Displaying items tagged: Varnum LLP

West Michigan M&A professionals describe a market where deals today get closer scrutiny, particularly as lenders ask more questions as the economy slows with higher interest rates.

GRAND RAPIDS — Leaders of environmental consultancy Catalyst Partners LLC started transferring ownership of the firm to a group of its employees in December in what has been a years-long journey. 

Investment bankers and deal advisers forecast a 2023 M&A market affected, but not necessarily stymied, by rising interest rates and other economic headwinds.

Below is a snapshot of growth activity that was published in our Nov. 21, 2022 print edition. 

The Small Business Association of Michigan is building opposition to a proposed federal rule change that could affect millions of workers who earn their living as independent contractors.

The merger between Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health created a larger network from which Scott McLean can source deals.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for April 11, 2022.

After an active dealmaking year in 2021 that was fueled by private equity, the M&A outlook for 2022 is slightly more clouded as inflation grows to 40-year highs, the Federal Reserve begins bumping up interest rates and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupts financial markets.

As business owners face a complex set of external cybersecurity threats, industry professionals caution them to remain diligent about their inner workings, as companies face an equally dire threat from inside their organizations and workforce. 

After nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, smaller family-owned businesses are generally better positioned to overcome labor and supply chain challenges than non-family-owned companies. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Varnum LLP has opened an office in Naples, Fla., marking the Grand Rapids-based law firm’s first location outside of Michigan.

As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on tribal casino gaming revenue, officials with the non-gaming economic development arms of several Michigan tribes say their flow of capital and projects largely held steady.

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services faces long odds to successfully challenge a proposed state decision allowing competitor Havenwyck Hospital Inc. to develop a new psychiatric hospital in Kent County.

Mergers and acquisitions should remain strong through 2021 — driven by several factors affecting deal flow — although finding a good deal may come with a high price for buyers.

GRAND RAPIDS — Acrisure LLC has closed on a $3.4 billion capital raise, most of which came from the sale of senior preferred stocks to a consortium of investors.

DOWAGIAC — Seven Generations Group, a professional services portfolio of companies, is rebranding and has also managed to grow its portfolio with the formation of Blue Star Integrative Studio, a full-service architecture firm based in Tulsa, Okla., and the spin off of Kalamazoo-based Steelhead Engineering Co. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Private equity firm Blackford Capital has invested in Aqua-Leisure Industries Inc.,  a maker of leisure products for water sports and recreation based in Avon, Mass.

As details on a recent cybersecurity attack against Grand Rapids-based office furniture giant Steelcase Inc. begin to surface, local manufacturers of all industries and sizes may want to take notice.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s guidance for companies that got Paycheck Protection Program loans and are now selling aims to keep deals flowing as borrowers await decisions on whether they’ll have debt forgiven.

MiBiz growth report for August 2, 2020.

When a California-based marketing firm consolidated 450 employees from Grand Rapids-area offices into a vacant commercial building three years ago, the move was celebrated by Wyoming city leaders and supported by a $550,000 state business development grant.

Overly aggressive expansions, lease disputes and sagging interest in craft beer-based casual restaurants were contributing factors to BarFly Ventures LLC’s bankruptcy filing this month before business was decimated by COVID-19, court records show.

Changes by the Federal Reserve Board should draw greater interest to the new $600 billion Main Street Lending Program for small and mid-sized businesses hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRAND RAPIDS — A property investment company is suing Amazon.com Services LLC after the online retailer allegedly demolished portions of a warehouse property in Grand Rapids and caused about $10 million in damages before backing out of a lease agreement.

The Federal Reserve Bank’s $600 billion Main Street Lending Program promises to offer small and mid-sized businesses hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic with another option to access credit and operating capital. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Independent Bank Corp. raised $40 million in a debt offering that comes amid the economic downturn and uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two prominent players in Michigan’s cannabis and craft brewing industries have launched a new product merging their areas of expertise: beer-flavored edibles.

An executive order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allowing for the wider use of electronic signatures and online notarization will likely be more widespread in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, says an attorney who helped draft the order.

The coronavirus outbreak that’s battered Wall Street and caused supply chain disruptions for some manufacturers has yet to interrupt transactions, although more conversations are occurring as part of due diligence, according to M&A professionals.

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China is forcing West Michigan manufacturers to find creative solutions to avoid production disruptions.