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September 19, 2024
Announcing Columbus' Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
By Adam Burroughs
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Central Ohio. See who we recognized this year.
January 18, 2024
Sally Hughes On Letting Go
Sally Hughes founded Caster Connection in 1987 when she started selling chair casters out of the trunk of her car. Over 36 years, she built the business up to include some 3,000 different products,
October 13, 2023
In This Market, Creative Dealmakers Thrive
Slow M&A deal flow in 2022 has trickled into 2023 as more people are standing on the sidelines concerned about rising interest rates and the perpetual threat of a recession. Though deal flow as picked
September 22, 2023
Increasing investment in Central Ohio
On the heels of the Intel announcement that created much buzz in Central Ohio, Chris Michael a partner at Ice Miller LLP, led the kickoff panel at the Columbus Smart Business Dealmakers Conference
July 14, 2023
Robert H. Schottenstein On How He Diligences Land, Company Acquisitions
M/I Homes, Inc. started in Columbus in 1976, and today is one of the largest home builders in the U.S. Chairman and CEO Robert H. Schottenstein's dad was one of the co-founders of a business that
February 3, 2023
ChromoCare's Hugh Cathey On Lessons That Shaped His Career
In a more personal interview, Hugh Cathey, CEO of ChromoCare, a genetics testing firm, spoke on Smart Business SmartTalk about his successes and missteps, who and what helped shape his career, what motivates him and more.
January 8, 2021
Dealmaker Conversations: Hugh Cathey
ChromoCare CEO Hugh Cathey shares his insights on the M&A market and his outlook for future dealmaking.
October 2, 2020
Kassel Equity Group's Brett Motherwell on balancing dealmaking opportunity and risk
Kassel Equity Group Managing Partner Brett Motherwell talks dealmaking during the pandemic and the importance of careful deal structures to mitigate M&A risks.
January 27, 2020
Marc Hawk: Take on investors with care, great care
With no collateral and a high-powered growth strategy, RevLocal had to utilize angel and equity investing to grow. CEO Marc Hawk shares how the digital marketing company selected the right investors.
January 17, 2020
Victor Thorne takes a smarter, more disciplined approach to investing
Victor Thorne was bit by the entrepreneur bug early. In his mid 20s, he started his first company with his older brother. Today, the partner at Origin Malt is still enthusiastic about investing and entrepreneurship, but his focus has changed.
December 24, 2019
Columbus 2019 Dealmaking Year in Review
With 2019 just about over, we’re taking a look back at some of what we learned this year.
October 18, 2019
Always on the lookout for opportunities, Rhett Ricart sees talent as key
Rhett Ricart, who has bought and sold a number of dealerships over the years for Ricart Automotive, shares his M&A strategies and how the family business is tackling succession planning.
September 27, 2019
2019 Columbus Dealmaker Of The Year Awards
The Smart Business Dealmakers Conference brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors and advisers at the Hilton Columbus Downtown on Sept. 25. During the conference, Smart Business
September 24, 2019
Deal Veteran Mike Sayre Pulls Back Curtain With Lessons Learned
Innovative Leadership Institute President Mike Sayre shares lessons learned from decades of dealmaking.
August 28, 2019
Ilya Bodner blazes insuretech trail with Bold Penguin
Serial entrepreneur Ilya Bodner says every startup needs an idea, capital and great people. That's become the lens through which he makes all his decisions in building Bold Penguin, his fast-growing insuretech business.
June 19, 2019
For Allison Finkelstein, cap tables play critical role in investing
Startup founders should focus on how to achieve reasonable growth to get the next round of funding, the experience angel investor says.
May 22, 2019
Stonehenge's Peter Davies: How to buy in a peak market
The managing partner of Stonehenge Partners shares his approach to buying with multiples approaching a peak, and how buying strategies have changed in the current environment.
April 24, 2019
OTC's Philip Derrow: On ESOPs, culture and getting good advice
Ohio Transmission CEO Phil Derrow, talks about the challenges of ESOPs, openness during transactions and two important rules when making deals.
January 22, 2019
Lazear Capital’s Ted Lape on transparency, creativity and the rise of ESOPs
Ted Lape talks about transparency in dealmaking, when ESOPs make sense and his most memorable deals.
December 20, 2018
ChromoCare’s Hugh Cathey learns from success — and failure
Master Dealmaker Hugh Cathey talks about what’s changed in M&A, one of his biggest deals and the importance of learning from career wins and losses.
