Middle Market Growth

Registration for ACG's annual InterGrowth conference is now open, so MMG sat down with two veteran attendees to hear about what first attracted them to the middle-market dealmaking event, how they maximize their time there, and InterGrowth's impact on their careers. Ramsey Goodrich, managing partner at Carter Morse & Goodrich, and Karin Kovacic, managing director for the East Coast region at Monro...

This week's episode features Adrianna Czornyj, a partner with Persistence Capital Partners, the only private equity firm in Canada focused exclusively on health care investing. Czornyj addressed the question she's asked most frequently: How do you invest in health care in a country with a public health care system? She also spoke about the types of investments Persistence targets, the differences...

This week's episode features Chris Voss, the FBI's former lead international hostage negotiator and CEO of The Black Swan Group, which advises Fortune 500 companies on performing complex negotiations. He addressed the key elements that all negotiations share, from a middle-market M&A transaction to a high-stakes hostage crisis. He also suggested strategies for setting up a negotiation for success,...

Two technology experts sat down with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan at the Toronto ACG Capital Connection conference to discuss innovation in artificial intelligence and fintech. The first half of the episode features an interview with Shelby Austin, managing partner at Omnia AI at Deloitte Canada, who discusses middle-market companies’ adoption of artificial intelligence, how AI will alter employmen...

Frank McGrew, managing partner at McNally Capital, returned to the podcast to discuss new guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department for investing in opportunity zones, including how to file, the time period in which investments must be made, and stipulations for investing in operating businesses. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created the opportunity zone program, which incentivizes investors to...

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist for RSM, joined MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan to provide an economic update for the middle market, including how the tight labor market, trade tensions and monetary policy will impact midsize companies. Brusuelas expects the labor shortage will lead to production bottlenecks next year, prompting companies to substitute robotics and automation for human labor, and he ou...

Matt Sondag, leader of West Monroe Partners' M&A practice, and Brian Jacobsen, managing partner of West Monroe Capital, joined MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan to discuss the business and technology consulting firm's new co-investment strategy, including how it began and the types of deals the firm looks for. They also weighed in on trends impacting middle-market M&A heading into 2019.

Frank McGrew, managing partner at McNally Capital, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about a provision of the 2017 tax reform legislation designed to attract capital to economically disadvantaged communities. Investing in opportunity zones can benefit family offices and private equity firms from a tax perspective, and McGrew weighed in on how his firm is approaching the program. ** McNally Ca...

Orin Winick, national director of investment advisory for Aspiriant, spoke with MMG Editor-in-Chief Kathryn Mulligan about the increase in entrepreneurs selling their businesses and emerging trends in wealth management—from using storage facilities as a means of generating cash flow, to investing in the nascent cannabis industry. This episode was recorded onsite at the annual ACG Los Angeles Busin...

Langston Emerson, a partner with The Cypress Group, spoke with MMG Editor-in-Chief Kathryn Mulligan about current legislative proposals relevant to the middle market. He also offered insight into the upcoming midterm elections, including key races to watch and how a shift in control of the House of Representatives could impact the legislative agenda. To learn more about ACG's public policy and adv...

Chris Jackson, Deloitte Private technology leader and managing director of Deloitte Consulting, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about his firm's recent 2018 Mid-Market Technology Trends Report, which examined the intersection of talent and technology at middle-market companies.

Darin Brock, head of business development for Toronto-based TorQuest Partners, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about the M&A environment in Canada, attractive investment areas for TorQuest, and several of the firm's recent investments, including A&W's Canadian franchise.

Jennifer Fondrevay, founder and chief humanity officer of Day1 Ready, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about her research into why so many mergers and acquisitions fail, and how acquirers and investors can address workforce considerations earlier in the M&A process. Fondrevay has interviewed a number of C-level leaders, HR professionals and PE investors, and she's written on the topic for Ha...

Dr. Ronit Molko, founder and principal of Empowering Synergy, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about the expanding market for autism services and the role that private equity firms play in helping companies in this industry grow, improve business processes, and ultimately drive better outcomes.

Jim Mintz, founder and CEO of Mintz Group, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about how the #MeToo movement is influencing companies' investigations of prospective employees and board members, and how it's impacting due diligence during an M&A transaction. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience conducting investigations all over the world, Mintz weighs in on how to uncover past behavior o...

Michael McAdoo, a senior adviser with the Boston Consulting Group, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about global trade issues, including the Trump Administration's steel and aluminum tariffs, trade disputes with China and the status of NAFTA renegotiation. During the interview, McAdoo explained each issue and its impact, and he outlined steps middle-market business owners can take to mitigat...

Andrew Fulford, vice president of corporate development for HBM Holdings, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about HBM's approach to investing in industrial products and services businesses, including the subsectors where the firm is seeing opportunities. He discussed HBM's role helping companies adopt new technology and address the growing skills gap in manufacturing, as well as the role the...

John Oechsle, CEO of Swiftpage, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about the ways in which artificial intelligence and voice activation are transforming the software industry. He shared how Swiftpage's customer relationship management offering Act is incorporating these technologies. Oechsle also discussed the company's rapid growth through acquisitions.

Trish Gilbert, chief talent officer for private equity firm Wind Point Partners, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about the increased focus on talent at middle-market private equity firms. Gilbert discussed the characteristics she looks for when evaluating potential leaders, Wind Point’s process for CEO selection, and how the firm builds relationships for the long term.

Jeff Immelt, the former CEO and chairman of GE, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan onsite at ACG’s InterGrowth conference following his keynote address. He reflected on his time at GE and what he thinks the press has gotten wrong about his tenure, and he offered some advice for President Trump on how to handle the trade dispute with China. Immelt also shared what he sees as the biggest challen...

Mark Yusko, CEO and chief investment officer of Morgan Creek Capital Management, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about the investment opportunities he sees in blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency. During the conversation, he discussed his firm’s recent acquisition of Full Tilt Capital, the regulatory environment surrounding blockchain and cryptocurrency, and how the world is moving fr...

Pat Morris joined ACG Global as president and CEO in December. In this episode of the podcast, he spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about his career leading up to ACG, his experience with the association so far, and what’s in store moving forward.

Chris Hebble, a managing director at Houlihan Lokey, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about raising capital for small and midsize companies, including how long the process typically takes and the time commitment for a middle-market management team. He also offered insight on the impact on borrowing of rising interest rates and tax reform. Hebble is the chairman of ACG InterGrowth 2018, and h...

Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist of RSM, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan by phone on March 19 about the potential impact of tariffs on U.S. middle-market businesses, his recent trip to China, and the results of the latest RSM US Middle Market Business Index.

Andrew Appel, CEO of IRI, spoke with MMG Editor Kathryn Mulligan about how retailers are leveraging data, analytics and social media as they try to become multichannel and more consumer-centric. Appel talked about the changing landscape of retail, and how a company like IRI, which has been around for nearly four decades, continues to innovate and adapt to changing market dynamics.