GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackford Capital, a national private equity firm based in Grand Rapids, Mich., is proud to share that it has been named Private Equity Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor at the 17th Annual M&A Advisor Awards on Tuesday, November 6. Founded in 1998, The M&A Advisor is the preeminent organization for M&A, turnaround, and finance professionals and has been honoring the leading M&A transactions, companies, and dealmakers since 2002.
"Blackford Capital was chosen from over 600 participating companies to receive the award. It gives us great pleasure to recognize Blackford Capital and bestow upon them our highest honor for M&A firms and professionals," said Roger Aguinaldo, Founder of The M&A Advisor. "Blackford Capital represents the best of the M&A industry in 2018 and earned these honors by standing out in a group of very impressive candidates." Finalists in the "Private Equity Firm of the Year" category included: Kayne Partners, L Chatterton, High Road Capital Partners, Thoma Bravo LLC, and Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC. For a full list of this year's M&A Advisor Award winners, please visit maadvisor.com.
Within the last two years, Blackford Capital has experienced significant growth and success. Since 2017, the firm has acquired four portfolio companies, experienced three exits, had seven different companies recognized on the Inc. 5000 list, added eleven new employees—including a new Managing Director—and opened satellite offices in Detroit, Mich. and San Diego, Calif.
"We place a significant emphasis on growth initiatives, for both our portfolio companies and Blackford Capital," said Carmen Evola, Managing Director at Blackford Capital. "2018 has been a busy and exciting year for us. We continue to make significant strides in growing our portfolio companies, strengthening our team, creating equity value for our investors, and we look forward to continuing this momentum going into 2019."
Blackford Capital has been recognized by The M&A Advisor, seven times in the last three years, including: Private Equity Deal of the Year (4x), Private Equity Professional of the Year (1x), and the Emerging Leader Award (2x). "We are thrilled to have been honored at this year's M&A Advisor Awards. This award represents the culmination of the last several, successful years for Blackford Capital," said Martin Stein, Founder and Managing Director at Blackford Capital. "We may not be the biggest or oldest private equity firm in the U.S., and we may not have the most assets under management, but according to The M&A Advisor, we earned the title of Private Equity Firm of the Year. I believe that we earned this award for three reasons: (1) our successful exits over the past three years, (2) the growth trajectory that we have achieved with our full portfolio, and (3) the thought leadership and perspective we contribute to the industry through published articles, webinars, and panel participation. After the time, effort, and dedication spent on these initiatives, it's truly humbling to see the hard work of the team be recognized."
The Awards Gala was held in conjunction with the 2018 M&A Advisor "The Future of Finance" Summit—which featured over 500 of the industry's leading M&A professionals. Jeff Johnson, Managing Director of Blackford Capital, who was invited to participate in the Summit, expressed, "It was an honor to have the opportunity to be involved in this year's Summit discussing industry trends for 2019, alongside M&A professionals from around the world."
"We feel that Blackford Capital's approach to portfolio governance and our commitment to establishing an independent board of directors creates an attractive partnership for founder and family-owned businesses looking to grow," added Johnson. "We believe that Blackford Capital is leading the lower middle-market in these areas. Blackford Capital has had a successful and active 2018 and continues to believe that 2019 will provide a positive market to continue that success."
Blackford Capital
Founded in 2000, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blackford Capital makes majority control investments in lower middle-market manufacturing, distribution, and services companies. Blackford Capital partners with founder and family-owned businesses to achieve significant growth and has established itself as a thought leader in private equity. To discover more resources, please visit our media page or blackfordcapital.com.
The M&A Advisor
The M&A Advisor was founded in 1998 to offer insights and intelligence on M&A activities. Over the past twenty years we have established the premier global network of M&A, Turnaround and Finance professionals. Today, we have the privilege of presenting, recognizing the achievements of, and facilitating connections between the industry's top performers throughout the world with a comprehensive range of services. For more information, visit maadvisor.com.
Contact:
Melanie Jaroch
Blackford Capital
[email protected]
SOURCE Blackford Capital
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