Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Cress Funeral and Cremation Service has been providing compassionate funeral care services to families of central and southern Wisconsin since 1977. After the Cress family purchased its first Madison location over 40 years ago, CFS continued expanding via multiple acquisitions and became one of the largest and most successful multi-location operators within the upper Midwest.

When the Cress family began to contemplate its ownership liquidity and transition goals, the Company’s law firm recommended an introduction to Promontory Point Capital. PPC’s engagement began with gaining a thorough understanding of the shareholders’ objectives, before designing a plan of action to achieve these stated goals. Given the Company’s strategic advantages in its various markets, PPC confidentially held discussions with a targeted list of respected industry players that valued CFS’s brand and reputation. After soliciting interest and interviewing a subset of the interested parties, PPC helped negotiate multiple competing offers before agreeing to a Letter of Intent with Park Lawn Corporation, a publicly-traded funeral home and cemetery operator with locations across North America. In addition to marketing CFS to a targeted group of strategic parties, PPC’s engagement involved leading the negotiation of deal terms, managing all due diligence activities via PPC’s data room, assisting in legal documentation review and schedule preparation, and finalizing the closing process.

Beyond economic considerations, the CFS ownership group valued completing a transaction with a like-minded industry leader that would continue the Cress Family’s commitment to serving the families of central Wisconsin. In addition, Park Lawn’s continued expansion plans will provide future growth opportunities for CFS’s leadership team and their valued employees. PPC closed this transaction during the second quarter of 2019. Read the press release.

For nearly 50 years, HM Graphics Inc. has provided a spectrum of award-winning print management services to top-tier customers out of its single-source location in suburban Milwaukee. From initial creative services to final materials fulfillment, HM Graphics’ formula has been simple: combine technologically advanced systems with exceptional project services management.

Through an introduction from a Midwest-based private equity group to a HM Graphics Board Member, the HM Graphics team approached Promontory Point Capital to assist in evaluating several financial and strategic objectives of importance to the family-ownership group. A targeted process led by PPC concluded that the ideal strategic partner for HM would be The John Roberts Company, a family-owned leader in specialty print services based in Minneapolis. The John Roberts Company offers commercial printing and packaging, as well as a range of cross media marketing services that includes sheetfed and web offset printing, digital printing, logistics, and campaign analytics. These products and services were the perfect complement to HM Graphics. In addition to advising HM’s ownership group and leadership team, PPC’s engagement encompassed negotiating the Letter of Intent, administering all aspects of the PPC-hosted online data room, managing all due diligence activities, assisting in vendor & management discussions, providing input to the the final legal documentation and negotiations, and finalizing the closing funds flow.

With the ability to leverage the scale and capabilities provided by the combination of John Roberts and HM Graphics products and services,  all HM Graphics and John Roberts clients will benefit from a broader spectrum of solutions. HM Graphics’ employees and customers will now benefit from a stronger, more diverse business with significant cross-selling opportunities now offered by the combined operations. PPC closed this transaction during the first quarter of 2019. Read the press release.

All Safe Global, Inc. (“ASG”) is a Minneapolis, MN-based servicer and master distributor of equipment and accessories for compressed gas delivery, beverage production, and fire suppression, among other customer segments. The Company maintains an unmatched inventory of cylinders, valves, kegs, life safety equipment, and other industrial hard goods for ready delivery. With a mission to be the premier provider of value-driven, high-quality gas and liquid delivery solutions, All Safe excels at global sourcing, national fulfillment, and regional servicing all supported by extraordinary customer service.

As the Company began to experience accelerated revenue growth, ASG’s ownership group desired to attract a partner to support present and future expansion plans. Beyond ASG’s core objective of securing a partner to support future growth, the Company also desired a funding partner to address ASG’s existing subordinated debt holders who were reaching the end of their investment term. Promontory Point Capital was introduced to the owners of All Safe and was engaged by the Company to serve as its financial advisor. PPC’s engagement involved negotiations with the various ASG stakeholders to design and execute a recapitalization plan.

PPC’s engagement served as a catalyst for All Safe Global’s next phase of growth. Through a recapitalization transaction arranged by Promontory Point Capital, the business of ASG is now supported by two growth-minded institutional investment firms, along with a new senior lender with the capacity to address expanding funding needs. PPC successfully completed this engagement for All Safe Global during September of 2018.

Zander Solutions is a leading provider of waterproofing, concrete restoration & repair, and foundation improvement services to commercial, institutional, government, and residential markets throughout the upper Midwest.  For more than 40 years, this Madison, Wisconsin-based Company has served an expanding array of commercial building owners, developers, and general contractors with a growing set of services designed to protect a building’s envelope.  In addition, Zander also provides specialty services to residential customers including basement waterproofing, egress systems, as well as radon testing & mitigation.

With sustained growth on the horizon, the owners of Zander Solutions desired to secure a partner to address several strategic and financial goals to ensure the Company’s continued success.  Promontory Point Capital was introduced to the owners of Zander Solutions by their accounting firm and subsequently, PPC was engaged by the Company to serve as its financial advisor. PPC’s engagement involved helping the business owners prioritize their objectives, followed by marketing the business to a variety of financial and strategic parties interested in supporting the Company’s growth plans and ownership’s goals.
As a result of PPC’s engagement, Zander Solutions completed a recapitalization and is now supported by a new banking partner, along with the backing of an experienced group of institutional investors. The Company is well-positioned to leverage its existing strong brand in the marketplace and to continue its expansion plan during the coming years. PPC successfully completed this engagement during June of 2018.

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pierce Engineers, Inc. (“PE”) is a niche professional services firm providing quality structural engineering and related services to a nationwide client base. With offices in both Milwaukee and Madison, Pierce has grown to become one of the region’s premier, independent structural engineering organizations serving a variety of architectural firms, professional property developers, and building owners. Led by a seasoned leadership team comprised of licensed engineers and other professional staff, Pierce Engineers has earned continued industry praise over its history spanning more than 25 years. As the Company embarks on its next phase of growth, Pierce sought to implement a plan allowing for a recapitalization of ownership, while also maintaining the firm’s unique culture and independent business structure. PPC was engaged by Pierce Engineers to help evaluate a variety of options that would address the growth goals of the Company, its leadership team, and its ownership group. As part of this engagement, PPC helped the shareholder group and leadership team agree to a transaction structure and then led the evaluation of various financing alternatives to satisfy a variety of objectives. Through a new financing structure arranged by PPC with Associated Bank, a successful shareholder recapitalization transaction was completed during May of 2018.

Titan, Inc. is a provider of custom-engineered functional test stands for the fluid power, hydraulic component, and off highway vehicle markets including construction, agriculture, and forestry equipment.  Founded in 1966 and based in southeastern Wisconsin, the Company has evolved into a premier manufacturer of test stand solutions for complex applications requiring precise testing and measurement and data acquisition, analysis, and management.

Promontory Point Capital (“PPC”) was introduced to the owners of Titan to advise on ownership liquidity & transition objectives.  The business had been previously represented by another advisor; however, transaction negotiations had stalled and Titan’s owners sought out a firm that could provide a fresh perspective on the best strategic and financial audience for the business.  PPC began approaching a targeted list of potential strategic and financial parties during June of 2017 and secured several competing bid letters by the end of July 2017.  During September of 2017, a letter of intent was signed by Titan with Michigan-based Burke Porter Group (“BPG”).

As a global leader in the design and manufacturer of intelligent machines, PPC identified that the Burke Porter Group would be the best strategic fit for Titan, Inc.  In addition to being a solid strategic fit, BPG provided the best financial outcome for Titan’s owners as well as a strong partner for Titan’s management team & employees.  The sale of Titan, Inc. to Burke Porter Group was completed by PPC in January of 2018.  Read the press release.