Blackford Capital Named Private Equity Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackford Capital, a national private equity firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., was named Private Equity Firm of the Year at the 20th Annual M&A Advisor Awards on Wednesday, November 17.

"Out of a field of 16 incredible firms nominated, we are honored to be recognized as Private Equity Firm of the Year by the M&A Advisor," said Martin Stein, Blackford Capital's founder and managing director. "2021 has been a tremendous year for Blackford – our team has completed more transactions than ever before and are operating 11 portfolio companies in three countries. This honor is an affirmation of our amazing team, who are completing more transactions per investment professional than just about any other PE firm in the country.  To be recognized alongside such impressive firms as Gen Cap America, McNally Capital, Seidler Equity Partners, Wellspring Capital Management, and WestView Capital Partners is truly an honor. We're looking forward to building on this momentum in the coming years."

In addition to PE Firm of the Year honors, Blackford's January 2021 majority acquisition of Aqua-Leisure was awarded Private Equity Deal of the Year in the $50MM - $75MM category.

"The Deal of the Year award is particularly sweet for us as the Aqua-Leisure transaction required our team to push the boundaries of deal innovation," said Stein. "It was a complicated transaction that was executed during the height of the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and we were able to navigate all of the challenges and negotiate a compelling deal to acquire a majority of Aqua-Leisure that is already outperforming our growth expectations. I'm extremely proud of our team and partners."

This year's award marks the second time that Blackford has been recognized as Private Equity Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor, having previously won in 2018. Additionally, Blackford has received Deal of the Year honors on four other occasions, including in 2017 and 2015 and Martin Stein was named Private Equity Professional of the Year in 2016.

For more information, and for a detailed list of all the winners from the 20th Annual M&A Advisor awards, please visit www.maadvisor.com.

About Blackford Capital 
Founded in 2010, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan with approximately 30 team members, including operating partners. Blackford acquires, manages, and builds founder and family-owned, lower middle-market companies, with a focus on the manufacturing, industrial and distribution industries. With a reputation for a relentless approach to value creation and a focus on operational excellence, Blackford was named the Private Equity Firm of the Year by M&A Advisor in 2021 and 2018. The firm has also received Deal of the Year honors from M&A Advisor in multiple categories, and many of its portfolio companies have also been included on the Inc. 5000.  Blackford has completed over 45 transactions worth approximately $1 billion and deployed almost $250 million of equity.

About The M&A Advisor
The M&A Advisor was founded in 1998 to offer insights and intelligence on mergers and acquisitions through the industry's leading publication. Today, the firm is recognized as the world's premier "think tank" and leadership organization for M&A, restructuring and financing professionals, providing a range of integrated services including: M&A Advisor Forums and Summits; M&A Advisor Market Intelligence; M&A.TV.; M&A Advisor Live; M&A Advisor Awards; and M&A Advisor Connects. For additional information about The M&A Advisor's leadership services visit www.maadvisor.com.

Contact: 
Kourtney Rogus
Lambert & Co.
(810) 334-5282
[email protected] 

SOURCE Blackford Capital