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State of M&A Conference 2024
LOCATION:
Oneida Hotel & Conference Center;
2040 Airport Dr, Green Bay, WI 54313
DESCRIPTION:
State of M&A is northeast Wisconsin’s premier annual conference on mergers & acquisitions
The State of M&A conference is a unique experience giving an insider’s perspective on the mergers & acquisitions marketplace and multiple breakout sessions providing value enhancement opportunities for business owners.
Created to help business owners in Wisconsin better understand and enhance their company’s value, successfully grow through acquisition, and strategically prepare for their eventual exit.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Business owners, C-Suite executives, Accountants, Attorneys, Lenders, Financial advisors, Business consultants/advisor
COST:
$75
APRIL 25th, 2024
9AM – 5PM
AGENDA:
8:00-9:00 Registration / Networking
9:00-9:30 Welcome / State of M&A
9:30-10:15 Keynote | Growth Through Acquisition
10:30-11:20 Breakout Session
11:30-1:00 Lunch / Keynote | Economic Outlook
1:00-1:50 Breakout Session
2:00-2:50 Breakout Session
3:00-4:00 Lower Middle Market Shark Tank
4:00-5:00 Cocktail Reception / Networking
PRESENTATIONS
Terry Fulwiler
Growth Through Acquisition
Terry Fulwiler is the Past-Owner of WS Packaging Group, sharing the remarkable story of how their family-owned company strategically expanded its operations and market reach through a focused strategy of constant acquisitions. This growth strategy, underpinned by a strong vision and an unwavering commitment to growth, ultimately led the business to successful recapitalization and sale to private equity, showcasing the power of acquisitions as a lever for business expansion and success.
Venkatesh Balasubramanian
2024 Economic Outlook
Venkatesh (Venky), Managing Director with Goldman Sachs, is a senior member of the Investment Strategy Group (ISG), focused on identifying tactical investment opportunities in US equity and credit markets. He also advises high net worth and institutional clients on tactical asset allocation. Venky’s keynote will address the current economic climate and provide valuable insights into the economic outlook for 2024 and beyond.
Jayne McQuillan, CPA, MBA, CEPA
Unlocking Business Value – Strategies for Profitability, Wealth Creation, and Successful Exits
Discover the roadmap to unlocking the full potential of your business with Jayne McQuillan, author of “The Value Journey – How to drive Profits, Build Wealth, and Exit Your Business on Your Own Terms.” In this dynamic session, we’ll delve into the essential strategies for driving profitability, creating sustainable wealth, and orchestrating a successful exit strategy tailored to your unique business aspirations. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a budding startup founder, or advisor working with business owners, this session promises invaluable insights to propel your business towards unparalleled success.
Key Objectives/Takeaways:
- Understand the key drivers of business value.
- Explore the Value Journey Process and proven techniques for maximizing profitability and enhancing the overall value of your business.
- Learn how to navigate the complexities of exit planning and execute a seamless transition while preserving your legacy and financial security.
Brady Paschke, CPA, CMA
Brady is a Transaction Advisory Services Manager in CLA’s Deal Services group. Brady provides services to private equity, privately held clients primarily in the manufacturing, business services, healthcare, and technology industries, which includes companies with domestic and global operations.
Travis Tilque, CPA
Travis is a Transaction Advisory Services Director in CLA’s Deal Services group. Travis provides services to private equity and privately held clients primarily in the construction and professional services industries. Travis also has a background in assurance work, which he practiced for the first seven years of his career with CLA.
John Wahl
Jay Steiner
SBA Rule Changes and Financing Updates
Live Oak Bank presenters John Wahl and Jay Steiner will guide a discussion covering various SBA rule changes and financing updates, including increased SBA capacity and seller equity retention, to help provide competitive and creative financing solutions for business acquisition transactions. They will also demonstrate how structured seller financing can help close the gap between buyer and seller expectations and close deals.
Live Oak is the #1 SBA lender in the nation*, with expertise in change-of-ownership financing. Their SBA and conventional combination financing expand traditional SBA lender capacity from $5MM to $10MM. Join this discussion to learn how your clients can benefit from combination financing and the recent SBA rule changes.
* The data supplied by the SBA reflects 7(a) highest dollar volume FY 2023.
- Senior debt financing up to $10M with SBA / Conventional hybrid structure
- Latest updates on SBA SOP
- Financing solutions with structured seller financing
Brian Van de Water
Increase Valuation with the Waste Walk Concept
It is a process to see inefficiencies or waste in processes. Executives are always surprised by how much they find/learn about their business by doing this. These can be the catalyst for focused improvement opportunities to increase valuation.
What you’ll learn in this session:
• The 8 Wastes
• Objectives of a waste walk
• How and where to successfully conduct a waste walk
• Who should participate and how often
• How to use this tool to increase Valuation
• Do’s and Don’ts
• What results can be anticipated
Scott Bushkie, CBI, CM&AP, M&AMI
THE KEY TO FINISH STRONG
Finish Strong and exit your business on your own terms. Most business owners build one business in their lifetime. It is truly their life’s work. They get one chance to exit successfully and move on to the best next chapter of their life, one with the gift of both time and money.
However, national studies show that only 20-30% of business owners successfully sell, and most owners do little or no planning to prepare their company for their exit.
For most owners, this will be the largest financial transaction of their life. Defy the odds and exit on your own terms so you can truly enjoy your best next chapter.
Learning Objectives:
- What key value drivers buyers care about most
- When you should start planning for your exit to make for a successful transition
- Why timing is so critically important
- What options are available to exit your business
- How to determine whether your exit can fund your best next chapter
- What common mistakes might completely derail a successful exit
Terry Gerbers
Maximize & Protect Your Sales Price by Managing Working Capital and Limiting Indemnity
There are many actions sellers can take to garner a more favorable sales price. One action that is often overlooked until it is too late is effective working capital management. As a result, sellers needlessly leave money on table.
In this session, you will:
- Have a better understanding of what working capital consists of;
- Learn what a buyer expects in working capital; and
- Manage working capital in a manner to increase sales price.
Indemnification provisions form the basis for post-closing claims against the seller. Effective negotiations and drafting techniques reduce the risk that the seller will be exposed to such post-closing claims. In this session, you will:
Understand the distinction between fundamental representations and warranties and those that are an allocation of risk; and
Learn how to negotiate and limit your risk through:
- Adding Knowledge Qualifiers;
- “No Other Representation” and “Buyer Investigation” clauses;
- Limiting the Term of indemnity; and
- Establishing Caps & Baskets
Kimberly Kane
Kimberly Kane is the president and CEO of Kane Communications Group. She is an award-winning journalist and public relations practitioner. Her firm works with executives to align communications with business strategy, defining brands, building reputations and inspiring business results.
Kimberly grew up in Los Angeles where her father operated a gang prevention and juvenile diversion program. She and her twin sister spent years working with their dad in the city’s most dangerous housing projects. This experience inspired Kimberly to pursue a career in journalism where she saw an opportunity to do more than report on difficult news, but to share stories of hope and to empower viewers with well-researched, objective information.
During her 15 years in television news, Kimberly won multiple awards, including an Emmy nomination. She was instrumental in the creation of a highly recognized health segment for WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee. In 2006, Kimberly entered the business community, working in business development, communications and government affairs before starting her own company.
Today, Kimberly is not only involved with her firm and their clients, but is active on numerous boards, advisory boards and committees; regularly emcees events; and is a public speaker – on topics that include crisis management, strategic communications and leadership. She has a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Urban Politics from the University of Southern California and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Strategic PR and Political Management from George Washington University.
Bill Bradley
Aaron Faulkner
Art of the Deal: Deal Structuring for Success
This session will be focused on understanding how to finance the acquisition of a business and the various components that lenders look at to review the request. We will explore several of the major factors that prevent deals from happening and provide insight on how to best position a deal for success. Each deal, lender and buyer are unique and understanding what areas can be crafted for the best results is an important factor to bring a transaction to the finish line. Our goal is to provide insight into these various areas to help streamline the process.
Chris Lerario, MBA, CVA
Aaron Boettcher, CPA
Structuring the Transaction: Impact on Value & Taxes
Chris Lerario and Aaron Boettcher will present on structuring M&A transactions, the subsequent tax considerations and the biggest factors that affect the net proceeds to a seller. The session covers important concepts for both buyers and sellers. Topics discussed will include identifying and understanding the options for structuring a transaction, how deal terms related to financing the transaction impact tax treatment, and how the existing corporate structure impacts seller net proceeds.
Key Takeaways:
- Impact of deal structure
- Impact of financing terms
- Impact of the seller’s existing corporate structure
Craig Aderhold
Craig Aderhold is the Market President for Wisconsin Bank and Trust in the NE Wisconsin/Lakeshore Region. Craig has been with the bank for over 21 years in the Green Bay market in various senior level positions.
Chris Briski
Chris Briski is a Vice President of Commercial Banking in the Green Bay market. Chris started with Wisconsin Bank and Trust in 2023 and has over 10 years of financial service experience with a strong background in commercial banking.
Chris Kennedy
Chris Kennedy is a Vice President of Commercial Banking in the Sheboygan market. Chris has been with the bank for over 23 years and is seen as a highly respected commercial banker in the Sheboygan market.
Kelly Carter
Kelly Carter is the CEO of BRPG and has more than 30 years experience as a financial retirement advisor with emphasis on estate and tax planning, life insurance, annuity programs, and retirement strategies.
Kelly has worked directly with pre-retirees and retirees, business owners, and professionals, providing them with alternative, safe solutions for their retirement needs.
Prior to BRPG, he was responsible for the formation of an estate planning team that focused on wealth transfers and tax saving strategies for high net worth clients. This team, comprised of lawyers, CPAs, tax, insurance and investment specialists, provided the necessary strategies for ensuring the protection and efficiencies of each client’s “wealth transfer” plan. Over the next several years, Kelly expanded this approach to offices in the Chicago and New York regions as he grew this segment of the business, nation-wide.
Mr. Carter has headed up the forum for hundreds of wealth preservation seminars and has spoken to thousands of retirees. The result has been the development of an extensive network of clients throughout Southern California with individualized and customized retirement plans that provide peace of mind wealth preservation solutions.
Very early in his career, Kelly was recruited to serve as an independent Registered Representative, appointed through Bear Stearns and First Allied Securities, Inc. He received his formal education at Central Missouri State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. and B.A. degree in Finance and Management.
Bryan Jorgensen
Partner
I’m a technology leader with a breadth of experience across varied technology areas and within large and small organizations. My passion lies in building great teams through coaching and mentoring. I strongly believe that to be kind we must all be as clear as possible. It brings me great joy to connect with great people and form new relationships between others. I am a motorsports enthusiast that enjoys summer’s motorcycling. I am excited to help businesses on their growth journey.
Jace Scheffler
Product Manager, Project Lead, Team Lead
I’m a technology leader and product manager with a passion for building products and teams. I love helping take someone’s vision and make it a reality whether through technology or change management. As a leader at Tanduo I’ve helped build partnerships, land new sales, and lead several projects. I’m also committed to mentoring, leading and growing amazing people. My proudest moments are seeing the people I’ve helped grow deliver amazing and exciting outcomes for not only clients but their own growth.
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS
