BLAISE GAMMON

Analyst

Blaise supports Mariner Capital Advisors on sell-side and buy-side M&A engagement, performing financial analysis, market research and due diligence. Additionally, he assists in valuations of private businesses and business interests for the purposes of mergers and acquisitions, gift and estate planning, charitable giving, and tax and financial reporting.

Blaise holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Kansas State University.

Download PDF

CAMERON DIAMOND

Analyst

Tel: (913) 378-0408
[email protected]

Cameron joined Mariner Capital Advisors in 2021 as an investment banking analyst and provides support on valuation advisory and sell-side M&A engagements. Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, Cameron was a Private Equity Analyst Intern at Apis Holdings, a middle-market private equity firm affiliated with a large family office.

Cameron holds two bachelor’s degrees in finance and management from the University of Tulsa, where he graduated with distinguished honors as a Presidential Leadership Fellow and honor student. During his time at the University of Tulsa, Cameron held leadership roles in multiple student organizations and served as the head Portfolio Analysis and Risk Chair of the university’s investment fund.

Download PDF

TIM HOSIE

Vice President

Tel: (913) 904-5446 | Mobile: (816) 308-0563
[email protected]

As vice president, Tim supports the firm through sell-side and buy-side merger and acquisition engagements. He plays an active role in managing projects from start to finish, which includes preparing offering materials, financial analysis and leading due diligence.

Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, Tim worked for “Big 4” public accounting firms and publicly listed companies.

Tim holds a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is currently pursuing his MBA with a concentration in finance from Rockhurst University.

Download PDF

ROBBIE VANTRUMP

Vice President

Tel: (913) 904-5537 | Mobile: (913) 271-9505
[email protected]

As vice president, Robbie supports the firm through sell-side and buy-side merger and acquisition engagements. Since joining Mariner Capital Advisors in 2011, Robbie has assisted on more than 60 M&A advisory engagements in varying capacities for clients across a broad range of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, software, construction, food manufacturing, marketing and e-commerce.

Robbie provides strategic and operational support on M&A transactions and plays an active role in preparing offering materials and developing and executing go-to-market strategies. He has also helped author dozens of educational articles and whitepapers on topics related to business succession planning, business valuation and private equity.

Robbie has two Bachelor of Arts degrees in French and mass media from Washburn University.

Download PDF

LIZZY FLEET, CFA

Vice President

Tel: (913) 904-5536 | Mobile: (913) 558-3136
[email protected]

As vice president, Lizzy supports the firm through sell-side and buy-side merger and acquisition engagements. She plays an active role in managing projects from start to finish, which includes preparing offering materials, financial analysis and leading due diligence.

Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, Lizzy worked as an analyst in the oil and gas industry.

She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and accounting from the University of Oklahoma. Lizzy holds the Chartered Financial Analyst^®designation.

Download PDF

HOUSE ZHU

Senior Financial Analyst

Tel: (913) 904-5533 | Mobile: (617) 800-3559
[email protected]

As a senior financial analyst, House examines data related to mergers and acquisitions, gift and estate tax planning, charitable giving, strategic planning, buy-sell agreements and financial reporting.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University, a master’s degree in finance from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master of Accounting degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Download PDF

JASON O’BRYON

Vice President, Valuation

Tel: (913) 904-5534 | Mobile: (785) 840-6647
[email protected]

As vice president, Jason assists in engagements for mergers and acquisitions, gift and estate tax planning, charitable giving, strategic planning, buy-sell agreements and financial reporting.

Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, Jason worked in the mutual fund industry in operations and project planning.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance with an emphasis on management and leadership from the University of Kansas and a master’s in finance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Download PDF

JOHN STEVENSON

Valuation Director

Tel: (913) 904-5603 | Mobile: (612) 741-0540
[email protected]

As valuation director, John has overseen or completed more than 500 valuation engagements for mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, buy-sell agreements, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, gift and estate tax planning, charitable giving and financial reporting, among others. He has also led teams that render fairness opinions in connection with public company sale, merger and financing transactions.

John’s industry experience includes business software and services, medical devices, building products, food processing, trucking, industrial goods and manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail and banking and insurance.

Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, John was a valuation director at BDO. Prior to BDO, he was a valuation director at RSM and a director at Craig-Hallum Capital Group. John holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University with majors in finance and economics.

Download PDF

TODD MIDDLETON

Managing Director

Tel: (913) 904-5539 | Mobile: (913) 645-3147
[email protected]

As managing director, Todd has more than 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry. Todd possesses a blend of experience in areas that include mergers and acquisitions (M&A), commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate and construction, credit analysis, inventory management and risk management.

Todd has advised clients in areas that include mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, financial management, risk management and valuation. He also has specialized knowledge of the agriculture industry and has managed multiple sell-side M&A transactions involving agricultural producers, product suppliers and distributors.

Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, Todd worked in banking and finance for more than two decades. He was a commercial banker and also held senior-level executive and management positions with Fortune 500 companies.

Todd holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Drake University and is involved in several charities, including the March of Dimes and Victory Junction Camp.

Download PDF

TOM TILLEY

Managing Director

Tel: (913) 904-5540 | Mobile: (913) 238-0295
[email protected]

As managing director, Tom has been directly involved in more than 100 business transactions across the country and has more than 10 years of experience finding appropriate buyers or sellers for his clients. Tom manages all aspects of business transactions including sourcing buyers and sellers, financial modeling and building capital structures, negotiating and closing.

Tom’s experience with mergers and acquisitions spans an array of industries including distribution, manufacturing, consumer products, financial services, health care, information technology and service businesses. He frequently presents to business owners who are clients of local and regional banks, accounting firms and other regional business advisory groups.

With his financial marketplace knowledge, transaction experience and background as a business owner, Tom designs creative transactions and financial structures and then guides his clients through the closing process.

Prior to joining Mariner Capital Advisors, he was managing partner at The DVS Group leading new business development.

Tom attended Michigan State University on a hockey scholarship and went on to play for the St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning professional hockey organizations. He remains involved in hockey as the President of the Kansas City Youth Hockey Association.

Download PDF

Helena Chemical Company Acquires St. Joseph Agri Services

Client Objective

Donnie Miller and Steve Pierce spent 26 years running St. Joseph Agri Services, a company that provides a wide range of agricultural products to farming operations throughout northwest Missouri. Miller and Pierce established a loyal customer base in the region by consistently providing dependable service and quality products.

Miller primarily handled the company’s financial management responsibilities while Pierce oversaw the production and mixing of fertilizer products and equipment maintenance. In addition to their ownership responsibilities, both owners were heavily involved with various community organizations such as the local Future Farmers of America chapter and 4-H Club, the Buchanan County Agri-Business Expo Center, and the county’s University of Missouri Extension Council.

By 2013, Miller and Pierce were ready to focus more on their roles within the community. Although they wanted to stay actively involved in St. Joe Ag, they felt that a new owner could share some of the daily management responsibilities and provide financial resources to help the company grow.

Solution

Miller and Pierce sought the help of Mariner Capital Advisors to find a suitable buyer for the company after hearing about our firm’s knowledge of the agriculture industry. Our team had recently sold a seed producer and distributor based in the Midwest and had performed valuations for several agricultural product companies in the past. From this experience, we had a keen understanding of the industry, as well as an existing list of potential strategic buyers. We refined this list to include only the most suitable buyers for St. Joe Ag and used our proprietary database and other third-party tools to find additional buyers.

To facilitate our marketing, we then developed a collection of multimedia tools, including a one-page blind prospectus, a confidential information memorandum, and a comprehensive marketing video highlighting the company’s products and services and future growth opportunities. We distributed introductory information about St. Joe Ag to nearly 400 strategic buyer candidates through a confidential marketing campaign, revealing the name of the company to prospective buyers only after they had submitted a confidentiality agreement. Dozens of buyer candidates showed interest in acquiring the company, including leading agricultural products supplier Helena Chemical Company.

Result

Mariner Capital Advisors completed the sale of St. Joe Ag to Helena in November 2013. Helena, a supplier of agricultural chemicals, seeds, and fertilizers, has more than 350 sales locations across the country and wanted to add a strategic location in the region.

Miller and Pierce ultimately sold the company to Helena because the new owners could provide resources to help St. Joe Ag expand its customer base and product offering. Additionally, Helena planned to retain all of the company’s employees and would allow Miller and Pierce to remain actively involved in it. With Helena’s leadership and financial resources, Miller and Pierce could help ensure a smooth transition for their company while focusing more on their work within the community.

About St. Joseph Agri Services

FoxTrax Vehicle Tracking, Inc. is a software-as-a-service provider offering GPS-enhanced, web-based fleet management software. FoxTrax was founded in 2008 by Patrick Brannan and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

About Helena Chemical Company

Helena Chemical Company, based near Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the nation’s largest providers of agricultural chemicals, seeds, and fertilizers. The company is jointly owned by Japanese firm Marubeni Corporation and its subsidiary, Marubeni American Corporation, which acquired Helena from Bayer in 1987. Currently, Helena employs 3,000 individuals across its 350+ U.S. sales locations.

This document is for informational use only and may be outdated and/or no longer applicable. Nothing in this publication is intended to constitute legal, tax, or investment advice. There is no guarantee that any claims made will come to pass. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but Mariner Capital Advisors does not warrant the accuracy of the information. Consult a financial, tax or legal professional for specific information related to your own situation.