Subscribe to Smart Business Dealmakers
June 11, 2021
Josh Curtis on what M&A’s busiest year means for sellers
By Adam Burroughs
Josh Curtis, managing director of Footprint Capital, offers his view of the market from both the sell-side and buy-side, as well as his sense of how things could play out for the balance of the year.
December 11, 2020
Carlton D. Dean III on how the pandemic reshaped deal priorities
Carlton D. Dean III talks about how the pandemic has affected both the state of the market, and the state of his M&A thinking.
May 15, 2020
Ice Miller’s Michael Jordan and Rob Ouellette: M&A and business in a turbulent market
Are deals dead? Ice Miller Partner Rob Ouellette says “no,” but they have taken on a different look. Ouellette and Ice Miller Managing Partner Michael Jordan share their thoughts on M&A and other issues C-suite executives are dealing with during the COVID-19 crisis.
May 13, 2020
Deal Pulse: April M&A Activity in Central Ohio
The state of Ohio was under a stay-at-home order for the entire month of April, with many businesses shut down. While middle market M&A activity has severely slowed in Central Ohio, notable deals included Break Trail Ventures, Nationwide Ventures and Midwest Equipment Sales.
April 17, 2020
Deal Pulse: March M&A Activity in Central Ohio
M&A activity in Central Ohio continues to move forward despite the impact of the coronavirus on the markets and Ohio’s mandated shutdown of non-essential businesses and “shelter-in-place” orders given in March.
April 1, 2020
Drive Capital’s Chris Olsen on how coronavirus impacts VC
Drive Capital partner Chris Olsen talks about the state of dealmaking, what portfolio companies should expect from their shareholders and his advice for investors.
March 23, 2020
Deal Pulse: Central Ohio companies active in health care tech
Central Ohio companies were active last month in transactions involving health care tech. Copper Run Capital's Michael Shaw shares what deal activity he's seen throughout February 2020.
February 26, 2020
Deal Pulse: Investors Back Columbus Tech Firms
Recently, investors made significant investments into Columbus-based tech companies that are forward thinking and utilizing new technologies in the marketplace. Copper Run Capital's Michael Shaw shares what deal activity he's seen throughout January 2020.
February 14, 2020
Investing in Ohio’s medical marijuana industry
The cannabis space is an interesting investment opportunity that comes with a variety of risks, but as Ohio’s medical marijuana cultivators and dispensaries slowly gain ground, the nascent industry should pick up speed in 2020.
January 2, 2020
Dealmaking predictions for 2020’s M&A activity in Central Ohio
Smart Business Dealmakers spoke with Ice Miller's Rob Ouellette, Dickinson Wright's Scot Crow and U.S. Bank's Steve Bennett about what they forecast for the 2020 dealmaking climate.
November 7, 2019
Robots, automation and AI, oh my!
Last month, participants in Columbus VC firm Drive Capital’s second robotics and automation summit — Devol’s Dance — spent the day exploring the future. While automation is critical to many of Drive Capital’s portfolio companies, two researchers shared how robots, overall, are changing the way we think and how we do our jobs.
August 6, 2019
Collaboration, corporates draw Heartland Ventures to Columbus
South Bend, Ind.-based Heartland Ventures, which focuses on connecting startups to corporations, picked Columbus out of 15 Midwest cities for expansion because of the corporate involvement in the city's collaborative early-stage community.
July 17, 2019
Ice Miller’s Michael Jordan: Investor Appetite For Alternatives Remains High
Michael Jordan didn’t expect to become an expert in investor-side representation for alternative investments. He stumbled into the niche 22 years ago. Here's what he's seeing in the marketplace.
July 2, 2019
Finance Fund plays vital investment role in local communities
Finance Fund connects underserved communities in Ohio with public and private sources of capital to improve access to healthy food, health care service, education and affordable housing.
June 12, 2019
Family offices grow in number and sophistication
Private banker Reese Fields discusses how family offices operate, including balancing privacy with connecting to potential investments.
May 15, 2019
Ohio State builds momentum for innovation district development
For years, the future of The Ohio State University west campus has been up in the air. That’s changing with the first three buildings planned for an eventual innovation district.
March 20, 2019
Budd Dairy Food Hall: Finding the next Cameron Mitchell
The new venture, backed by Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, will help chefs grow their concepts and build their businesses.
December 19, 2018
Will past performance predict next M&A downturn?
Greif's Matthew Leahy sees a disconnect between public and private market valuations. Public markets value businesses based on forward earnings, whereas private transactions are generally trailing. "Public market investors could be too bearish, but at the same time, it creates an interesting nuance,” he says.
November 20, 2018
A look at the present — and future — of Columbus’ economy
Columbus Partnership President and CEO Alex R. Fischer shares his insights into the next steps for Columbus’ economic development and economy.
