Contact Information: Contact: Chris Zuzick 888-436-1835 www.spirecapitaladvisors.com
Service Is Driver of New M&A, Investment Banking Firm
| Source: Spire Capital Advisors
MILWAUKEE, WI--(Marketwire - March 13, 2008) - Spire Capital Advisors LLC has been formed to
offer investment capital and mergers and acquisition services to Wisconsin
companies with $2 million to $20 million in annual revenue -- a market the
founder says has been underserved in the state.
"Owners of companies in this lower middle market traditionally have not
been well served," said Christopher Zuzick, managing partner of the new
firm. "When seeking assistance with a transaction, business owners
typically had the choice of working with a high-end M&A investment bank or
a business broker utilizing Internet listing services. At Spire Capital
Advisors, we believe business owners deserve better."
The new firm, which already has deals being transacted, focuses companies
with growth potential. On the M&A side, it's the owner who wants to retire
or leave the business for another reason, but knows the company could grow.
On the equity capital side, it's the owner who realizes an infusion of
investment capital and expertise is needed to more immediately capitalize
on growth opportunities.
Wisconsin has a lot of companies that fall into those categories,
especially companies owned by baby boomers who are now retiring or who will
retire in the coming years, according to Zuzick.
"We want to help those owners find the right buyers, or find investment
capital to help them more quickly capitalize on their markets," he said.
Zuzick started Spire Capital Advisors with three other people, Todd
Manderfield, who is serving as vice president of the company, and Greg
Larson and Terry Sivesind, who each are shareholder/partners.
Zuzick and Manderfield are working out of the firm's Milwaukee headquarters
in the private business office section of the War Memorial Center at 750 N.
Lincoln Memorial Dr., while Larson and Sivesind are in Madison. Spire
Capital Advisors also expects to soon have a partner in Wausau to serve
central and northern Wisconsin.
Extensive Experience
Both Zuzick and Manderfield have extensive experience in the field of
professional services and manufacturing. And like Larson and Sivesind, each
has business operating experience to support their equity investment and
mergers and acquisitions knowledge.
Zuzick began his career in 1987 with Phoenix Products Company, Inc. in the
manufacturing industry, holding senior management roles before
transitioning to the M&A field. He is a Certified Merger & Acquisition
Advisor (CM&AA) with the Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors and
holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University.
Manderfield established a background in sales and marketing in the
manufacturing and construction industries before moving into M&A advisory
services. He is a member of the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the Turnaround
Management Association (TMA). He also serves as a member of the Muskego
Economic Development Committee.
Larson is the managing partner of Cedar Tree, a Madison-based investment
firm, and is a director of The Wisconsin Cheeseman and of Anchor Bank SSB,
both of Madison, and of Myron Manufacturing Co. of Maywood, N.J. He
previously served as president and CEO of a Madison company, DEMCO, and
held director positions at other Wisconsin companies.
Sivesind co-founded and has been a member of the senior management team for
several biotechnology companies in Madison including Promega, PanVera and
Mirus. His career began at Ohio Medical Products, which eventually became
Datex-Ohmeda, and is now part of GE Healthcare.
Online Collaboration
Zuzick also announced that Spire Capital Advisors has engaged a web-based
service that will give clients and partners of the firm a secure online
deal room for due diligence and other document sharing.
"This will be a virtual library of information about transactions and
support materials," Zuzick said. "Anyone involved in a deal will be able to
access the deal room, where financials, company brochures and images and
videos of a business will reside in a very secure environment."
Spire Capital Advisors has contracted with Minneapolis-based Certus EDM,
which offers deal rooms and other investment banking and M&A support via
the software-as-a-service model.