Skip to Content
Session A

How to Create and Enhance Value in Your Business Pre- and Post-Deal

Presented By: Burns & Levinson / Katahdin Group

Discover how to activate, optimize, and pull key value levers to drive growth. You’ll learn effective strategies for strengthening leadership, improving branding, establishing culture, and more—all aimed at building value. Whether you’re looking to raise capital, make acquisitions, or even ready your company for sale, you can’t afford to miss the insight offered by this quintet of veteran entrepreneurs and M&A advisors. 

Moderator:

Gordon Spater
CEO
Katahdin Group

Gordie Spater is the CEO of Katahdin Group and was formerly the co-founder and CEO of Kurgo, the leading dog travel product company in North America. Before coming to Katahdin Group, he celebrated a successful exit of the business to Radio Systems Corporation after 16 consecutive years of revenue growth.

Kurgo’s products are sold nationwide from Petco to the local pet store around the corner. The offerings include everything a dog owner and dog need to get out and enjoy the world together from car harnesses, to seat covers to lifejackets for dogs. Kurgo was an 8-time Honoree of the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in the US. Prior to founding Kurgo with his brother in 2003, Gordie helped start two other companies.

Gordie lives in Topsfield, MA with his wife Brooke, three children and Labradoodle Winnie. He is a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Vermont and obtained his MBA from the Harvard Business School. Gordie served on the Topsfield school committee for 6 years and currently serves as a Director of W.F. Young.

 

Panelists:

Stuart Benton
President & CEO
Bradford Soap International, Inc

In his more than 30-year career including public accounting, Senior Management positions and as a Board Member at both privately held and private equity-owned entities, Stuart has been recognized for his ability to transform companies by actively understanding their drivers, people, and strategies.

In 2022 the Providence Business Journal named Stuart one of the year's "Leaders & Achievers," and in 2021, The Providence Business Journal named Stuart as their Strategic Leadership Award winner. In 2016, the Boston Business Journal named Stuart CFO of the Year in the Large Private Company Category.

As Bradford’s President & CEO, he has focused the company on sustainable formulations, with products that boast clean ingredient lists, less packaging, contain little or no water, and fewer preservatives than liquid alternatives. Under Stuart's leadership, Bradford has expanded its market-leading position from the world's leading manufacturer of specialty bar soap to becoming a personal care innovation development company with a core competency in manufacturing.
Stuart is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA). He earned his BS in Accountancy from Bentley College, an Executive Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University, and studied in Harvard University's Executive Education Program.

 

Mark Hatton
CEO
Tiugo Technologies

Mark is a strategic facilitator for The Katahdin Group, a senior advisor of Providence Strategic Growth and CEO of Tiugo Technologies. He has more than 30 years of experience building and sustaining organizations that emerge as highly recognized industry leaders.Mark has successfully led multiple private equity-backed companies through various growth and restructuring strategies that resulted in successful exits and generated significant shareholder return.

 

Kevin Routhier
Founder, President & CEO
Coretelligent

Kevin J. Routhier, the Founder and CEO of Coretelligent, established the company in 2006 to meet the growing demand for customized technology solutions in the managed service provider (MSP) marketplace. With a career spanning over 25 years in IT and business operations, Kevin has positioned Coretelligent as a key player in providing innovative solutions to organizations in financial services, life sciences, and other sectors. 

Kevin's leadership has been pivotal in Coretelligent's growth trajectory, marked by strategic acquisitions and consistent industry recognition, including listings on the Boston Business Journal's "Fast 50" and Inc. 5000's fastest-growing companies. Kevin's expertise and vision have been fundamental in developing Coretelligent's reputation as a high-quality technology solutions and services provider.

Josef Volman
Partner | Co-Chair, Business Law
Burns & Levinson

During his 30-year career, Joe Volman has become known as a go-to lawyer in the middle-market community, particularly with respect to mid-market mergers and acquisitions representing both seller and buyers. Through his creative, results-driven approach, Joe partners with his clients as a strategic advisor, and leverages his vast network to help clients source deals and raise capital in order to effectively drive growth and maximize returns on their investments.

 

Conference Location

10 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
Tel: (617) 262-9600