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March 31, 2023
Five elements to achieve best in class business status
Barnes Wendling Director Mike Pappas on the key elements to achieving best in class and how it increases company value....
By Mike Pappas
December 1, 2022
Athletico's Mark Kaufman On Leveraging Employee Expertise
Athletico Physical Therapy Founder Mark Kaufman on the peaks and valleys of entrepreneurship....
By Adam Burroughs
October 7, 2022
There’s a Bumpy Road Ahead In M&A
C. Forrest Tefft, head of corporate finance at Northwest Bank, has, over more than four decades in investment banking, raised more than $14 billion in bank capital and was the originator of more than 70 transactions. Tefft discusses some of the hurdles businesses face in a near post-pandemic world and the things they should consider before making any M&A transactions. ...
By Dan Pender
September 23, 2022
Stewart Kohl on missed opportunities
The Riverside Co. Co-CEO Stewart Kohl on what he learned from his first job, how mentorship has impacted his career, successes, lessons learned, work/life balance, and giving back. ...
By Adam Burroughs
September 23, 2022
Len Caric on hiring mistakes
Serial entrepreneur Len Caric on what he learned from his first job, how mentorship has impacted his career, change as a motivator and work/life balance....
By Adam Burroughs
August 2, 2022
The Essential First Question CEOs Must Ask Before Partnering with a PE Firm
Private equity dealmaking was busier than ever in 2021, with more than $3.5 trillion in capital deployed throughout the year. Fundraising also increased nearly 20% last year – a record high – which...
By Andrew Panzo
May 6, 2022
A Look at The Detroit Region's Home-Grown M&A Market
During the Roundtable at this past week's Detroit Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, Mykolas, along with Huntington Bank's Ronald Majka, Huron Capital's Brian Demkowicz, and Ideal Group's Linzie Venegas shared their personal stories as they explored what’s driving activity in region, and why they believe Detroit is a great place to do business. ...
By Adam Burroughs
February 25, 2022
Ansir Junaid: Serial entrepreneur’s M&A lessons learned
SupplySide Group Chairman Ansir Junaid offers insights into his M&A experience and how the pandemic has affected dealmaking....
By Adam Burroughs
November 17, 2021
Factors Influencing Transactional M&A
KPMG’s Stephen Guy, along with Venable’s Charles Morton, Robert W. Deutsch Foundation’s Mac MacLure and Sachs Capital’s Andrew Sachs look at state of M&A, factors influencing the buy-and-sell-sides, and what you need to do to ensure a closed deal in this new normal....
By Adam Burroughs
July 16, 2021
Inside Ampex Brands’ Acquisition of Au Bon Pain
Eric Easton, CFO at Ampex Brands, and Jayne Juvan, M&A chair at Tucker Ellis, discuss Ampex’s acquisition of Au Bon Pain — how the process went down, the challenges they faced and how Ampex intends to leverage this new opportunity. ...
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
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
June 3, 2020
JumpStart’s Jerry Frantz: Chaos And Uncertainty Will Eventually Create New Opportunity
A defining attribute of entrepreneurship is agility, the ability to nimbly maneuver through both adversity and opportunity, says JumpStart's Jerry Frantz....
By Jerry Frantz
May 21, 2020
Michael Feuer: Ready, Set, Stop!
The best-laid plans for deals, business and life often take a wrong turn, says Michael Feuer....
By Michael Feuer
May 7, 2020
Mark A. Filippell: What Sellers Can Do When M&A Market Shuts Down
With all due respect to Admiral Farragut, his “Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead” strategy will almost certainly fail in today’s COVID-19 M&A environment, says Mark Filippell....
By Mark A. Filippell
April 23, 2020
Jim Pshock: The Right Deal Begins With Knowing What You Want
Bravo Wellness Founder and CEO Jim Pshock shares his perspective on dealmaking after selling his business to Medical Mutual....
By Jim Pshock
April 8, 2020
Coronavirus has disrupted, but not extinguished, M&A options
What was arguably the best M&A market ever for sellers of closely held companies has taken a dramatic pause, forcing business owners who were considering a sale of their business to re-think their options. But buyers who balked at the high prices and substantial competition may find increasingly attractive opportunities....
By Ken Marblestone
March 18, 2020
Rob Huxtable: Co-Investment Can Be A Powerful Litmus Test For C-Suite Leaders
There are three significant benefits to C-suite level co-investment in a PE-backed company, says FALCON’s Rob Huxtable....
By Mark Scott
March 4, 2020
Mark A. Filippell: Noncash Considerations In A Sale Create An Added Level Of Complexity
Every seller must understand that selling a company for multiple forms of consideration is quite different from receiving all cash and walking away clean, says Mark A. Filippell....
By Mark A. Filippell
February 20, 2020
MRI Software’s John Ensign: Strong Outlook For M&A — If The Deals Meet The Right Criteria
Investing in the right acquisition — rather than just making the first deal that comes along — will be critical to surviving, and even thriving, in a downturn, says MRI Software’s John Ensign....
By John Ensign
February 18, 2020
Gregory D. Cessna: How much due diligence is too much?
Gregory D. Cessna wonders if the ease of information sent through digital portals can bog down deal due diligence. He provides some tips for right sizing the due diligence for your next deal....
By Gregory D. Cessna
February 5, 2020
Michael Feuer: Buy It, Build It, Or Forget It?
It’s not how big you make it, it’s how you make it big, says Michael Feuer...
By Michael Feuer
January 29, 2020
Randy Gerber: Why raising capital might not be your best option
Many entrepreneurs believe raising capital is the best way to attain growth. Randy Gerber, who works with first-generation entrepreneurs, sees bootstrapping the business as a better way....
By Randy Gerber
January 23, 2020
Ken Marblestone: Maintaining Momentum Is An Important Part Of Closing The Deal
Don’t let a poorly conceived and executed deal process get in the way of your personal and business objectives, says Ken Marblestone....
By Ken Marblestone
January 16, 2020
Middle-Market Transactions Gain Efficiency, PE Sponsors Find New Ways To Build Value
PE sponsors have gotten better, perhaps even good, at owning businesses, and this trend should continue into the next decade, says Blue Point Capital Partners' Jim Marra....
By Jim Marra
January 13, 2020
Thomas A. Stewart: Change favors the prepared mind
Middle-market companies most likely will undergo a major transition over the next five years. While they often can be unexpected, companies shouldn't be surprised. Thomas A. Stewart of the National Center for the Middle Market discusses deal preparation....
By Jayne Gest
January 9, 2020
Stewart Kohl: Investors Can’t Just Pay up And Hope Things Work Out
It’s very hard to succeed in private equity if you’re paying high prices without a clear and well-considered growth plan, says Riverside’s Stewart Kohl....
By Mark Scott
January 2, 2020
Beyond the hype with Kysha Currence
Kysha L. Currence, senior counsel at Ashland LLC, a global specialty chemical company with offices in Dublin, talks deal negotiation with WELD's Becky S Cornett and Barb Smoot....
By Barb Smoot and Becky S. Cornett
December 17, 2019
FALCON’s Rob Huxtable Explores Behavioral Pitfalls That Can Derail An LBO’s Performance
Portfolio company CEOs and their sponsors improve their odds of maximizing their multiple on invested capital when alignment is both financial and behavioral, says Falcon’s Rob Huxtable....
By Rob Huxtable
December 3, 2019
Westfield Bank’s Jon W. Park: How To Turn ‘Not For Sale’ Into ‘Sold’
Don’t let a potential seller get away because you failed to realize what was going on behind the scenes....
By Jon W. Park
November 20, 2019
Ed Buchholz: The Most Successful Startup Ecosystems Welcome Failure
If we want to encourage startups to call Cleveland home, there are three primary metrics to focus on, says StartInCLE Founder Ed Buchholz....
By Ed Buchholz
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
October 21, 2019
When You Play ‘Gotcha!’ In M&A, It Often Comes Back To Bite You
Buyers with a gotcha mentality win some due diligence battles, but they often lose the due diligence war, explains Citizens Capital Markets' Mark A. Filippell....
By Mark A. Filippell
October 16, 2019
Tom Walker: Startups are destined to be the next corporates
The president and CEO of Rev1 Ventures shares three ways corporations are seeking to shape this trend and tapping into the forces of external entrepreneurship....
By Tom Walker
October 10, 2019
Chas Withers: All Hope Is Not Lost For Dealmaking In 2020
Dix & Eaton's CEO explains why there is reason to be optimistic about the climate for M&A activity headed into 2020....
By Mark Scott
September 23, 2019
Startups Must Not Abuse The Concept Of Patience
As business leaders, let's identify where patience has become the wolf in sheep's clothing and make it the prominent theme for innovation again, writes Axuall's Charlie Lougheed....
By Charlie Lougheed
September 3, 2019
Dealmakers Have Yet To Embrace Data Analysis. That’s A Mistake.
When it comes to dealmaking, many companies are doing what they’ve always done. Unfortunately, that means they’re not thinking about the massive amounts of previously unavailable data that can help them analyze potential deals more quickly than ever....
By Monte Repasky
August 22, 2019
For Startups, Value Attracts Funding
Focusing all your attention on fundraising can actually make it harder to close your next funding round if it distracts you from creating the value investors want, writes JumpStart's Jerry Frantz....
By Jerry Frantz
August 7, 2019
What to do when a deal turns from a 'yes' to a 'no'
When a deal falls apart, it’s natural to be frustrated. In his latest Dealmaker Insider column, Michael Feuer explores why it’s always wise to temper your response in these situations....
By Michael Feuer
June 24, 2019
Focus M&A Negotiations On The Critical Issues
Without clear priorities, M&A professionals often flounder by attempting to maximize results along every dimension, writes Mark A. Filippell. This bogs down purchase agreement negotiations as every issue becomes a deal-breaker and reasonable trade-offs cannot be made....
By Mark A. Filippell
June 10, 2019
How To Get Multiple Bites of the Apple
R. Louis Schneeberger, who has played a lead role in more than 100 acquisitions and the sale of more than 30 companies, looks at key considerations for how to sell your company multiple times....
By R. Louis Schneeberger
May 28, 2019
There are a few real secrets in business
When exploring the sale of your company, is it better to “deny, deny, deny” or employ a “don’t tell, don’t ask” policy?...
By Michael Feuer
May 21, 2019
Five Mistakes To Avoid When Preparing To Sell
Going through the M&A process can prove time-consuming and difficult. Achieving success requires a timeline and strategic planning while making sure that key advisers are part of the process....
By Domenic Rinaldi
May 14, 2019
M&A Outlook: Transactions Can Prepare You For Future Change
The speed of change is relentless, and M&A has proved to be an effective means to move quickly to gain competitive advantage or defend against future disrupters....
By Monte Repasky
May 3, 2019
Cleveland Must Support Innovators To Drive Growth
If this region’s anchor institutions and large corporations are serious about economic development, they must partner with qualified entrepreneurs that can enable them to create, export and profit from locally developed innovation....
By Charlie Lougheed
April 18, 2019
How valuation plays a critical role in dealmaking
Valuation work is never a one-size-fits-all proposition. It can be both quite varied and necessary for different business procedures....
By Ronald D. DiMattia
April 1, 2019
First impressions matter when studying acquisition opportunities
The key to a successful acquisition is a well-planned, successful transition, achieved by working with the key customers, employees and suppliers to ensure that sales and operations continue smoothly....
By Greg Muzzillo
March 29, 2019
How to value organizations in the wake of technology disruption
A look at the challenge of finding skilled workers for today’s highly automated environment, what investors should look for when evaluating companies and how involved investors should be in new technologies....
By Suzy Teele
March 21, 2019
In deal communications, play offense
The smoothest deals have one common denominator. They are driven by a thoughtful, reasoned approach to cohesive communication that will resonate with all those touched by the transaction....
By Chas D. Withers
March 5, 2019
Are you a futurist?
Riverside Co-CEO Stewart Kohl explains why it’s imperative for CEOs to be futurists if they want to ensure the success of their businesses....
By Stewart Kohl
