Archives

Home / Team MemberPage 3

RFE Backed Trident Motion Announces the Acquisition of Global Point Technologies

RFE Investment Partners is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Trident Motion Technologies, recently completed the acquisition of Global Point Technologies (“GPT”). GPT is a global sourcing company with capabilities in injection molding, solenoids, wire harness, mechanical and electro-mechanical parts as well as contract manufacturing and assembly services across automotive, medical, industrial and commercial products.

“GPT is a strong strategic addition for Trident Motion. Adding a global sourcing and services platform providing supply chain, engineering and value-added solutions will benefit the Trident family of companies and their customers.” said Tim Harris VP of Strategic Sourcing.

“We’re happy to join forces with Trident, and take advantage of their existing brand, channel, and presence in the market place offering our expertise and broad range capabilities ” said John Hoff, founder and President of Global
Point Technologies.

About Trident Motion Technologies:
Trident Motion Technologies is a leading provider of motors, gearmotors, electronic drives and user interfaces. The company, headquartered in the United States, produces product and assemblies in its operations in the US and Asia for many industries. This allows Trident Motion to offer local support and world class engineering while remaining cost competitive. Trident Motion was formed by combining the capabilities of several strong US based businesses: HTI Technology, American Control Electronics, and Klauber Machine & Gear.

About RFE
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, please visit www.rfeip.com.

Friendly Group Acquires Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing, Serving Customers in the Greater Phoenix Area of Arizona

Friendly Group, a home services company, announced today its acquisition of Day & Night, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and plumbing services company located in Phoenix, AZ. The addition of Day & Night makes this Friendly Group’s second home services company located in Arizona, and the fourth company to join Friendly Group in the last year in the western region. Day & Night will continue to operate under the Day & Night brand with owner, Jeff Martin, and General Manager, Mike Littau, leading the company in partnership with Friendly Group.

Comments on the news:
“We are excited to welcome Jeff, Mike, and the whole Day & Night team into the Friendly Group family. Their culture is a perfect fit with our employee-first philosophy and mission to unlock the latent potential of every member of the team.” —William J. Coughlin, Founder, Alchemy Capital Partners, Friendly Group Board Member “Day and Night’s relationships with their customers and community are some of the best I have ever seen, and the people and culture behind that is the reason for the strength of this brand. We can’t wait to build on that legacy with Mike and his leadership team.” —Joe Bergman, CEO, Friendly Group

“Friendly Group’s unique culture and approach to supporting our operating companies continues to resonate in the market with people that share our principles.” – Michael Rubel, Managing Director, RFE Investment Partners, Friendly Group Board Member

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing
Day & Night is a reputable HVAC and plumbing company serving the greater Phoenix area. Their primary services are heating, cooling, plumbing, and drain clearing.
www.dayandnightair.com

Friendly Group
Friendly Group is a home services company focused on building a network of businesses that share a vision and values which, at their core, focus on their employees.
www.friendlygroup.com

Alchemy Capital Partners
Alchemy Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on making investments in the lower-middle market located in North America.
www.alchemycap.com

About RFE
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, please visit www.rfeip.com.

Amid Rapid Growth, Veransa Group Hires Kevin Dunlap as President and Chief Operating Officer

SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veransa Group, Inc., a leader in transforming green waste into valuable commodities on an industrial scale through vertical integration of waste collection centers and manufacturing facilities, has hired Kevin Dunlap as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Dunlap will be integral in Veransa’s rapid growth by driving best practices across the company’s operations, managing integrations of acquisitions and greenfield locations, as well as overseeing the development of compost and other sustainable, beneficial reuse, products.

Dunlap brings 28 years of experience in the environmental services industry, including 17+ years of executive operational leadership in high-growth businesses. Before joining Veransa, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Denali Water Solutions, a leading diversified environmental services company focused on wastewater, water residuals and biosolids products and services, including composting and green waste recycling. Prior to Denali Water Solutions, Dunlap’s experience included roles as Chief Executive Officer at Orège North America Inc. and Vice President of Sales at BCR Environmental Corporation, where he helped to optimize, professionalize, and accelerate growth.

“With our continuing growth and regional expansion, we needed to enlarge our leadership team to continue to provide the best service and highest quality products for our customers. Kevin is a world-class operational and sales leader with experience working for high growth, Environmental, Social, Good Governance (ESG) companies like Veransa,” said Marc Owensby, co-founder and CEO of Veransa Group, Inc. “We are excited to have Kevin join our team and look forward to his continued success.”

“I am excited to join this visionary company to help accelerate Veransa’s growth through continued operational excellence, the seamless integration of complementary acquisitions and continued expansion through greenfield operations,” said Kevin Dunlap.

About Veransa
Veransa specializes in transforming urban wood and yard waste into valuable commodities on an industrial scale. The company vertically integrates green waste collection centers with commodities manufacturing facilities to achieve highest-value use, waste-to-organic commodities production. Veransa aggregates green waste and transforms it, using electrically powered processing equipment, into useful products on an industrial scale, including soil-regenerating, OMRI Listed®, organic compost and blended soils, that are free of biosolids or manure. It also processes wood waste into the feedstock for decorative mulch and renewable energy. Based in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, Veransa is an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners.

About RFE
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the U.S. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, visit www.rfeip.com.

Media Contact: John Mooney, 908-720-6057, [email protected]
Roxane Teymourtash 240-413-3949, [email protected]

Laurie Zaucha Joins Congruity Group’s Board of Directors

Congruity Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurie Zaucha, an accomplished human resources executive, to its Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled to add Laurie Zaucha to our Board of Directors. She brings a global experience to our Board that is important as we continue our expansion,” Darrin Hunter, CEO of Congruity HR, said. “Laurie will be a valuable resource to me in my role as CEO as someone that has successfully helped grow and scale a global human resource services business. I look forward to her involvement in our future growth.”

“We are very excited about the potential for the Congruity platform; organic growth has been tremendous, but we are also continuing to evaluate strategic acquisitions for the platform,” said Paul Schilpp, Managing Director of RFE Investment Partners. “The acquisition opportunities will allow us to expand on a national basis and that aligns very well with the experiences that Laurie Zaucha will bring to the Congruity Board.”

Ms. Zaucha brings almost 30 years of extensive human resources leadership and expertise to Congruity Group. She has a proven track record for being a strategic and operational leader, focused on creating a values-oriented and results-driven culture. Previously, Ms. Zaucha served as the Chief Human Resources Officer of Paychex for 9 years and PAETEC for 4 years. Additionally, she served in various other human resources positions at large corporations such as Bausch + Lomb, Footstar Inc., Starbucks Coffee Company and Pizza Hut Inc.

“It is an honor to join Congruity Group’s Board of Directors, and be part of a values-led company that truly believes people are their most powerful asset.  I am excited to partner with Congruity’s leadership team and Board to continue growing and scaling the company.”

Ms. Zaucha holds a Master of Science in Management from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology from Bentley University. She also serves on Boards for the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, where she is Board Chair, and Monroe Community College Foundation.

About Congruity HR PEO:
Congruity HR PEO delivers comprehensive HR solutions to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide, sharpening their competitive advantage. Comprised of respected industry executives and certified HR professionals, Congruity HR provides hands-on, expert human resource services to reduce administrative burdens, ensure compliance with employer regulations, and effectively manage employment cost. The company’s extensive HR service offering includes a full range of health and workers’ compensation insurance products, tax administration, risk management services, and advanced technology.

About RFE:
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, please visit www.rfeip.com

 

RFE Backed ZRG Acquires RoseRyan, Inc.

RFE Investment Partners portfolio company ZRG, a rapidly growing global talent advisory firm, recently completed the acquisition of RoseRyan, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based provider of finance and accounting consulting solutions.

Since 1993, RoseRyan has engaged over 1,000 clients on projects including outsourced accounting for start-ups, corporate governance, interim solutions, and strategic projects such as IPO readiness, SEC reporting, financial planning and modeling, technical accounting, audit support and mergers and acquisitions. The addition substantially expands ZRG’s consulting capabilities, adding to their West Coast presence and breadth of solutions for their clients.

“We’re excited to join the growing family at ZRG,” said Kathy Ryan, Founder and Chair of RoseRyan. “Joining a global network of over 400 employees worldwide will help our team stretch further. We in turn will provide additional depth to ZRG, which means better results for RoseRyan and ZRG clients alike.”

“The nature of the workforce has evolved and having even greater bandwidth in the finance and accounting consulting sector through RoseRyan is fantastic,” ZRG CEO Larry Hartmann said. “This complements our current interim team, led by Mark Viner, and also adds important consulting capability to allow us to service a wide range of clients, who need support in accounting and HR.”

About ZRG
ZRG is a global talent advisory firm that is changing the way companies hire and manage talent. ZRG’s data-driven approach to executive and professional search has been changing the way clients think about how to find top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvement to dramatically deliver executive searches quicker and with proven better results.

Today, with the help of private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, ZRG is among the fastest growing firms in the search industry and provides a full suite of retained search, on-demand talent, and consulting and advisory solutions across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

About RFE Investment Partners
Founded in 1979, RFE Investment Partners is a private equity investor with a long-standing small buyout heritage and a time-tested strategy for growing businesses. RFE equips companies with the capabilities and resources to scale by leveraging the extensive operational expertise, financial acumen, and broad business network of the RFE team. Through over 75 small buyout transactions,

Sandra K. Howe Joins SQUAN Board of Directors

Telecommunications Industry Expert to Aid in SQUAN’s Continued Strategic Growth and Development

Carlstadt, NJ — Network infrastructure solutions and services provider, SQUAN, today announced the appointment of Sandra K. (Sandy) Howe to its board of directors. Howe brings extensive experience in the global telecommunications, media, and technology industries to enhance SQUAN’s plans for strategic growth and development advancements.

With over 25 years of industry experience, Howe currently serves as a board director and past-chair, special committee of Minim (NASDAQ: MINM), a smart home solutions provider of hardware and AI-driven software products sold under the Motorola brand. She has held leadership roles at technology companies such as ARRIS, Cisco and Technetix. At ARRIS, a $6.7B telecommunications equipment company, Howe spent over a decade in senior leadership positions, playing a key role in building their leading market position in the broadband industry. Her global roles included time as Senior Vice President of Strategic Market Development, Global Marketing and, later, Senior Vice President and GM of their global retail business.

“Sandy brings a great depth of experience and understanding of the sector, which we believe adds material value to SQUAN,” said Chris Roach, CEO of SQUAN. “We are honored to have her join our board of directors.”

A well-known and highly respected industry executive, Howe also serves on the board of directors of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, which represents the largest cable and media industry companies in all legislative and regulatory matters. For more than a decade, she has also served on the board of The WICT Network and is current chairperson. Within these roles, she serves as an advocate for diversity in the workplace and a role model for STEM.

“SQUAN’s market position and growth potential were key factors in my decision to join the Board,” said Howe regarding the new role. “I see tremendous value in bridging complementary relationships and industry experience to further the company’s strategic growth.”

About SQUAN
SQUAN combines its unique and in-depth knowledge of network engineering and fiber construction to solve complex and evolving telecommunications problems around macro networks, small-cell, DAS, 5G, IoT and smart cities for wireless, wireline and enterprise customers. SQUAN is focused on the evolution of communications networks of all types and how new technologies are changing the landscape of infrastructure. SQUAN provides design/build and advisory services for backhaul, small-cells, C-RAN, fiber, Right-of-Way, technical installs, and maintenance. For more information visit: http://www.squan.com.

Products, service names, and company logos mentioned herein may be the registered trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

About RFE
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, please visit www.rfeip.com.

Veransa Group Adds Dean Kattler to Its Board of Directors

Veransa group, Inc, a leader in transforming green waste into beneficial re-use products, appoints environmental sector veteran, Dean Kattler, to its board.

Sarasota, Florida –Veransa Group, Inc, a leader in transforming green waste into beneficial re-use products on an industrial scale through vertical integration of waste collection centers and manufacturing facilities, announces the appointment of Dean Kattler, to its Board of Directors.

“We are excited to add Dean Kattler to our Board of Directors. He brings long tenured operational and direct regional experience to our Board that will be invaluable as we continue to execute on our growth strategy,” said Marc Owensby, CEO, of Veransa Group.

With over 25 years of environmental industry experience, Dean brings a wealth of operational and recycling knowledge to the Veransa board.

Most recently, Dean was the CEO of Orion Waste Solutions. Prior to Orion, Dean led EnviroSolutions Inc. (ESI), a private equity-backed vertically integrated solid waste company based in the Mid-Atlantic. Prior to ESI, Dean spent 14 years in a variety of senior management positions throughout WM’s North American operations and running his own solid waste company (acquired by WM in the late 1990’s), including collection operations, transfer stations and material recovery facilities.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with Veransa’s leadership team as the Company continues to rapidly scale. I believe that my experience in multiple recycling businesses will be helpful to Veransa in achieving their strategic goals”, said Dean Kattler.
Dean earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Western Governors University.

About Veransa
Veransa specializes in transforming urban wood and yard waste into valuable commodities on an industrial scale. Veransa vertically integrates green waste collection centers with commodities manufacturing facilities to achieve highest-value use, waste-to-organic commodities production. Veransa aggregates green waste and transforms it, using electrically powered processing equipment, into useful products on an industrial scale, including soil-regenerating, OMRI Listed®, organic compost and blended soils, that are free of biosolids or manure. It also processes wood waste into the feedstock for decorative mulch and renewable energy. Veransa is an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) portfolio company of RFE Investment Partners, based in the Tampa-bay region of Florida.

About RFE
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing Connecticut-based firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market leading middle market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, please visit www.rfeip.com.

RFE Investment Partners IX Invests in Max Home Inspections, a Fast-Growing Home Services Company

Scott Swayze is elevated to CEO and Co-Founders Silvia and Shawn Rossbach and Mitch Feinglas remain on Board of Directors and significant shareholders.

WESTPORT, CT and DAVIE, FL (June 21, 2022) – RFE Investment Partners (“RFE”), a Connecticut-based private equity firm, announced today it has completed a recapitalization investment in Max Home Inspections (“Max Home”), a leading provider of home inspections and ancillary post-close services in the Florida and Texas markets.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Davie, FL, Max Home has become one of the fastest-growing home inspection providers in the United States. In addition to the traditional inspection service offering, the company provides a suite of post-close services to support the new homeowner, including pest control, repair and renovation, and preventative maintenance services.

In connection with the investment, Scott Swayze will assume the role of CEO, while co-founder Silvia Rossbach will continue to guide the company in an advisory role as a board member. Shawn and Silvia Rossbach and Mitch Feinglas maintain a significant ownership interest in the company alongside RFE. The company headquarters will relocate to Austin, TX with Scott and the executive team as Max Home continues to strengthen its presence in Texas.

“I am excited to partner with RFE given their long successful track record of growing home service companies through both organic avenues as well as the execution of an aggressive add-on acquisition campaign,” Swayze said. “I believe this partnership will enable Max Home to transform the home inspection landscape by becoming the ‘employer of choice’ for new hires as well as the ‘partner of choice’ for all inspection companies who see the value in joining the Max Home family to enjoy our tools, technology, suite of offerings, capital base, and employee-first culture.”

Rossbach added: “We believe this partnership is a strong strategic fit for Max Home. Our organization is excited to leverage the knowledge and expertise of RFE to help guide and support the continued growth ahead for the company.”
“The fragmented nature of the home inspection industry presents exciting opportunities, and Max Home has built a unique approach to the market through a diversified and scalable model,” said Michael Rubel, Managing Director at RFE.
“With additional growth capital from RFE, Max Home is well-positioned to capitalize on the Golden Moment of the home inspection to continue to build out its ancillary services offering while creating long-term relationships with homeowners,” Sean Gillick, Principal at RFE, added.

About Max Home:
Max Home Inspections is a leading provider of home inspection and ancillary residential services currently serving the major metropolitan markets in Florida and Texas. Max Home has created an efficient, scalable model for inspections that ensures a superior outcome for the customer and greater quality control to simplify the real estate experience. Max Home has built a high-quality, customer-centric team to ease the home buying experience and support homeowners throughout the duration of their ownership. For more information, visit www.maxhomeinspections.com.

About RFE:
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market-leading middle-market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, visit www.rfeip.com.

RFE Investment Partners Invests in Sales Empowerment Group, a Rapidly Growing Outsourced Service Provider Driving Revenue Acceleration at Middle Market Companies

RFE Investment Partners (“RFE”), a Connecticut-based private equity firm, announced today it has completed a recapitalization investment in Sales Empowerment Group (“SEG”), a leading provider of outsourced sales and marketing services to help companies accelerate their revenue growth. The company will continue to be led by Brian O’Neil and the existing management team, who will remain a significant part of the ownership structure.

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Chicago, IL, SEG has helped more than 500 companies across various end markets accelerate revenue growth through its unique hands-on approach. SEG offers a full suite of services including outsourced business development and marketing resources, talent acquisition, sales training, sales technology, sales DNA assessments and marketing services, as well as consulting services through fractional CROs and CMOs.

“We are excited to partner with RFE because they allow us to have the resources and capital to grow our model even faster,” said Brian O’Neil, CEO and founder of SEG. “We conducted a very thorough process to find a partner that understood our industry and how the SEG model is differentiated in the market. RFE’s team, knowledge and approach impressed us the most.”

“Brian and the SEG team have built an exceptional business with a unique value proposition in the industry. We are excited to partner with them during their next phase of growth,” said Paul Schilpp, Managing Director of RFE.
“SEG has a long track record of driving revenue growth across a wide range of industries,” added Bill Bronander, Principal at RFE. “The team’s experience and proven, systematic approach to sales and marketing help take the guesswork out of setting and achieving its clients’ revenue goals.”

About Sales Empowerment Group
SEG is a sales and marketing execution firm providing services that drive revenue growth. The Company uses a strategic, time-tested approach, and works with its clients to create a sales-focused culture that helps grow revenue faster. SEG serves a variety of middle-market and larger companies in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, technology, professional services, and other sectors. For more information, visit https://www.salesempowermentgroup.com/.

About RFE Investment Partners
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market-leading middle-market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, visit www.rfeip.com.

Media Contacts: John Mooney, 908-720-6057, [email protected]

PureRED hires Industry Vet Brian Cohen as CEO

Amy Reach transitions to president; Cohen is a former C-Level Executive at The Match Marketing Group, Epsilon and Catapult Marketing

Atlanta, GA – Recently leading advertising, marketing, and technology partner PureRED announced Brian Cohen as Chief Executive Officer. Brian has served as an advisor to PureRED and its Board of Directors since January of 2022, and will follow Amy Reach as CEO. Amy will continue in her role as president.

For the past two years, Amy has served a dual role as president and CEO, successfully guiding the company through the pandemic. During that time, Amy also played an instrumental role as a member of the company’s Board of Directors in recruiting Brian as her successor and preparing for the transition. Amy will retain her role as President and focus her attention on leading and nurturing the company’s impressive roster of Retail-specific clients.

Brian joins PureRED after more than two decades as a business and marketing executive, board advisor and business builder. Previously, Brian was the CEO of the Match Marketing Group, where he led the company through a period of repositioning and growth during the height of the Covid pandemic. Additionally, he served as President and Managing Director of Catapult Marketing before successfully merging the company with The Epsilon Agency in 2017, where he then held the title of Chief Operating Officer.

Brian will work closely with Amy and the broader team to help guide PureRED into the company’s next phase of growth, leveraging their proprietary PR1 platform, fueling further investment, and growing the already impressive consumer advertising and marketing discipline.

“PureRED has such an impressive collection of talented individuals and a suite of long-standing, top-tier clients. It’s an honor to be a part of this team, and to help shape our future as we continue to expand our capabilities and become even more influential in driving growth for our clients.” said Brian Cohen, CEO, PureRED.

“In working with Brian over the past few months, it quickly became clear he was the perfect successor as PureRED CEO,” said Amy Reach, President, PureRED. “I’m honored to have served as CEO and President for the last two years, some of the toughest for our industry. I know Brian will continue the strong trajectory of PureRED, and I will have a front row seat as President.”

Brian Cohen and Amy Reach assume their new positions effective immediately.

About PureRED
PureRED designs, produces and implements consumer marketing programs and content for large national retailers. The Company delivers strategy, creative, design, layout, data management and photography across digital, social, ecommerce, paper and in-store physical media systems. RFE partnered with management to purchase the Company from the ESOP owner. Since our acquisition, we have helped PureRED expand their digital agency capabilities into new shopper marketing service offerings and broaden the customer base with new national retailer accounts. RFE also helped PureRED complete one strategic add-on acquisition. For more information, visit www.purered.net

About RFE Investment Partners
RFE Investment Partners is a private equity firm focused on making control investments in established small market companies located in the United States. RFE is a long-standing firm founded in 1980 with over 40 years of experience investing in the lower middle market. RFE’s investment strategy is to transform its portfolio companies from the lower end of the market to fully professionalized and market-leading middle-market companies. RFE is currently investing out of Fund IX. For more information, visit www.rfeip.com.