Calder Capital is pleased to welcome Jakob Simonds as Lead Analyst of our Central Services team. Jakob joined our team for the Winter/Spring 2021 Internship program. He’ll be staying on as financial analyst and lead of new client onboarding. While you may remember him as our Guacamole Hater, there is far more to share about Jakob than his aversion to avocados. A recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, Jakob is a Grand Rapids native, a University of Michigan sports enthusiast, and a lover of the outdoors. He takes his coffee black, and yet on par with his willingness to try new things, he’s looking forward to further espresso bar training from Calder’s in-house baristas. While Jakob’s day-to-day responsibilities have remained relatively unchanged from his time in the internship program, Jakob has assumed a leadership role. “I spend time overseeing the work of the other analysts and interns, and onboarding new clients,” he says. “I’m still doing a lot of the same daily tasks (creating financial models, valuations, and comprehensive marketing materials) but I would say that overall I’m working on a lot more of the big-picture initiatives.” Jakob is excited to continue growing along with Calder. “I would also […]
Calder Capital Welcomes Jonathan Dykstra to the Central Services Team!
Calder Capital is pleased to welcome the newest addition to our Central Services team, Jonathan Dykstra. Calder Capital’s Central Services team works behind the scenes to get each client to market and get as many buyers’ eyes on them as possible. The Central Services team is comprised of dedicated and trained financial analysts who compile business valuations and create comprehensive marketing packages for Calder’s sell-side clients. As Calder continues to grow, Central Services is the scaffolding that keeps the foundation strong. A recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Accounting. Jonathan is fresh out of college, but he brings with him an ambition and an experience base that is a great asset to Calder’s work. Jonathan joined the team in September as our newest Financial Analyst. Prior to joining Calder, Jonathan served as an Equity Research & Valuation analyst at Seamstrong Advisors, and as the Vice President of Portfolio Management of GVSU’s investment club. He devotes much of his time to teaching valuation and financial analysis to younger finance majors. Outside of his Finance and Accounting career, Jonathan has dabbled in filmmaking, and he has a deep appreciation for […]
Featured Advisor: Q&A with Rudy Moeller
The newest addition to the Calder team, Rudy Moeller, is an M&A Advisor operating in Louisville, KY. He holds a BA and an MBA from Vanderbilt University, and he’s a bourbon connoisseur who loves to host tastings. Our Managing Partner, Max Friar, asks him a few questions about how he came to be here. Motto: The secret to success in life lies in how well you execute “Plan B.” Favorite Activities: Studying 20th century history, learning more about quantum mechanics and cooking. Karaoke Night Song: A medley of Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife” and “Beyond the Sea.” Max: One of your career stops led to you and I working together on the start of a corporate cost reduction consulting franchise more than 10 years ago. We are working together again now. How did that come to be? Rudy: Well, immediately you struck me as a young entrepreneur with a strong desire to help other companies and a keen analytical mind for process development. Earlier in 2021, I began observing your success in the M&A space though LinkedIn, and was really impressed with the results you and the firm were delivering. I believe I mentioned that if you ever wanted […]
Midwest Die, Corp. of Baroda, MI Acquired by Lateral Industries, LLC!
Calder Capital, LLC is proud to announce the sale of Midwest Die, Corp. of Baroda, MI to Lateral Industries, LLC. Lateral Industries, LLC, is owned by CEO Scott Dawson and his business partners. The business will continue to operate as Midwest Die, Corp. After almost 40 years in the business, cousins and partners Rodney and Richard Nitz felt that it was time to transition the ownership to someone who would continue to offer their clients the same quality of service, as well as care for the Company’s loyal employee base. President of Midwest Die Rodney Nitz stated, “We have been blessed with long term clients and a great employee base. Our long-term success is a result of ensuring that we provide a very high level of service to our clients. Our committed team members have been a very important part of making Midwest what it is today. After meeting several potential buyers and fielding multiple offers, we felt that Scott was the right person to take Midwest forward. His extensive background in manufacturing, vision for the future, and numerous industry connections will be tremendous assets to the company.” According to Scott Dawson, the opportunity to acquire Midwest exceeded the criteria […]
Market Remarks Q3 2021: Max Friar Interviews Transaction Attorney Andrew Longcore
In lieu of our usual collaborative Q3 report, our Managing Partner Max Friar sat down with colleague and longtime friend Andrew Longcore for a Q&A on what he’s been seeing in the Q3 business market. Andrew has unique experience as both a transaction attorney and M&A advisor facilitating deals. Max: How are owners/sellers feeling right now? What are the reasons behind these feelings? Andrew: The M&A market is extremely active right now. There seems to be an increase in burnout or looking for a change in life. The pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty and caused others to reevaluate their priorities. I do anticipate a tipping point coming. I do not know when but with the number of business owners that are experiencing burnout, that are nearing (or are past) retirement age, and the number of distressed businesses surviving on government subsidies, I expect to see the number of businesses available to be bought on the rise. Max: Are there any themes driving buyer interest/activity? For example, low interest rates, SBA incentives? Andrew: Each buyer is unique but for individual buyers, I believe there is a growing desire to take control of their professional life and not rely on […]
Industrial Fabrication Company Acquired by SE MI Welding & Fabrication Company
Calder Capital is pleased to announce a strategic investment in its client, an Industrial Fabrication Company in Tri-Cities, MI by a SE Michigan Welding & Fabrication Company. The acquisition is a strategic one for the SE Michigan Company. One of the partners of the acquired Fabrication Company will stay on and continue operating as the President of the Company. “I’m very excited to see what the future holds for our Company through this strategic partnership,” he commented. “We have all the infrastructure in place to grow, and we’re eager to hit the ground running.” Matt Uhl, Mergers and Acquisitions Advisor at Calder Capital, worked with the client as the lead M&A Advisor on the transaction. “Especially considering that we engaged with our client during the thick of COVID, the process went as smoothly as we would have asked for,” remarked Uhl. “Our client was in an ideal position; they didn’t take a major hit due to COVID, and there was no urgency for an owner to exit the business. The Companies are a good fit with what they can do as combined entities, and it was a pleasure to work with the owners involved.” Calder Capital, LLC, was the exclusive […]
Worldwide Diesel of Niles, MI Acquired by Individual Investor
Calder Capital is thrilled to announce that Worldwide Diesel of Niles, Michigan has been acquired by an individual investor. Worldwide Diesel was acquired by Rich Campbell, a Michigan native who has spent the past several years of his career in San Francisco, California. Campbell brings a vast array of experience including business development, data analytics, customer service, account management, and marketing. Founded by Greg Ferrier in 2007, Worldwide Diesel is a diesel engine and parts distributor. The Company sells overhauled, re-built, new, and used engines. Ferrier’s wife is a nurse, and as she was preparing for retirement in 2020, Ferrier wanted to retire at the same time so that they can travel and spend time together while they’re both in good health. Ferrier engaged with Calder Capital in 2021 to facilitate the sale. “I’m pleased to have found a successor with such business savvy,” commented Ferrier. “I appreciate the hard work that Garrett Monroe and the Calder team put into finding the right buyer, and I wish Rich the best of luck going forward.” “It’s not often that we see a business owner so effectively set their company up to operate through an ownership transition prior to engaging with us,” […]
Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating of Alpena, MI Acquired by Investor Group
Calder Capital is pleased to announce that its client, Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating, Inc., has been acquired. Established in 1959 by Walter and Theresa Weinkauf, Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating is a second-generation family plumbing and HVAC contractor located in Alpena, Michigan. Prior to the sale, the business was owned and operated by siblings Rob Weinkauf, Karen Lankheet, Alan Weinkauf, and Steve Weinkauf. The four co-owners of Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating were approaching retirement age and wanted to ensure a successful and careful transition for the business, its dedicated employees, and loyal customers. They engaged Calder Capital in 2020 in order to find its successor. Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating was acquired by a group of individual investors led by Alpena native, Luke Gerhart. Luke will assume a leadership role in the company and will use his decades of construction management experience to build and grow the company for its continued long-term success. “I am thrilled to continue what the Weinkauf family has built,” commented Luke Gerhart. “I look forward to taking the helm and leading Weinkauf through the next decade. Our group is committed to investing in the business, its employees, and the community of Alpena.” Matt Baas of Calder Capital […]
Calder Capital Buy-Side Client Update: September 2021
The leaves are beginning to change and the air is feeling crisp. At Calder, we are stocking the fridge with hard apple cider and as much pumpkin spice coffee as possible. Our Buy-Side team is hard at work fulfilling our current buy-side clients’ mandates. September set a new record for lead generation! How do we do this? It’s 90% elbow grease combined with 10% data science. We combine a personal touch, marketing automation, and data analytics to hone best practices with the tedious work that no one wants to do – lots of research, cold calls, and email outreach. Select Seller Leads Developed in September: Establishing Credibility as a Buyer Owners frequently receive inquiries from potential buyers that lead nowhere. In fact, 9 out of 10 buyers that investigate a business acquisition will never even close a deal! While this is a reality, over time potential sellers grow weary and skeptical of inquiries and become concerned about devoting time to buyer introductions as they fear it will just be a waste of time. This makes it even harder for a serious buyer to engage an owner about selling. How do you establish the credibility needed to […]
Calder Capital Buy-Side Client Update: August 2021
Can you believe August has already come and gone? It’s time to brief you in detail how Calder Capital’s Buy-Side team is fulfilling our current buy-side clients’ mandates. August was exceptional! How do we do this? It’s not rocket science. We combine a personal touch, automation, and data analytics with the tedious work that no one wants to do – lots of research, cold calls, and email outreach. Select Seller Leads Developed in August The Indication of Interest If you are an aggressive buyer you are likely speaking to more than one potential seller at a time. Given all the time, effort (emails and calls), and capital expended to unearth numerous prospects, how do you determine who to present a Letter of Intent (LOI) to? After all, an LOI is an offer with binding terms and at this stage it may be difficult to decide between numerous opportunities. A lesser known tool, often utilized by the Calder team, is the Indication of Interest (IOI). An IOI is generally two to three pages long and much like the LOI, an IOI allows a buyer to propose a purchase price, terms, deal structure, and transition expectations, simply without binding exclusivity […]