Buying or selling a business is an unusual situation for most people, and it’s usually a complicated process. One of the most challenging aspects is timing it right.
The 2019 BizTimes M&A Forum will provide strategies and insights for those who are seeking to maximize their outcome in a deal.
The M&A Forum will be held on Wednesday, April 3, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at The Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee. The theme is, “Selling or Buying a Business? Don’t Miss Your Moment!”
Cynthia LaConte, chief executive officer of Milwaukee-based The Dohmen Co., will give the keynote address on her lessons learned from buying and selling several divisions of the company over the years. Most recently, Dohmen sold its Life Science Services business; launched a new subsidiary, Dohmen Constellations; and transitioned to being a family-owned benefit corporation owned by a private foundation.
Following LaConte’s address, there will be two panel discussions: “Buy Side Preparation: How to Seize the Moment” and “Sell Side Readiness: How to Prepare for Your Moment.”
The Buy Side Preparation discussion will cover opportunities and risks associated with buying a business; implications of mistiming the market; and managing the before-and-after of a purchase. Panelists will include: Brian Baker, president and CEO of Sentry Equipment Corp.; Sequoya Borgman, managing director of Borgman Capital LLC; Jim Frings, president of G3 Industries Inc.; and Derek Smith, commercial bank executive and senior vice president at Old National Bank. BizTimes managing editor Molly Dill, who covers financial services news for BizTimes, will moderate the discussion.
The “Sell Side Readiness” panel will focus on personal readiness versus market readiness; driving value through business readiness; and considerations after the sale. Panelists will include: Rick Blaha, president of Pak-Rite Ltd.; Dr. Aly Gamay, president and CEO of DreamPak; Steve Peterson, managing director and co-founder of Bel Air Growth Partners; and Nate Neuberger, shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C. Ann Hanna, managing director and owner of Taureau Group, will lead the discussion.
Following the panels, attendees will have the opportunity to attend one of three concurrent breakout sessions: “Maximizing Company Value – Beyond EBITDA,” led by Hanna and Corey Vanderpoel, managing director and owner of Taureau Group; “An Honest Discussion about Financing the Deal,” led by Brian Baker, Derek Smith and David Bartelme, managing director at Borgman Capital; or “Avoiding Deal Killers…There’s Always Something,” led by Carl Kugler, shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.
For more information or to register for the event, visit biztimes.com/maforum.
