Bison Partners Logo - Providing consulting and business advisory services to lower middle market companies.
Bison Partners Logo - Providing consulting and business advisory services to lower middle market companies.
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Bison Partners Logo - Providing consulting and business advisory services to lower middle market companies.
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Bison Partners Logo - Providing consulting and business advisory services to lower middle market companies.

Recent News

>>May 2011— Bison Retained by a Leading Subprime Auto Specialty Finance Company for $10MM of Mezzanine Financing

>>May 2011— Bison Retained by a Leading Provider of Open Plan Furniture Systems for $3MM of Equity Growth Capital

>>April 2011— Bison Retained by an Advisor to a Broadband/Wireless Telecommunications CLEC Company for $5MM of Subordinated/Equity Growth Capital Financing

>>March 2011— Bison Retained by a Leading Subprime Truck Specialty Finance Company for a $20MM Senior Secured Note Financing

>>February 2011— Bison Retained by a Management Team for $6MM of Venture Capital Funding for a Health & Wellness Center Business

>>February 2011— Bison Retained by a Designer & Importer of Women’s Apparel for a $1MM Purchase Order Financing Facility

>>January 2011— Bison Retained by a Private Equity Sponsor for a $20MM Asset Based Senior Credit Facility to Refinance its Consumer Products Retailing Portfolio Company

>>January 2011— Bison Retained by an Advisor to a Management Team Acquiring & Developing a Supply Chain Finance Company for $80MM of Senior/Junior Capital Financing

>>January 2011— NextPoint LLC Joins Bison’s Business Consulting Services Group with Dean Rockwell & Dennis Donovan Serving as Senior Advisors

>>December 2010— Bison Engaged by a Private Equity Sponsor for a $4MM Senior Credit Facility for the Acquisition of a Health Services Practice

>>December 2010— Bison Retained by a Private Equity Sponsor for a $5MM Senior Asset Based Credit Facility to Refinance its Specialty Glass Manufacturing Portfolio Company

>>November 2010— Bison Engaged by an Advisor to Arrange $16MM of Equity Capital for the Acquisition of a Mortgage Banking Company by a Veteran Management Team

>>October 2010— Bison Engaged by a Private Equity Sponsor to Assist in Arranging $30MM of Equity Capital to Acquire a Community Bank & Mortgage Banking Company

>>September 2010— Bison Engaged by a Private Equity Sponsor to Assist in Arranging $3MM of Senior Bank & Mezzanine Financing to Acquire a Dining Services Company

>>September 2010— Bison Engaged by a Management Team to Arrange $1.5MM of Venture Capital Funding for a Microbrewery Business

>>August 2010— Bison Announces Don McGuire as the Newest Member of the Advisory Group

>>April 2010—Bison Retained by a Private Equity Sponsor for $10MM Growth Equity Investment for its Power Quality/Distribution Portfolio Company

>>April 2010—Bison Engaged by a Consumer Products Company for $2MM Purchase Order Financing

>>March 2010—Bison Retained by a Leading Regional Vending/Food Services Company for $40MM Senior Debt Financing

>>March 2010—Bison Retained by an Investment Banking Boutique for $4MM Senior Credit Facility for a Precision Investment Casting Company

>>February 2010—Bison Retained by a Private Equity Sponsor for $50MM Senior Debt, $20MM Mezzanine Debt & $25MM Equity Investment to Acquire a Data Center Services Company

>>February 2010—Bison Retained by a Private Equity Sponsor for $15MM Equity Investment to Acquire a Mortgage Origination/Servicing Company

>>February 2010—Bison Retained by a Private Equity Sponsor for $5MM Revolver Facility for its Power Quality/Distribution Portfolio Company

>>January 2010—Bison Engaged by a Financial Advisory Firm for $20MM Equity Investment for a Mortgage Company Acquisition

>>Click here for all news

Bison Partners Professional Team represents a wide range of backgrounds in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, commercial and investment banking, domestic and international corporate management, turnaround management and entrepreneurial startups. Our team has an average of more than 20 plus years experience across a broad range of functional roles and industry sectors.

Broad Based Experience on Both Sides of the Table
Business MeetingThe Bison Partners Team collectively has served in the roles of private equity and venture capital investment principal, borrower and lender, consultant, corporate financial, senior executive and entrepreneurial manager and investment banking advisor. Bison's team has been on both sides of the table and brings that dual perspective to bear on behalf of its clients. The team has direct experience in the middle market company segment, Bison's target client market.

Ward Urban
Partner

Senior financial manager and transactor with 25 years of public and private company experience in corporate finance and banking, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, treasury operations and general and financial management. Acted in the role of investor, corporate manager and banker in the fields of private equity and leveraged finance.
  • Senior Marketing Officer, Acorn Capital Group LLC (“special situation” asset based specialty finance company acting as an asset based lender to restructuring and transitional middle market companies)
  • CFO, All Financial Group LLC (specialty finance company in the insurance products market)
  • CFO-iMIC Division, Mitsubishi International Corporation (US private equity and venture capital investment group of the global Japanese trading and investment company)
  • Co-Founder, Red Diamond Capital Partners (New York-based $150 million buyout/growth equity fund affiliated with Mitsubishi International Corp)
  • SVP-Finance & Administration, EBMatch.com (early-stage Internet company in the B2B e-business services sector)
  • VP-Finance, MHC Investments LLC (private equity sponsored startup company in the recreational/sports sector)
  • Vice President & Treasurer and Corporate Development executive, American Banknote Corporation (NYSE-traded multinational holding company with operating subsidiaries in the plastic transaction/smart card manufacturing, specialized security printing and fulfillment services businesses)
  • Corporate and leveraged finance banking, Citibank and The Bank of New York
  • CMAA, Certified Mergers & Acquisition Advisor
  • Member- Turnaround Management Association - NY/CT Chapter
  • Member—Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors - National Chapter
  • Member—Association for Corporate Growth—CT Chapter
  • BA—Economics, Hamilton College
  • MBA—Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College

Bison Team Members

Financial Advisory Services

Peter Saulnier
Managing Director

Senior investment banking transactor, financial advisor and corporate financial manager with over 25 years experience with major Wall Street firms as well as serving as a CFO of a private equity owned regional telecommunications company. He also founded a corporate finance boutique, Harding Capital, focused on middle market M&A and capital raising advisory services. Served as an advisor on more than 70 transactions including public and private debt and equity financings, mergers, acquisitions and private sales and recapitalizations for a broad range of industrial manufacturing and business service companies. As a CFO, responsible for and assisted in the completion of three add on acquisitions, the introduction of new and enhanced service offerings, revenue growth and profit improvement initiatives and several debt and equity recapitalizations.
  • Managing Director- Global China Holdings LLC (international private equity & corporate finance advisory firm specialized in US/China investment and trade transactions)
  • SVP & CFO – Country Road Communications LLC (private equity owned independent telephone company (ILEC) operating in four states)
  • Director, Head of Packaging Industry Group – SG Cowen Securities Corp. (international clients in the paper, forest products and packaging industries)
  • Associate Director, Natural Resource Group – Bear Stearns & Company (clients in the packaging, energy, waste management and specialty chemicals industries)
  • Director, Industrial Coverage Group – Smith Barney Inc. (clients in the paper, forest products, packaging, auto parts, consumer products and imaging industries)
  • Associate, Merger & Acquisition Group – PaineWebber Inc. (clients in the aerospace and defense industries)
  • Analyst, Corporate Finance – Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. (clients in the health care, business services and general manufacturing industries)
  • BA- Political Economy, Williams College
  • MBA- Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College (Edward Tuck Scholar)

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Doug DeStaebler
Managing Director

Senior portfolio manager, research director and investor with over 17 years experience in the public and private markets. Expertise in the power and energy sectors as well as general industrials with a focus on equities, fixed income securities, commodities and debt and private equity placements. Investor in the middle market private equity markets.
  • Founder & Managing Member – Courtfield Capital LLC (private investment firm)
  • Managing Director & Global Research Director – Duquesne Capital Management (multi-strategy hedge fund)
  • Managing Director & Senior Analyst – Zimmer Lucas Partners (hedge fund focused on power and utility sectors)
  • Analyst, Equity Research – Morgan Stanley Inc.
  • Analyst – Value Line Inc.
  • Former Member Wall Street Advisory Group – Edison Electric Institute
  • BA – Economics, Bucknell University
  • MBA – Lehigh University (Martindale Scholar)

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David Olson
Managing Director

Senior general management, investment, investment banking and private equity professional with over 20 years of experience across debt and equity markets and industry sectors from small middle market to investment grade companies. Co-founded and co-managed a private investment bank focused on raising equity and mezzanine capital and providing financial advisory services as well as private placement of asset-backed securities for larger issuers.
  • Consultant, Lean Value Solutions International LLC (middle market lean manufacturing/operations consultancy)
  • Chief Operating Officer, AllFinancial Group LLC (specialty finance company in the insurance products market)
  • Principal, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Ironwood Capital, Ltd. (private investment bank focused on the middle market) and affiliated with Ironbridge Mezzanine Fund (SBIC licensed mezzanine fund)
  • Portfolio Manager, Smith, Whiley & Co. (middle market mezzanine fund)
  • Investment Analyst, Aetna Insurance Bond Investor Department
  • National Account Manager, Brulin & Co. (nationwide manufacturer of industrial cleaning and process chemicals)
  • Registered Securities Representative (Series 7 & 63)
  • Advisor—mortgage brokerage, market research and corporate gift companies
  • BA—Criminology, University of California at Berkley
  • MBA—Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College

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Business Consulting Services

Bruce Freeman
Senior Advisor

Senior management executive with over 20 years experience managing P&Ls and building businesses and management teams, upgrading products and processes and improving profit margins at Fortune 100 (GE) and middle market private equity owned portfolio companies. Broad experience in strategic and business improvement initiatives, customer relationship and revenue development and corporate acquisitions and post-closing business integration. Managed businesses in the manufacturing and marketing of capital goods, electrical devices/equipment and high-volume durable products serving the utility, transportation and consumer markets.

  • Consulting Operating Partner, Thompson Street Capital Partners (middle market focused private equity fund)
  • President & COO – Truck Accessories Group ($160MM revenue private equity owned manufacturer of pickup truck bed caps/camper shells and tonneau covers with 1,200 employees and six manufacturing plants)
  • SVP, Operations – NorthWestern Growth Corporation ($6 billion publicly-held utility in propane, telephone, HVAC and plumbing services markets)
  • President – AEC Sterling Corporation ($140MM revenue private equity owned manufacturer of industrial process equipment used in the plastics/extrusion markets with 1,000 employees and seven manufacturing plants in the US and one plant in Italy)
  • General Manager – GE Meter Business ($160MM revenue international manufacturer of electrical meters with 1,400 employees and four manufacturing plants in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Philippines and JV and licensees in Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan & Pakistan)
  • SVP,Fleet Operations - GE Railcar Services Corp. ($700MM revenue GECC division that managed and leased 140,000 railcars to railroads and private shipping companies with 50 employees and 900 repair shops)
  • President – GE Railcar Repair Services & Wheel Services Corp. ($130MM revenue division providing railcar maintenance/rebuilding and wheel remanufacturing services with 900 employees and sixteen repair/remanufacturing facilities)
  • President – Crown Coach Inc , a GECC subsidiary ( $35MM revenue manufacturer of buses and specialty chassis for the school, municipal and state bus, RV and specialty coach markets with 300 employees)
  • Manager, Manufacturing & Engineering - Midwest Electric Products, a GE subsidiary ($30MM revenue manufacturer of specialty outdoor electrical equipment for the marine, RV, industrial panel/control and residential air conditioning markets with 220 employees)
  • Manager, Sales/Project/Manufacturing Engineer & Supervisor – GE Distribution Transformer and GE Apparatus Service divisions
  • GE Manufacturing Management Program (MMP)
  • GE Executive Development Courses – Management Development, Business Management, Executive Development
  • CPIM (American Production & Inventory Control Society Certification)
  • BSME- Mechanical Engineering & BS- Industrial Economics, Union College
  • MBA- Louisiana Tech University

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Tom DeForge – Lean Value Solutions International LLC

Senior Advisor

Senior management executive, lean manufacturing consultant and Founding Principal of Lean Value Solutions International LLC ("LVSI") known for leading operational improvements and turnarounds at companies such as Pratt & Whitney, Otis Elevator, Witco Chemical, Dresser Rand, Caterpillar, JDS Uniphase, Sikorski Helicopter, Carrier Corp, Siemens Westinghouse, Emerson Appliances, Exide and Praxair. Mr. DeForge has served in management positions with United Technologies and Pratt & Whitney where he was a graduate machinist apprentice, front line supervisor and a Manager in the Pratt & Whitney kaizen promotion office responsible for implementing lean manufacturing in both the supplier base and internal business units. Mr. DeForge has studied lean principles in the US and Japan with the originators of the Toyota Production System and has facilitated numerous improvement workshops in the US, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central America.

Mr. DeForge has an extensive background in helping organizations develop and implement lean manufacturing strategies within a variety of production settings using the structured approach and analysis tools taught by the Shingijutsu consulting group, the first tier associates of Taiichi Ohno. Mr. DeForge has extensive experience in designing custom training materials, assisting organizations in implementing internal functional "offices of continuous improvement", executive level coaching and shop level operational assistance. He also has extensive hands on experience implementing Kaizen on the shop floor throughout various services and manufacturing industries in over 65 companies worldwide. Mr. DeForge has longstanding client relationships with both publicly- traded and privately-held corporations including companies owned/controlled by leading private equity sponsors.

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Dean Rockwell & Dennis Donovan – NextPoint LLC
Senior Advisors

Senior financial and management executives and consultants focused on providing financial restructuring, capital raising and M&A advisory services for privately-held middle market companies in the manufacturing, distribution and business service sectors. Messrs. Rockwell and Donovan are founding principals of NextPoint LLC ("NextPoint"), a Western New York-based financial advisory and business consultancy serving middle market companies principally in the New England and Middle Atlantic regions. NextPoint’s professional team has broad experience in general management and operations, sales and marketing, M&A and capital raising. NextPoint’s services include: crisis and turnaround management, financial restructuring, post-acquisition integration and preparation for divestiture, operational improvement, strategy development, capital raising and management of corporate growth. NextPoint can also provide interim/transitional management support serving in the role of CEO, COO, CFO, Controller, Plant Manager and/or Sales Manager. The firm can provide outsourced M&A services for companies considering acquisitions, mergers or corporate partnerships/joint ventures.

Mr. Rockwell is one of the founding partners of NextPoint and heads its Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Mr. Rockwell has over 25 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions having completed over 200 transactions involving both public and private companies in domestic and international markets. He has specialized in selling smaller lower middle market companies to larger corporate buyers. Mr. Donovan is one of the founding partners of NextPoint and heads its Financial Restructuring Practice. Mr. Donovan has over 25 years of experience in M&A financing and restructuring transactions and is a CPA having founded a public accounting firm, Donovan & D’Alba. He has expertise in financial accounting, corporate valuation and capital raising.

Arthur Williams – Entrepreneurial Resources Group LLC
Senior Advisor

Senior management executive with over 30 years experience acting in the role of Chief Operating Officer, General Manager, EVP-International, VP-Sales and Board member for public and private companies in the $30MM to $750MM revenue range. Managed manufacturing operations in the US with international JV alliances, responsible for corporate and business development strategy, analyzed pricing strategy and product line/customer profitability and developed product marketing programs. Experience in the high performance material/advanced composite, microwave communication/radar systems, capital equipment distribution, plastics, packaging, ceramics and metals industrial markets in North and South America, Japan, India, Hong Kong and Europe.

Mr. Willams currently serves as the CEO of Entrepreneurial Resources Group (ERG), a 16-member management and business consulting firm focused on domestic and international public and privately-held companies seeking CEO, COO, CFO and sales/marketing resources and support. ERG provides operational performance improvement, M&A integration, strategic planning, transitional/turnaround and interim management, sales/marketing/pricing analysis, working capital/cash flow management and financial advisory services.

  • Senior Executive positions at HK Porter Corp., Carborundum Corp., AB Electrolux, Keene Corp., Arlon Corp. and Kevlin Corp.
  • BSME- Penn State University
  • Advanced Study – University of Pittsburgh
  • National Association of Corporate Directors Program
  • Stryker Management Center Management Program
  • Western Michigan University – International Marketing Program
Bison Partners 49 Purchase Street, Suite 206, Rye, NY 10580 Phone: 914-925-3920 E-Mail: info@bisonpartners.net
E-Mail: info@bisonpartners.net