChromoCare CEO Hugh Cathey shares his insights on the M&A market and his outlook for future dealmaking....
By Adam Burroughs
October 23, 2020
Chris Adams on how the pandemic, presidential election are affecting M&A
Park Place Technologies Chris Adams offers his sense of what’s likely to be on the minds of dealmakers through the balance of a year plagued by uncertainty....
By Adam Burroughs
October 2, 2020
Kassel Equity Group's Brett Motherwell on balancing dealmaking opportunity and risk
Kassel Equity Group Managing Partner Brett Motherwell talks dealmaking during the pandemic and the importance of careful deal structures to mitigate M&A risks....
By Adam Burroughs
May 21, 2020
Jay Katarincic shares the methods behind early stage VC investing
With early stage investing, it’s not about hitting every single time in order to have a successful fund, says Jay Katarincic, managing director of venture capital firm Draper Triangle. That's because it's often more art than science....
By Jayne Gest
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 15, 2020
PMCF’s Joe Wagner: Dealmaking Community Continues To React, Respond To COVID-19
Dealmaking has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but activity hasn’t stopped, says Joe Wagner, managing director and partner at Plante Moran Corporate Finance....
By Dustin S. Klein & Mark Scott
April 24, 2020
Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast Debuts
The Smart Business Dealmakers podcast, which will post updated episodes periodically during the week, features interviews with entrepreneurs, investors and advisers from across the markets we serve....
By Michael Marzec
April 24, 2020
Leery investors = More Scrutiny
Podcast: CLA partner Bo Butters sees increased scrutiny on deals in the wake of the coronavirus, but he also expects there will be operators who are unwilling to untangle their businesses from the mess caused by the pandemic, creating opportunities for buyers....
By Adam Burroughs
April 24, 2020
Burr & Forman's Tucker Herndon: Stay Calm
While there is plenty of reason for concern in the M&A space right now, C. Tucker Herndon has some firm advice for business owners....
By Adam Burroughs
April 24, 2020
Metz Lewis’ John Lewis: Caution is the new normal
John Lewis expects employers to remain cautious in terms of deal activity, long-term commitments and employee compensation during this unprecedented time....
By Dustin S. Klein and Jayne Gest
April 23, 2020
KJK’s Jon J. Pinney: The Deal Market Will Recover, But Big Changes Are Likely
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing to life doomsday scenarios that even seasoned dealmakers like Jon J. Pinney dismissed as the stuff of Hollywood....
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 18, 2020
Vivek Gupta: A deliberate deal process will pay off for buyers
The more time you spend selecting the right acquisition and utilizing a thorough diligence process, the more likely you are to get better returns down the line, says Mastech Digital President and CEO Vivek Gupta. Based on his past experience, he provides advice for other buyers....
By Jayne Gest
March 6, 2020
Pittsburgh 2020 Dealmaker of the Year Awards
Smart Business Dealmakers recognized some top deals and dealmakers in the Pittsburgh region at the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference on March 5. Here are the 2020 Dealmaker of the Year Award winners....
By Jayne Gest
March 4, 2020
Randy Markey: Integrity, Character Matter More Than Just About Anything in Dealmaking
Randy Markey's No. 1 tip for an effective investment strategy: Make sure it's an opportunity you can explain to your grandmother....
By Mark Scott
February 28, 2020
Dealmakers Conference Photos
The Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark was the site of the biggest CEO-focused dealmakers event in St. Louis on Feb. 23. The Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, presented by U.S. Bank, featured panel discussions with some of St. Louis' top dealmakers, as well as extensive networking opportunities to meet with entrepreneurs, investors and advisers who make deals happen in Greater St. Louis....
By Michael Marzec
February 27, 2020
2020 Dealmaker of the Year Awards, Nashville
Smart Business Dealmakers is recognizing some top deals and dealmakers in the Nashville region. Here are the 2020 Dealmaker of the Year Award winners!...
By Adam Burroughs
February 13, 2020
2020 Dealmaker of the Year Awards
Smart Business Dealmakers is recognizing some top deals and dealmakers in the St. Louis region. Here are the 2020 Dealmaker of the Year Award winners!...
By Adam Burroughs
February 12, 2020
Marcum’s Gregory J. Skoda: Before You Sell, Examine The Deal From Every Angle
When Gregory J. Skoda finalized a deal for Skoda Minotti to become part of New York-based Marcum LLP, it was part of a growth strategy, not a path to exit the business he launched in 2001....
By Mark Scott
February 4, 2020
Hylant’s Kim Riley: Dealmaking Provides Opportunity To Those Willing To Put In The Work
Relationship-building is a big part of Kim Riley’s M&A strategy at Hylant Cleveland....
By Mark Scott
January 28, 2020
Dealmaking Is A Way Of Life For Ken Ganley, Bob Serpentini
Bob Serpentini and Ken Ganley are always ready to make a deal, and their recent acquisition of three Pat O’Brien Chevrolet dealerships is a perfect example of the duo’s go-big-or-go-home mentality....
By Mark Scott
January 27, 2020
Marc Hawk: Take on investors with care, great care
With no collateral and a high-powered growth strategy, RevLocal had to utilize angel and equity investing to grow. CEO Marc Hawk shares how the digital marketing company selected the right investors....
By Jayne Gest
January 23, 2020
The State of M&A In Nashville
As the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference heads to Nashville to put M&A center stage, we asked top local dealmakers give their assessment of the state of the Nashville M&A scene....
By Adam Burroughs
January 23, 2020
Victory Capital’s David C. Brown: Each Day Is A New Challenge, A New Opportunity To Make A Deal
If you’re not buying, and you’re not selling, you’re thinking about it and evaluating potential opportunities, says Victory Capital’s David C. Brown....
By Mark Scott
