Displaying items tagged: Calder Capital LLC

Over the last couple of years, Eric Seifert has started hearing from past clients whom he helped get commercial loans to start their businesses more than two decades ago.

GREENVILLE — After being on the market for more than a year, a West Michigan restaurant and brewery has sold to new owners.

GRAND RAPIDS — As older entrepreneurs increasingly seek to sell their small businesses and retire, Max Friar saw a business opportunity.

KALAMAZOO — After two years of looking for manufacturing companies to buy, Dave Kersjes and Steve Remstad found an opportunity in FlowTech Inc., a small producer of fluid and air filtration products.

M&A professionals say deal volume remains strong heading into mid year with more buyers in the market than sellers. 

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for May 15, 2017: 

• M&A: Muskegon-based KL Outdoor LLC will add a bevvy of new products to its business through a recent merger with GSC Technologies Corp., a Montreal-based manufacturer of kayaks and other plastic products. About three months ago, KL Outdoor — a manufacturer of kayaks, paddleboards and other watercraft — was purchased by New Water Capital LP, a private equity firm based in Boca Raton, Fla. The private equity firm plans to wrap GSC Technologies under the KL Outdoor brand, according to Dan Harris, vice president of sales at KL Outdoor. Harris expects the merger to expand KL Outdoor’s product offerings, as GSC manufactures a variety of products including outdoor furniture, totes and other related products.

As Neil Brown and Wade Thompson considered acquiring Central Interconnect Inc. late last year, they found themselves interested in the opportunity the company presented.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Jan. 23, 2017.

• M&A: Bryan Betten and Chris Baker, two veteran West Michigan dealership executives, have acquired Grand Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Lowell from former owner Harvey Koning. Betten-Baker is in the process of acquiring the remaining Grand Auto Family Services Inc. dealerships owned by Koning, which include facilities in Grandville, Allegan and Lowell, said Pete Ricards, division director at Betten-Baker. The company also is acquiring a Big Rapids-based GMC dealership from Gary Trimarco Automotive group, but is waiting on manufacturer approval from General Motors to complete both deals. 

Collins & Associates in Grand Rapids has acquired insurance broker SAIF Agency Group Inc. in Kingsley, just south of Traverse City.

Professionals working in mergers and acquisitions in West Michigan expect strong deal flow to continue in 2017, maintaining a seller’s market.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Nov. 28, 2016:

• • M&A: Caledonia-based insurance broker Acrisure LLC has completed the $2.9 billion management-led buyout of private equity firm Genstar Capital. Greg Williams, Acrisure’s co-founder and CEO, and a consortium of minority investors led the buyout of the San Francisco-based Genstar Capital, which three years ago committed $75 million in capital to the company. That investment enabled Acrisure to embark on an aggressive growth and acquisition strategy and become one of the 15 largest insurance brokers in the nation. Since mid-2013, Acrisure has acquired 138 independent insurance agencies across the nation, establishing a presence in 26 states and growing revenues from $38 million to more than $670 million in 2016. Acrisure closed on nearly 50 acquisitions so far this year and will likely end 2016 with 60 deals, Williams said.

After 35 years under the ownership of founder Arlen Smith, Central Interconnect Inc. has been sold to new owners at the culmination of an 18-month-long process.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Nov. 14, 2016: 

• M&A: Byron Center-based SpartanNash Co. (Nasdaq: SPTN) signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets of Caito Foods Service Inc. and its Blue Ribbon Transport business for about $217.5 million in cash, according to a statement. The deal includes an earn-out potential of an additional $12.4 million if the business hits performance targets. SpartanNash, which expects the transaction to be accretive to 2017 earnings, will fund the deal with proceeds from its lending facility. Subject to regulatory and other approvals, the deal is anticipated to close in early January 2017. The combined Caito and Blue Ribbon Transport businesses generate annual revenues exceeding $600 million. Caito supplies fresh fruit and vegetables to groceries and distributors in 22 states in the Southeast, Midwest and Eastern regions of the country. The company has facilities in Indiana, Ohio and Florida. SpartanNash was advised on the deal by Deutsche Bank (financial) and Morgan Lewis (legal).

M&A professionals in Michigan feel a little more optimistic than their counterparts nationally about the prospects for stronger deal flow over the next year.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for June 13, 2016.

• M&A: National Coatings Inc. in Traverse City was acquired by Color Masters Painting of Raleigh, N.C. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Established in 1996, National Coatings is a commercial and industrial painting company. Color Masters employs 120 people and will add 160 employees with the acquisition as it targets 2017 sales of $30 million, according to owner and founder Zeb Hadley. M&A firm Calder Capital LLC in Grand Rapids represented National Coatings and sourced the buyer.

If you want to sell your business this year, you still have a pretty good chance of cutting a favorable deal as the seller’s market continues.