Milwaukee-based Schenck M&A Solutions will be spun off from Appleton-based Schenck SC to form a new company, Taureau Group LLC, on Sept. 13.
The independent corporation will be owned by Schenck SC and managing directors Ann Hanna and Corey Vanderpoel, who will continue in the same roles at Taureau Group. The firm will have more independence to operate as a boutique investment bank and work with Schenck clients unrestricted, like any other investment bank would.
Taureau Group will continue to provide merger and acquisition services to privately-held, middle-market companies, on both the buy-side and sell-side. The new company has established a board of directors that includes Hanna, Vanderpoel, two shareholders at Schenck and Steve Ziegler, chief executive officer of Muskego-based Inpro Corp.
Schenck has seven employees, all of whom will be retained at Taureau Group. The company will remain in its offices at 11414 W. Park Place, and sublease them from Schenck SC moving forward.
“The other change would be that there is a path to ownership for all of our (employees) now…that they didn’t have before,” Hanna said.
Taureau plans to continue to use Schenck SC’s tax planning, transaction and strategy support resources.
“Taureau Group was formed as a full-service boutique investment banking practice, able to leverage the strength, discipline and resources of Schenck SC, a major consulting and CPA firm, to provide clients a broader service offering and tax expertise,” Hanna said.
One new employee has been added at Taureau Group, and the company plans to add another employee in the Fox Valley. It currently has offices in Milwaukee and Green Bay, and may add more as Schenck S.C. makes acquisitions that involve investment banking practices.
“Our investment banking professionals are driven by a sincere desire to see our clients succeed,” Vanderpoel said. “The new entity provides opportunities to better service our markets and clients, and we expect the transition to be seamless.”
Among the services Taureau provides are: business sales, acquisition advisory services, strategy assessment, management buyouts, family transitions, business valuations, due diligence and recapitalizations. The group has completed 24 transactions totaling $500 million in aggregate transaction value since 2015.
“Under the leadership of Ann Hanna and Corey Vanderpoel, our M&A practice has excelled to help owners connect with the best aligned buyers or sellers of businesses and oversee the execution of entire complex transactions,” said Greg Barber, president and CEO of Schenck. “We look forward to continuing to support Ann, Corey and their team as they continue to build this very special practice under Taureau Group.”
