M&A Masters

What is M&A like as an independent sponsor?   In this episode, I speak to Jonathan Saltzman, managing partner of Torque Capital Group, an independent sponsor that focuses on companies undergoing change or at inflection points where there are opportunities to create value.   Jonathan will share his insight on M&A for lower-middle-market automotive and manufacturing businesses.   He’ll cover...

Why is transparency the key to success?   In this episode, I’m joined by Peter Cook of Everingham & Kerr, a mergers and acquisitions advisory firm that specializes in providing intermediary services for lower-middle market companies and entrepreneurs.   Peter will share his philosophy around transparency and will also discuss: His take on reps & warranties insurance Insights from his firm’...

How can M&A Masters tap into the power of human capital?   In this episode, I’m joined by Doug McCormick, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of HCI Equity Partners.   He’ll give an inside look at his firm, which partners with family and founder-owned manufacturing, services, and distribution companies in the lower middle market.    Doug will break down his firm’s unique strategy tha...

When your small business owner client is in a room full of MBAs, they can feel out of their depths…   So how do you keep your client’s emotions in check during a high-stakes sale?   Alan Clark is here to share his perspective as a sell-side advisor helping clients exit their businesses.    Alan also reveals why he thinks a common 2023 M&A prediction is wrong—and weighs in on a new sell-side re...

In M&A, having a set of core principles to guide your thinking is essential…   Ken Heuer of Kidd & Company is here to share the firm’s 3 core principles and how they make business decisions simple.   We also discuss What Kidd & Company brings to the table for the lower middle market The emergence of a new reps & warranties product to protect sellers And more

How can M&A firms succeed in the e-commerce niche?   Kelcey Lehrich, co-founder and CEO of 365 Holdings, is here to share how he provides e-commerce brands with a permanent home when entrepreneurs are seeking an exit.   Kelcey also breaks down what makes consumer products thrive in the marketplace—and why you should treat e-commerce as a channel, not an industry.

As we prepare for the new year, it’s time to set your strategy…   “What strategy?,” you might think, “We just need to make more money.”   But a business without a strategy is destined for failure.   Especially in today’s changing world, where an unexpected crisis could derail your business.   And it’s not enough to set a strategy…   You have to execute it, too.   Liberty Company Insurance Brokers’...

What does it take to bring technology and data capital to middle-market businesses?   In today’s digital world, there’s enormous opportunity in helping business owners embrace technology…   In this episode, I’m joined by Vinay Bachireddy, managing partner at Weave Growth Partners.   Weave Growth Partners is a Silicon Valley firm that backs owners and executives who want to make their businesses mo...

When you have an indefinite holding period, you’re buying for the long term…   What are the strategies of firms that operate in this way?   Ben Brown, founder of Alderman Enterprises, is here to share his perspective on M&A.   We discuss: Benefits of the buy & hold strategy Why his firm sticks to the lower middle market Ben’s take on reps & warranties insurance And more

There’s enormous opportunity in professionalizing and scaling founder-owned businesses.   But what does it take to become a leader in this area?   In this episode, I’m joined by Heather Madland of Huron Capital for an inside look at the firm.   We’ll also discuss: Opportunities in the service sector M&A in the Midwest The history of Huron Capital Heather’s take on reps & warranties insuran...

The sell-side of M&A brings unique challenges and opportunities…   In this episode, I’m joined by Richard Parker of Roy Street Advisors for an inside look at a sell-side firm.   We’ll also cover: Why the first offer isn’t always the best offer The importance of documentation Reps & warranties from a sell-side perspective M&A trends for 2023 And more

Why do M&A Masters love the lower middle market?   You get the opportunity to aggressively scale family businesses…   In this episode, I’m joined by Justin Smith of LongWater Opportunities, a private equity firm based in the Midwest.   Justin’s firm has firsthand experience growing family businesses, and he’s here to share his expertise.   We’ll also cover: Why great management teams beat exce...

What does it take to be an M&A Master for the IT and cybersecurity industries?   Jamar Freeman of Moonshot Equity Partners is here to share his firm’s holistic approach to acquiring and building market-leading companies.    Listen to learn: The 4 strategies that set Jamar’s firm apart The advantage of guaranteed payouts Jamar’s take on reps & warranties insurance M&A trend predictions...

If you’re an independent sponsor or a capital provider, you won’t want to miss the upcoming Independent Sponsor Conference…   Featuring one-on-one networking meetings with people hand-selected to match you…   This is an unbeatable opportunity to connect with someone and lay the groundwork for deals…   In this episode, Jeffrey Brooker, an organizer of the conference, is here to give you all the det...

M&A is never just about chasing numbers….   It’s about the people who trust you with their business…   A business that represents generations of hard work—and a family’s legacy.   My guest Chris Parisi knows this well. At Carl Marks Advisors, which has been around since 1925, Chris secures clean exits for lower middle market business owners.    In this episode, Chris shares some of Carl Marks...

Cloud-based infrastructure is one of the most rapidly expanding industries today…   And this episode’s guest, Sean Frank, is an expert on it.   As the founder of Cloud Equity Group, Sean invests in lower middle market companies in the web hosting and cloud-based infrastructure sectors.   Listen to find out: What Sean looks for in a company The problem with naming firms after the founder Sean’s inv...

How do you get owners to stop thinking like operators…   And start thinking like investors?   For the lower middle market, this mindset shift is crucial for a clean exit.  In this episode, I talk to Sly Buford, founder and CEO of Tenth Street Group, which specializes in helping lower middle market businesses grow, scale, and exit. Sly had an unconventional path to becoming an investor, and he’s he...

In this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we sit down with Marty Fahncke to talk about M&A for the lower middle market. Marty is a partner at Westbound Road, LLC and has over 30 years of experience in building and growing businesses.  Listen to learn: How businesses can double revenue without increasing sales How owners can leave a legacy with their business Marty’s takes on M&A trends fo...

You might think of M&A as a zero-sum game…   But that’s where many business owners go wrong.   It might surprise you to hear that building trust with the opposing side is the key to securing your clean exit.   This episode’s guest, Alistair McBride, coaches business owners in the fine art of negotiating M&A deals.    Alistair has seen deals succeed when business owners treat their opponent...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we’re sitting down with Deborah Smith to talk about real estate, a first on this show! Deborah is the Co-Founder and CEO of The CenterCap Group. The CenterCap Group, LLC, is a boutique investment bank providing strategic advisory, capital-raising, and consulting related services to public and private corporations, owners, operators and investment managers...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we sit down with Patrick Turner to talk about how his company is transforming good companies into great companies through their partnerships.  Patrick Turner is the Managing Director of VSS. VSS is a private investment firm that invests in the information, business services, healthcare and education industries. Since 1987, VSS has partnered with lower mid...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Jennifer Mandelbaum, Senior Investment Director at Halogen Ventures.  Halogen Ventures is a California-based Venture Capital fund focused on investing in early stage consumer technology startups with a female on the founding team. Female led businesses represent a massive opportunity. They deliver higher ROI and deliver higher payouts on exi...

Global M&A volumes hit a record in 2021 and that pace is expected to continue as we head into the second quarter of 2022. Family-owned businesses continue to be front and center in many of these deals, which is why I wanted to rewind my episode with James Darnell for my listeners today. I sincerely believe that there is a huge marketplace of companies in the lower middle market that need help....

If the past two years have taught us anything, it is we need to have a thriving manufacturing sector. With the inability to meet supplies of offshore parts with demand here at home and the new instability in Europe and it’s more important than ever to have a thriving US manufacturing sector.    That’s why today, on M&A Masters, I am rewinding my conversation with Jessica Ginsberg. Jessica is t...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, I’m revisiting my conversation with Ryan Milligan, Partner at ParkerGale. I am rewinding this episode for two reasons. The first is that the ParkerGale Capital podcast, The Private Equity Funcast opened the entire private equity world to me over five years ago. The second reason is in our conversation. Ryan and I dove deep into how ParkerGale uses a tool...