Last year, mergers and acquisitions reached record levels in the U.S., and KPMG’s 2016 M&A Forecast “expect(s) the market to remain extremely active in 2016.” It’s a great time to sell, but a sale isn’t the best option for all privately-held companies.
Join BizTimes on April 24 for our annual M&A Forum, this year titled “Hold ’em or fold ’em: Understand when to grow your company – and when to sell it.” Geared primarily toward presidents, chief executive officers, owners and potential buyers and sellers, the morning’s events will focus on key growth strategies, sale considerations, the psychology of change and other issues surrounding the decision to either grow or sell a company.
The program begins with breakfast and a keynote presentation by Frank Unick, chief financial officer of Pleasant Prairie-based Uline Inc. Unick will discuss the challenges Uline has faced in managing the company’s rapid sales growth, including guarding the company culture, hiring and developing talented employees, the cash pressures on high-growth companies and succession planning.
Following the keynote are two panel discussions. The first, “The psychology of growing your business or deciding to sell,” explores the soft factors that influence this pivotal decision with a panel of owners who have made both choices. Moderated by Ann Hanna, managing director of Schenck M&A Solutions, the panel includes: Steve Ziegler, CEO of Inpro; Paul Stewart, partner at PS Capital Partners; Thomas Myers, shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.; and Jim Feeney, former owner of Wisconsin Film & Bag.
The second discussion, “Who is your ideal buyer?” looks at the advantages and disadvantages of selling to different types of acquirers – from family, employees and private equity firms to financial or strategic partners. Moderated by Greg Larson, senior vice president and director of commercial banking at Bank Mutual Corp., the panel includes: Lisa Reardon, CEO and chairman of Owner’s Edge Inc.; Dave Strand, president and CEO of Wisconsin Oven Corp.; and Mark Grosskopf, president, CEO and owner of New Resources Consulting.
Following the panels are three concurrent breakout sessions covering growth strategies in a slow-growth environment, how competitors and customers affect a company’s value, how private equity views companies beyond EBITDA, exporting and more.
BizTimes Media’s 2016 M&A Forum will be held Thursday, April 21, from 7 a.m to 10:30 a.m. at the Milwaukee Marriott Downtown, 323 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee.
Registration information is available at www.biztimes.com/maforum.
