Trifecta Collective Acquires The North American Trailer Dealers Association from Co-Founders Amy and Andy Ackerman

Newly Established Trifecta Collective Comprised of Leading Private Equity Firm, GreyLion and Trade Show Industry Veterans, Rick McConnell and Jennifer Hoff

ARLINGTON, Va., March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trifecta Collective LLC ("Trifecta Collective"), today announced that it has acquired the North American Trailer Dealers Association ("NATDA"), the only professional business association in North America that serves light and medium duty trailer dealers. NATDA is comprised of the largest national show in the trailer industry, a membership organization, and a leading trade publication. 

The transaction was completed by the newly established Trifecta Collective, a partnership between GreyLion, a leading private equity firm focused on investing in high-growth businesses in the lower middle market, and trade show industry professionals, Rick McConnell and Jennifer Hoff. Mr. McConnell has extensive experience building and leading industry events spanning numerous sectors and has previously held senior roles at Hanley Wood and Informa. Ms. Hoff has an equally impressive track record in show management having held numerous positions at National Tradeshow Productions and more recently as Founder of Taffy Event Strategies.

Amy and Andy Ackerman, Co-Founders of NATDA, said, "It has been incredibly rewarding to help build NATDA for the past 15 years.  Trailer dealers needed access to the very best products, services, and education, so we started the NATDA Trailer Show.  It has performed even better than our highest expectations, and we are excited to be able to turn it over to Rick and Jen.  Amy and I look forward to seeing everyone at the 2022 NATDA Trailer Show."

Trifecta Collective has been working closely with the full NATDA team to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. All current team members, including Andria Gibbon, Executive Director, and Karen Anderson, Director of Sales, will remain in their current roles. 

Rick McConnell said, "NATDA is a special organization that is very much in tune with the trailer industry. Our team will ensure that we remain close to the market, exhibitors, sponsors, and dealers to build upon an already strong foundation. Amy and Andy have been great to work with through this transition. They have emphasized the fact that listening to customers is the key to success. We will continue this tradition!"

Jennifer Hoff added, "Amy, Andy and the entire NATDA team have built a world-class organization and tradeshow. I feel fortunate to be working with a group that is truly passionate about the community they serve and their commitment to excellence."

"Our relationship with Rick goes back more than 15 years," said Ryan Anderson, Partner at GreyLion. "Both he and Jen are highly regarded executives and have been instrumental in building successful industry leading trade shows over the course of their careers. We are excited about our new partnership and expect NATDA to be the first of several trade shows we acquire over the next few years."

Nick Curci, President and Founder of Corporate Solutions served as NATDA's financial advisor for the transaction.

NATDA's next show takes place in Nashville, Tennessee at the Music City Center on August 31 through September 2, 2022. 

About NATDA
In its 15-year history, NATDA has quickly become the industry leader in the medium to light trailer dealer industry. Amy and Andy Ackerman founded the company in 2007 and were the sole owners of the business, building it to the strong organization it is today. The Ackerman's focus on making sure that the customer is first and foremost is reflected in the rapid growth of the business, including developing a strong group of member benefits for exhibitors and dealers. Most recently, the last event which took place in August 2021 sold out all available square footage at the Nashville Convention Center despite the pandemic headwinds. The Ackerman's will remain involved in a key consulting role.  

About Trifecta Collective
Trifecta Collective is a trade show platform formed by GreyLion and trade show industry professionals, Rick McConnell and Jennifer Hoff. Mr. McConnell  has extensive experience building and leading industry events across multiple industry sectors and has previously held senior leadership roles at Hanley Wood and Informa. Ms. Hoff has an equally impressive track record in show management having held numerous positions at National Tradeshow Productions and more recently as the Founder of Taffy Event Strategies, which she continues to run today.  Trifecta Collective is working on future select acquisitions of events and platforms that are leaders in their respective market segments.

About GreyLion
GreyLion focuses on investing in high-growth businesses in the lower middle market. We seek to partner with existing owners and management teams across the consumer, industrial, software and services sectors to deliver capital in tailored and flexible minority and control structures. GreyLion invests $25-$125 million of capital per investment, primarily within the United States. We currently manage private equity funds with aggregate commitments of $1.7 billion. For more information, please visit www.greylion.com

Trifecta Contact:
Rick McConnell
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
214-693-0672

GreyLion Contact:
Jody Shechtman
Partner
GreyLion
[email protected]
646-475-3544

SOURCE GreyLion