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December 1, 2023

Why Deals Fall Apart + Reason For Caution With Earn Outs

The Riverside Company's Cheryl Strom on why most deals fall apart, as well as why sellers should use caution when earn outs are part of a deal....

By Adam Burroughs

September 1, 2023

When Buying, Understand The Seller’s Post-Close Intentions

John Dolan, President and CEO of PFI InStore, has been part of many exits and acquisitions. From that experience, he says he’s learned many lessons, a number of which focus on the human capital side...

By Adam Burroughs

September 1, 2023

Buyers’ Industry Knowledge Can Help Land The Best Deal

Dr. Nithin Krishna is a board licensed psychiatrist and serial mental health entrepreneur who formerly led as CEO the multimillion dollar Bloom Health Centers. Krishna acquired Psych Associates of...

By Adam Burroughs

August 25, 2023

From Sell To Sell And Buy

General Die Casters has been in business since 1957 making high-pressure aluminum die castings of parts for everything from automobiles to chainsaws. About a year ago, CEO Brian Lennon says the...

By Adam Burroughs

August 18, 2023

Shaun Stimpson On Buying A Business And Becoming An Operator

Shaun Stimpson left a nearly 20-year career in wealth management to launch North Iron Holdings. The purpose of North Iron was to be a vehicle to acquire an industrial distribution company. After an...

By Adam Burroughs

August 18, 2023

Columbus Deal Activity: Navigating M&A deal structures in a tightened debt market

As interest rates and borrowing costs move in parallel, buyers are faced with the challenge of navigating increasing costs of debt to finance acquisitions, especially in deals where the seller has...

By Andrew J. Chalhoub

August 18, 2023

Value Creation Starts Day 1

RTC Partners Partner Tony Brindisi says he thinks of value creation from a growth perspective. "Whenever we're approaching an acquisition, we try to take a full, holistic account of the value that can...

By Adam Burroughs

August 4, 2023

To Maximize Value, Prepare

David Nicholson, Vice Chairman of Polyconcept North America has, over 15 years, gone through three private equity buyouts of the business and has done multiple strategic acquisitions within the...

By Adam Burroughs

July 21, 2023

If You Swing In This Market, Don't Miss

Omar Jorge's family started Compare Foods Supermarkets in 1989. The international grocer is focused on importing products from Latin America, offering patrons products they usually can't get out of a...

By Adam Burroughs

July 7, 2023

The Importance Of Connections In Dealmaking

OMNI Systems, founded 33 years ago out of the CEO's garage, is now a $100 million company. "So, we know a bit about growth," said David Campbell, OMNI's CFO, at the Cleveland Smart Business Dealmakers...

By Adam Burroughs

June 29, 2023

In This Economy, Buyers Must Look Deeper

Given the volatility in today's Market, Emily Martin, president of Aschinger Electric - A Guarantee Electrical Company, says both buyers and sellers are facing economic pressures that are impacting...

By Adam Burroughs

June 23, 2023

Culture Takes Priority Post Acquisition

In this choppy economic environment, Jody Richards, CEO of Process Technology says she's seen some order cancellations and some order push-outs. And while some would say semiconductors are supposedly...

By Adam Burroughs

June 16, 2023

Buyers: Learn To Be Great Listeners

One lesson Milton Kuyers, CEO of Faustel Inc. and Kuyers LLC, has learned through the 65 acquisitions he's personally been a part of throughout his career is that if you don't grow, your business will...

By Adam Burroughs

May 5, 2023

Facing Economic Headwinds, Deal Math Changes

Several area dealmakers chimed in on how they see the current market; how buyers, sellers and entrepreneurs are faring; and their expectations for how the remainder of the deal year plays out. Check out what they have to say....

By Adam Burroughs

May 5, 2023

Protecting The Value Of 2021 Deals In A Much Different Market

Aon's Jessica Harger on issues buyers are facing after a year of fast-paced deals. ...

By Adam Burroughs

May 5, 2023

How Communication Breakdowns Can Kill Deals

CE Consulting Group's Gary Cerrone spoke during the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference about a deal that almost didn't get done in part because of a communication breakdown....

By Adam Burroughs

April 26, 2023

What TRG's Sean Kennedy Learned Making Two Foreign Acquisitions

TRG's Sean Kennedy on the company's growth, the differences between its domestic and international acquisitions, as well as the process of integrating teams that come from much different cultures....

By Adam Burroughs

April 6, 2023

Hugh Slater on Buying, Building And Selling EGC Enterprises

Slater Capital Managing Partner Hugh Slater on buying, building and growing EGC Enterprises....

By Adam Burroughs

March 31, 2023

Facing Headwinds, Buyers and Sellers Need To Be Patient

Norwest Equity Partners' Adam Garcia Eveloff, Aon's Vipul Patel, Wealth Enhancement Group's Jim Cahn and NJK Holding Corporation Florida's Rhonda Donahoe on navigating evolving deal terms and pitfalls in buy-side deals....

By Adam Burroughs

March 24, 2023

Viewing Risk Deal By Deal

U.S. Venture Inc. Associate General Counsel Jennifer Schwitzer on mitigating deal risk. ...

By Adam Burroughs

March 3, 2023

Overcome Buy-Side Arrogance, Or Risk Overpaying

Atlas Holdings Partner Ramzi Hermiz and Lorient Capital Vice President Doug Shinkle on de-risking a deal from the buy-side....

By Adam Burroughs

February 10, 2023

Sanjay Singh On The Critical 100 Days Post-Acquisition

Sanjay Singh, before he was chairman and CEO of Mace Security International, lead a business in the acquisition of a lower-middle-market manufacturing company that was a fierce competitor. That made post-deal integration a challenge. ...

By Adam Burroughs

January 27, 2023

DealTalk: Blue Point Capital’s Acquisition of Water Lilies

Blue Point Capital has a lot of experience in the food and beverage space, so it was natural that the Cleveland-based PE firm would jump at the chance to acquire Water Lilies, a 27-year-old private label manufacturer of premium frozen Asian-inspired food....

By Adam Burroughs

January 27, 2023

The Shift In Diligence From Risk to Reward

West Monroe Senior Partner Keith Campbell is a co-author of the report, The Future of Diligence in Private Equity, which highlights survey findings from 100 U.S. PE companies to explore the shifts in diligence approach that move away from identifying risk to identifying opportunity. That shift is happening in part because of unique market factors. Campbell says 80 percent or more of diligence used to be on site pre-COVID. ...

By Adam Burroughs

January 6, 2023

Trust But Verify Is An Important M&A Lesson To Learn

Eliassen Group CEO David MacKeen on what he's learned as a buyer and how he's applied that the company's acquisition process moving forward. ...

By Adam Burroughs

December 16, 2022

The Importance To Buyers Of High Probability Of Close

Mereo Capital Partners Co-Founder Leo Helmers on the indicators of a high probability to close and why those matter to buyers. ...

By Adam Burroughs

December 1, 2022

Flexibility Has Advantages In Deal Negotiations

Brian Gale, Tucker Ellis' Jayne Juvan and Blue Point Capital's Chip Chaikin, share advice on how flexibility can win deals over price. ...

By Adam Burroughs

December 1, 2022

To Win The Deal, Get Creative

Hartwood Point's Ben Rizzo, Continuim Equity Partners’ George Pilafas and RDX/Navisite’s Buddy Flerl on best practices in winning the deal....

By Adam Burroughs

December 1, 2022

Michael Schreiber On Launching Playfly Sports

Playfly Sports Founder and CEO Michael Schreiber on launching Playfly, making acquisitions as well as advice for those leading disruptive forces into the market. ...

By Adam Burroughs

November 18, 2022

Understand Why Before You Buy

EPIC Systems CEO Michael Higgins on the elements of a deal to consider beyond price. ...

By Adam Burroughs

November 11, 2022

Stay-At-Home Moms Take The Pressure Off Park Place Technologies' M&A Processes

Park Place Technologies Kelly Greene on how she's developed her M&A process during the years. ...

By Adam Burroughs

October 28, 2022

Economic Conditions Drive Buyer Creativity

Ouroboros Group General Partner Samantha Ory on buyer-seller alignment, her firm’s growth from independent sponsor into its first fund, and how the current economic conditions are affecting the M&A landscape. ...

By Adam Burroughs

October 21, 2022

Refine Your Growth Strategy

Wolf Organization's Joe Person, Guardian Capital Partners' Peter Haabestad, RKL's Bryan Redding and JPMorgan Chase's Lisa Kopff, share their keys to developing and unlocking an acquisition plan that works....

By Adam Burroughs

October 14, 2022

How Jordan Hansell Is Applying Past Experiences To Lead Tradepost

Tradepost's Jordan Hansell on launching and growing TradePost, how his experience is shaping his approach in the new venture, as well as a series of recent investments he's made in the real estate space, a sector he says is poised for disruption....

By Adam Burroughs

October 14, 2022

When Acquiring an ESOP, Get ESOP Expert Help

Warren Equity Partners' Michael Ouyang on the process his firm takes when targeting companies that have an ESOP ownership structure....

By Adam Burroughs

September 30, 2022

Lessons learned from the supply chain turmoil

LFM Capital's Stephen Cook his view of the situation in middle-market manufacturing and how the firm is dealing with the economic pressures in that sector. ...

By Adam Burroughs

September 9, 2022

Family Business Succession is a Slow, Steady Process

The L’Herbier family was at a crossroads six years ago. The owners of Air Duct Maintenance, Kevin and Debbie L’Herbier, were looking to retire and had to decide what to do with the company they started back in 1996. They approached their children, Dan and Lauren L’Herbier, to see if they had interest in taking over leadership. After a brief period, the siblings decided to begin the succession process. It didn’t go as quickly as everyone had hoped, however. ...

By Dan Pender

September 9, 2022

Accelerating growth through private equity

Schill Grounds Management's Jerry Schill on the company's deal with Argonne and how it will help accelerate the business's growth....

By Adam Burroughs

August 19, 2022

Jonathan Kasen, Gordon Scott on buying Hilliards Chocolates

As investors, Gordon Scott and Jonathan Kasen were comfortable analyzing businesses. But to prepare to acquire a company, they went to textbooks....

By Adam Burroughs

July 29, 2022

Distinguish yourself in a deal

Tecum Capital's Stephen Gurgovits, Citizens M&A Advisory's David Dunstan, Matthews International Corp.'s Richard Beard and Aon's Bill Coleman on building a successful acquisition engine. ...

By Adam Burroughs

July 29, 2022

When to leave leadership behind

Carestream Health's David Westgate, Madison Dearborn Partners' Michael Nettesheim Executive Search Partners' Nick Curran and N2 Advantage Law's Timothy Nettesheim on how to know what you're buying....

By Adam Burroughs

July 22, 2022

How Relationships Brought Abatemaster and Plumb Line Capital Together

Plumb Line Capital's Matt Lindberg and Abatemaster's Jeff Chilton on the acquisition, growing a former family-operated business, and how relationships have played a role in every aspect of the deal. ...

By Adam Burroughs

July 22, 2022

Price Taker vs. Price Maker and the effect on value

BMO Harris Bank's John Chalus and Tecum Capital's Matt Harnett on the economic factors that are affecting deals and how buyers and sellers can adjust. ...

By Adam Burroughs

July 14, 2022

Making Deals with Unprepared Participants

Charlie Saponaro, CEO, Medical Record Associates, is a long-standing veteran of the Boston M&A world, with more than 30 deals to his credit. In several of those transactions, Saponaro had to make it happen even though the sellers were not quite as sophisticated in the common practices of the M&A world. ...

By Dan Pender

June 29, 2022

Relationships, communication smooth MedPilot, Vytalize deal

Vytalize Health's Kevin Murphy and Matt Buder Shapiro on the deal, how it came to be and where the combined companies go from here....

By Adam Burroughs

June 17, 2022

Overcoming Great Day's Early Challenges Hinged On The Team

Blue Olive Partners Executive Chairman Ed Weinfurtner on building the family of Great Day brands. ...

By Adam Burroughs

June 10, 2022

How Reps & Warranties Is Increasing Deal Efficiency

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis' Tyson Bickley, LFM Capital's Chris Lin, Resource Label Group's Hunter Rost and LBMC's Brian Marynowitz on how to evolve your buy-side strategies in 2022 and beyond, and key mistakes you can avoid....

By Adam Burroughs

June 10, 2022

How labor challenges are affecting M&A

Calaway Habeck Talent Consulting's Jaynanne Calaway-Habeck, Denim Social's Douglas Wilber, CliftonLarsonAllen's Adrian Nohr, PFI Holding Co.'s John Dolan and BMO Harris' Robert Harrod on the factors impacting today's M&A transactions....

By Adam Burroughs

June 10, 2022

Edovo Divests to Improve Mission Focus

Edovo CEO Brian Hill on his venture, its recent acquisition and raising capital....

By Adam Burroughs

June 10, 2022

Franklin Foster on Essex Bay Capital's Launch

Essex Bay Capital Co-founder Franklin Foster talks about launching Essex Bay Capital and the investments the company has made so far. ...

By Adam Burroughs