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November 14, 2024
Announcing the Charlotte Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
By Dealmakers Staff
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in Charlotte. See who we recognized!
November 7, 2024
Announcing the Houston Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in Houston. See who we recognized!
October 31, 2024
Announcing the Minneapolis Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in Minneapolis. See who we recognized!
October 24, 2024
Announcing the Denver Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in Denver. See who we recognized!
October 17, 2024
Announcing the Chicago Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in Chicago. See who we recognized!
October 10, 2024
2024 Northeast Ohio Smart Business Dealmakers Rising Stars
The Smart Business Dealmakers Rising Stars program recognizes up-and-coming dealmaking professionals engaged in a wide range of M&A activities.
September 26, 2024
Announcing the D.C. Capital Region's Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in the D.C. Capital Region. See who we recognized!
September 19, 2024
Announcing Columbus' Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
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.
September 13, 2024
Announcing Philadelphia's Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
See who we honored at the 2024 Philadelphia Smart Business Dealmakers Conference.
June 13, 2024
Announcing Cleveland's Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
Read about the Dealmakers of the Year we honored this year and check out the accomplishments of our Hall of Famers.
June 6, 2024
Announcing New York's Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class
Celebrating the accomplishments of the 2024 New York Dealmaker Award Winners and Hall of Fame class.
May 17, 2024
Announcing Atlanta's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
Read about the Dealmakers of the Year we honored this year and check out the accomplishments of our Hall of Famers.
May 3, 2024
Recognizing Milwaukee's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
Five of Milwaukee's top dealmakers were honored this past week with the Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Award while one other was inducted into the Milwaukee Dealmakers Hall of Fame.
April 25, 2024
Recognizing Baltimore's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
Read about the Dealmakers of the Year we're honoring in Baltimore this year and check out the accomplishments of our Hall of Famers.
April 18, 2024
Recognizing Detroit's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
We celebrated the accomplishments of the 2024 class of winners April 18 at the Detroit Smart Business Dealmakers Conference. Together, they provide a strong picture of the Detroit business community.
March 21, 2024
CCA Global Partners Howard Brodsky On The Outsized Impact Of Delivering The Unexpected
CCA Global Partners Howard Brodsky on the common traits of the some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs and the outsized impact delivering the unexpected can yield for a business.
March 14, 2024
Announcing Dallas' Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
Here are the Dallas Dealmaker of the Year Award honorees and Hall of Famers we're recognizing this year!
March 7, 2024
Announcing St. Louis' Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
We're celebrating the accomplishments of the 2024 class of winners March 14 at the St. Louis Smart Business Dealmakers Conference. Together, they provide a strong picture of the St. Louis business community.
February 29, 2024
Announcing Boston's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
Here are the Boston Dealmaker of the Year Award honorees and Hall of Famers we're recognizing this year!
February 21, 2024
Announcing Pittsburgh's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
Here are the Pittsburgh Dealmaker of the Year Award honorees and Hall of Famers we're recognizing this year!
February 15, 2024
Announcing Nashville's Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards and Hall of Fame recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Nashville.
February 9, 2024
Raising Capital And Competing With Unicorns
Hungry Planet CEO Todd Boyman talks about launching Hungry Planet and why it raised modest capital compared to its unicorn competitors.
January 26, 2024
Failure Is OK — And Other Lessons From Rob Hale
Rob Hale became a billionaire and lost it all by the age of 35. But he rebounded from that failure to co-found Granite Telecommunications, which made him a billionaire again and made it possible for him to become a co-owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics. He shares 3 lessons he learned along the way.
January 19, 2024
Cavs CEO Nic Barlage On Creating A Winning Culture
Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group, discusses talent acquisition and development, building a winning culture, and the importance of leadership on the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast.
January 18, 2024
Hafeezah Muhammad On People and Analytics In Deals
Hafeezah Muhammad's company Backpack Healthcare recently acquired two companies. At the 2023 Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, she talked about how the business has supercharged its
January 18, 2024
How Acquisitions Help Babson Farms Diversify Revenue
Taylor Kirkpatrick is generation four of Babson Farms, a family enterprise that started originally with dairy equipment manufacturing — the largest in the world, he says — until they sold the business
January 18, 2024
Capital Considerations To Maximize Flexibility
When capital was really plentiful, CFO Ron Oertell says for his company, Purchasing Power, the focus was on making sure they had many options. "We established separate SPVs, we established staggered
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,
January 12, 2024
Why Health Care Startups Fail
Jumpstart Capital founder and managing partner Vic Gatto has been investing in early-stage health care businesses for nearly a decade. His organization — Jumpstart Foundry, Jumpstart Health Investors
January 12, 2024
Financial Issues To Consider When Doing International Acquisitions
Gentherm closed two deals in July of 2022. One was a German multinational that added to the company's automotive space. The other was a domestic acquisition in China for its medical business. The deal
January 5, 2024
Exploring Capital Options In A Challenging Market
Working within the commercial real estate space, Spencer Pisczak, president and founding Member of Premier Development Partners, says the current climate is in many ways a challenge. "The big problem
January 5, 2024
Even With Experience, Selling A Family Business Can Be A Challenge
Recently, Jeff Gershman, Chairman of the Board, of Gershman Mortgage & Gershman Investment Corp., sold Gershman Commercial Real Estate, a brokerage and property management company. Through his law
January 5, 2024
AgroFresh Solutions' Clinton Lewis, Jr. On Taking The Public Company Private
AgroFresh Solutions Inc. was spunoff into a stand-alone public company, listed on NASDAQ, after Dow Chemical acquired Rohm and Haas, of which it had originally been a part. Clinton A. Lewis, Jr.
December 7, 2023
Building a Bridge of Opportunity from Corner to Corner
Compelled by Jesus’ invitation to ‘love our neighbors as we love ourselves,’ Corner to Corner was founded by Will and Tiffany Acuff in 2011. The young couple wanted to create a relationship-centered
November 17, 2023
For SCLogic, Time Is Ticking For An Exit
Mike Saldi, founder and CEO of SCLogic, feels he's running out of time. And that in part why his company began running a process. "At 60 years old, I've got to figure out what's next," Saldi said at
November 3, 2023
Ven Raju On Investor Opportunities In Pittsburgh
After years of investing in early-stage companies in the SaaS, robotics, Internet of Things, health and fin tech spaces, Ven Raju has taken his talents from New York to Pittsburgh where he now heads
November 3, 2023
Putting Your Superpower To Work Post Exit
It's always a good time to start thinking about life after the sale of a business, says North Coast Ventures Managing Director Todd Federman. That, he says, can help business owners avoid being one of
November 3, 2023
Greater Diligence Means Greater Deal Prep
In the market today, there's been a change in availability of debt and the cost of that debt, says Mereo Capital Partners Managing Partner John O'Hare. There's also an issue of meeting seller
October 27, 2023
Deeper Diligence Puts More Onus On Sellers
Macroeconomic factors are driving due diligence that is much deeper, taking longer and is more important to deal making, says Mark Kessler, a partner at Palmares Capital Partners. Looking across the
October 27, 2023
Announcing Minneapolis' Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners and 2023 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class!
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Minneapolis. In addition, The Minneapolis
October 27, 2023
The Search For Clean Deals
No deal is perfect, but Dan Weingartz, CEO of W&P Management, says that it's just gotten to where there needs to be cleanliness across everything — the financials, the strategy, the leadership and
October 20, 2023
Cleveland Deal Activity: Rise In Bankruptcies Drive Distressed M&A Activity
Throughout 2023, the U.S. M&A landscape has been significantly shaped by a notable rise in distressed M&A transactions. According to bankruptcy filings from the U.S. Courts, the number of Chapter 11
October 20, 2023
Charlotte M&A Honorees Announced!
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Charlotte. The 2023 class of winners — who will
October 20, 2023
Buying What's Not In The Numbers
Randy Overton says in health care M&A in recent years, he's seen all kinds of books. "All of the sudden, everybody is the most valuable company in the world," says Overton, CFO of FastPace Health.
October 20, 2023
Steve Ball On Growing Zesty Paws Ahead Of Its $610M Sale
Steve Ball, the former CEO and board member of Zesty Paws, helped lead the pet supplements company to extraordinary growth that eventually led to its sale to Health & Happiness (H&H) Group
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
October 13, 2023
Midwest Values Bouy Businesses When Fundamentals Are The Focus
The Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference kicked off with insights and strategies for navigating the post-exit landscape, as well as the speakers' perspective on what's been a tricky M&A
October 6, 2023
Interest Rates Effect Strategy, But Multiples Remain Insulated
Interest rates have an impact on a variety of factors — not just in M&A, but in business in general. That's causing businesses to develop strategies to minimize the impact of those rising rates to
September 29, 2023
Chicago M&A Honorees Named
The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year awards recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Greater Chicago. The 2023 class of winners —
September 29, 2023
Optimism For Better M&A Times Is On The Horizon
Headlines of articles covering the M&A market over the past couple of months and years have painted a challenging picture, says UBS Market Executive, Philadelphia & DC Market Julie Fox. However, they
September 29, 2023
The 15-Year Process Of Selling CollabraSpace
CollabraSpace Co-Founder Ray Schwemmer says he would get cold calls all the time from people looking to buy his software company. "We basically just ignored them," he said at the Baltimore Smart
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
September 22, 2023
How Not Listening To Advice Benefitted SkySpecs
SkySpecs CEO Danny Ellis has raised a few rounds of funding — six in total — and has learned several lessons from the experience. "A lot of mistakes in the early days," Ellis says. "We probably over
September 8, 2023
Cleveland Deal Activity: Navigating M&A deal structures in a tightened debt market
As interest rates and borrowing costs move in parallel, buyers are faced with the challenge of navigating increasing costs of debt to finance acquisitions, especially in deals where the seller has
September 8, 2023
Philadelphia's 2023 Smart Business Network Dealmaker Award Winners: Trailblazers in Business and Innovation
The 2023 Smart Business Network Philadelphia Dealmaker Awards have recognized exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in the City of Brotherly Love. These
August 25, 2023
Deals Can Be Like A Marriage, But Also Like A Divorce
Christy Brown has had multiple entrepreneurial journeys. For each, there are three common factors that ultimately led to the sale of each. "One was typically I was looking for a strategic partner for
August 25, 2023
People On A Deal P&L
As Detroit Manufacturing Systems sets out to make acquisitions, people are top of mind, says then CFO, now EVP of Sales, Purchasing and Strategy Scott Cieslak. "One of the first things we had to do
July 21, 2023
Luke Haverhals' Company Is Working To Solve The World's Biggest Problem
Luke Haverhals, founder and CEO of Natural Fiber Welding, says he's an accidental entrepreneur. As the former chemistry professor at the United States Naval Academy tells it, he was fortunate to be in
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
July 14, 2023
View Deal Risk Within The Larger Context
John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr., Chairman and CEO of NELSON Worldwide, has led the award-winning design, architecture, branding, and consulting services organization's hypergrowth from one-office to more than
July 7, 2023
John Cerasuolo On Making The Leap To A New Industry Focus
John Cerasuolo leads incredibly acquisitive companies. At ADS Security, he led the business through 45 acquisitions in a direct-to-owner model that relied on relationships and an internal team to
July 7, 2023
How Three Long-Time Competitors Merged
Massachusetts-based technology advisory firms ROI Communications, Blue Front Technology Group and allConnex joined forces in late 2022 under one banner as Amplix. The three agencies — long-time, mutually respectful competitors — agreed to a merger backed by Gemspring Capital ManagemenT. The deal has worked for all three, and now a fourth major player, NET7, has joined the team.
June 29, 2023
Prepare At The Beginning For The Best End
Harold Green launched Chamberlain Contractors, an asphalt paving company, back in 1975, and sold it to Pavement Partners, a portfolio company of Shoreline Equity Partners, in January 2022. While he
June 9, 2023
Superstar CEO Roundtable Kicks Off Cleveland Conference
Kicking off the 2023 Cleveland Smart Business Dealmakers Conference were several of the region’s top executives talking with moderator Jeff Bechtel, President - Cleveland Region, First National Bank,
June 9, 2023
Ray Pineault On Expanding The Brand
From a property in Connecticut that quickly became one of the world’s largest casinos, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment has grown exponentially through a combination of organic and inorganic
June 2, 2023
AGCO's Eric Hansotia On The Ag Giant's M&A Strategy
AGCO Corporation is the largest pure-play farm machinery company in the world, competing against industry giants. Headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, this year they'll do about $14.5 billion in sales
May 26, 2023
Recognizing The 2023 Dealmakers of the Year Award Winners
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been channeled to the 2023 Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards honorees. But raising funds is not all this year's class of entrepreneurs have
May 26, 2023
The Inaugural Cleveland Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class Sets The Stage
Welcome the inaugural class for the Cleveland Dealmakers Hall of Fame! This group of dealmakers has made an often-groundbreaking impact on their organizations, industries and the Northeast Ohio region
May 19, 2023
Biju Kulathakal On Launching Halo, Fundraising
Halo Investing is a platform for structured notes or, as the company's Co-Founder and CEO Biju Kulathakal puts it, defined outcome investing. "It's a financial product that's a $3 trillion market
May 19, 2023
Whether buying or selling, alignment is key
Investors have had a lot to process recently — COVID bumps in their portfolio companies, whether positive or negative; supply chain issues; inflation impacting working capital, to name a few. While
May 19, 2023
Whether buying, selling or raising capital, timing is everything
When it comes to capital opportunities, timing, says Foro Capital Markets Managing Director, CFO and Chief Compliance Officer Mike Marr, can be everything. In December of ‘21, the company raised some
April 21, 2023
How Redback's Famous IPO Almost Wasn't
Dennis Barsema on his experience with Redback, the issue that almost prevented him from taking the company public, and how his path eventually led him to teaching future entrepreneurs.
April 14, 2023
Deal Pulse: Best of times, worst of times
The domestic M&A market is in a state of great disparity. Valuations from buyers receded to pre-pandemic levels while sellers continue to expect the lofty valuations seen in the latter portion of 2020
April 14, 2023
The Deal Environment In Turbulent Times
Accel International Holdings' Tony Oh, Boston Celtics Co-Owner Rob Hale, and Citizens' David Dunstan and Jerry Sargent on what CEOs are saying about today’s climate for dealmaking and their experiences on the front lines.
April 14, 2023
How to get a FAIR deal
MATH Venture Partners' Mert Iseri and Mark Achler, along with UBS's James Jack and Ryan Wood, on the valuable personal lessons they've learned over several successful exits.
April 6, 2023
Suzanne Yoon On Launching Kinzie Capital Partners
Kinzie Capital Partners Founder and Managing Partner Suzanne Yoon on launching the firm.
March 31, 2023
The Importance Of Knowledgeable CFOs In Deals
TalentLaunch's Matt Lyon and Resilience Capital Partners' Bassem Mansour on post-acquisition integration and how the CFO role plays a part in making sure the deal pays off.
March 31, 2023
Sylvester Hester On Partnership And Job Creation When Launching LM Manufacturing
LM Manufacturing President and CEO Sylvester Hester on launching the business, how the opportunity came about and the importance of being a job creator in Detroit
March 24, 2023
FHN Facilitates Service for Underbanked Consumers
Jennifer Tescher on her company’s investments strategies and goals for assisting their partners during harsh economic times.
March 10, 2023
Cleveland Deal Pulse: The Role of the Rollover
MelCap Partners David Shibley looks at trends and deals in the Northeast Ohio M&A market over the month of February.
March 10, 2023
Pittsburgh Deal Pulse: The Role of the Rollover
MelCap Partners David Shibley looks at trends and deals in the Greater Pittsburgh M&A market over the month of February.
March 10, 2023
No "Risky Bets" When Investing In CEOs
The Edgewater Funds Senior Partner David Tolmie on what he looks for in an executive, investment red flags, preparing for exits and negotiating deal terms.
March 3, 2023
How Ascent Solution Managed A Change In Business Model And Ownership
Ascent Solutions' Chairman and CEO JD Harris on the firm's ownership transition as well as the switch that was made in its business model.
March 3, 2023
The Three-Phase Set Up of Society Brands' Success
Society Brands CEO Michael Sirpilla on financing business growth.
February 24, 2023
Borrowing Against IP
Mark Fox, managing partner at Ghost Tree Partners, and Joseph Rossi, AVP, Aon Intellectual Property Solutions at Aon, on methods for lending against a company's IP.
February 24, 2023
VendEngine Revs Up Revenue Prior to Sale
Silas Deane on his company, VendEngine, Inc.,which created a way to improve the process of gifting money to inmates and later sold the company for $83 million.
February 24, 2023
Is The Sky Falling In 2023?
3 Rivers Capital's Rob Carskadden, Continuim Equity Partners' George Pilafas, Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe's John Lewis and SDI Companies' Scott Kiger offer their predictions on what changes occurring in 2023 will be the most impactful.
February 24, 2023
Lifting Lucy Creates Opportunities for BIWOC
Tranice Watts created Lifting Lucy when she was in her early twenties, working in an industry not known for much diversity. Watts, the first Black woman to co-own and operate a craft brewery in the state of Maryland, was on a subcommittee of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). She noticed an area where people could do proposals for diversity, equity and inclusion. Lifting Lucy has since grown into a network of businesses, organizations, and philanthropists serious about disrupting the barriers of entry and major hindrances toward the progress for Black, Indigenous, and other Women of Color (BIWOC) in the brewing industry.
February 17, 2023
Digital Health Frenzy Propelled SteadyMD
Guy Friedman is a Co-Founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer and President at SteadyMD, a B2B telehealth infrastructure provider that enables telehealth patient experiences in all 50 states. He spoke on the Dealmakers Podcast about how he built SteadyMD as a direct-to-consumer offering, but quickly realized it’s value to other businesses.
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 20, 2023
The Dos and Don’ts in Today’s M&A Landscape
Chuck Morton, Partner, Venable LLP, has been recognized for decades as one of best middle-market deal lawyers in the United States. During his time as an M&A attorney, he’s seen business leaders make some excellent choices and some not-so-brilliant decisions. He sat down for a discussion on the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast to elaborate.
January 20, 2023
Jared Paquette Examines His Firm With The Eyes Of An Investor
After 20 years working in private equity, Jared Paquette recently struck out on his own, launching Conanicut Capital, a PE firm focused on the lower middle-market. "I went to a great lower-middle-market firm for about 10 years. And what I found in going to the lower middle market is you get much closer to the founders and the owners of businesses," he says. "Some of the best deals that I've been a part of are ones in which you're really working as the first institutional pool of capital."
January 6, 2023
Rocco DiLillo On His M&A Legacy
Rocco DiLillo on the many businesses he's built, bought and sold, and offers advice to entrepreneurs looking to experience similar successes.
December 16, 2022
Entrepreneur Focus: Jennifer Tescher
Financial Health Network President and CEO Jennifer Tescher on her company, its mission and the challenges it faces.
November 23, 2022
Former Medtronic CEO Bill George On How Ego Can Crush A Deal
Harvard Business School Senior Fellow and former chairman and CEO of Medtronic Bill George on the M&A lessons he's learned over his career.
November 18, 2022
Entrepreneur Focus: Kathryn Finney
Genius Guild Founder, CEO and Managing Partner Kathryn Finney shares her entrepreneurial journey and the impact she's been able to have through it.
November 11, 2022
WJ Connell's John Stephenson On What He's Leaving Behind
WJ Connell's John Stephenson on what he learned from his first job, how mentorship has impacted his career, his regrets and his motivations.
October 28, 2022
Despite Two Retirements, Ralph Della Ratta Is Still Going
Kirtland Capital Partners' Ralph Della Ratta on what he's learned from his four decades in M&A, his keys to success and how that experience will be brought to bear in his newest role.
June 17, 2022
Argo Fresh's Clint Lewis: Running A Public Company With A PE Partner
In AgroFresh, Clint Lewis is leading a public company that has a private equity investor. 'It's a unique dynamic," Lewis says.
June 10, 2021
George Nemphos of Nemphos Braue
Podcast: The founding member of law firm Nemphos Braue shares his thoughts on the activity he’s seeing, deals he’s been closing for clients, and what’s different from the deals that got done in 2019 and early 2020.
