Business owners who attend the CEO Focus Event hosted by the Association for Corporate Growth on Wednesday, April 18 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Hyde Park Country Club will hear about some of the new trends in the private equity field - trends that will greatly impact the economy. In the last year, private equity firms have changed the face of business operations. Attendees will learn how private equity firms have put a higher priority on accountability and applying best practices, thus not only making companies more successful and competitive but also putting more money in the pockets of investors.

By recognizing these trends and keeping pace, business owners can ensure that their competitors, many of which are now owned by Private Equity firms, don't move ahead of them. Speakers Dave Bauer of Lubar & Co. and Peter Boylan of Swander Pace Capital will provide valuable insight and information that attendees can use to make their businesses stronger.

Professionals involved in all aspects of corporate growth, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers, investment bankers, investors, lawyers, bankers, accountants and deal makers of all types should plan to attend this informative session.

Special thanks to our event sponsor, The Malibu Group.

To make reservations, click here or call (866) 500-ACGC.  Members may register for $30 while guests are $40.  If you know of someone who should attend, let the ACG Cincinnati staff know and we'll send a personal invitation from you!

Click here for a copy of the event flyer.

The ACG Cincinnati Best at Breakfast series began its initial offering for 2007 last Friday (March 30).  Members were given the opportunity to mix and mingle and enjoy refreshments provided by event sponsor, First Financial Bank, represented by Vice President & Marketing Manager Commercial Banking, Mark Caesar.

Our facilitator, Liz M. Stites, President, GAJ Services, Inc., welcomed everyone to the session. After a brief introduction of the participants, the presentation got underway.

Our presenters, Barry A. Peterson, Partner, Private Capital Solutions and Cindy A. Mustard, Vice President, Summit Financial Resources, led the discussion on the topic of "Creative Financing for Growth." As the presentation progressed, Barry and Cindy encouraged the participants to ask questions and offer comments.

The presentation covered such items as growth financing options, factoring, current market conditions, risk management by banks and a slide entitled "Credit Amnesia." Some of the slides like the one titled "Not Your Father's Junior Debt Market" sparked a lively and humorous response by the participants.

Everyone agreed; the ACG Cincinnati Best at Breakfast series is a fun and informative way to kick-start the day.  It just seemed like the time went too quickly.  Visit www.acgcincinnati.org for more information about next month's session.

For a copy of the presentation from "Creative Financing for Growth", click here or visit www.acgcincinnati.org.

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Our friends at the Business Courier are proud to introduce to Greater Cincinnati a recognition program for those financial stewards at organizations all across the Tri-State.

In partnership with Marsh and the Cincinnati chapter of Financial Executives International, the Business Courier welcomes nominations for their "CFO of the Year" program.  Finalists and an overall winner in three categories will be named at a special program on May 23 with a cocktail reception at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The categories include public companies, private companies including non-profits with revenues exceeding $100 million, and private companies including non-profits with revenues less than $99.9 million.

A panel of judges including local business school deans will determine the winners. The nomination deadline is April 6.  Nominations can be made on-line.

This program is an extension of the Courier 250, formerly called Cincinnati Inc., the Courier's annual and prestigious ranking of the largest 150 private companies, all of our region's public companies and our region's biggest employers. This year's Courier 250 will also include a listing of our region's 25 largest nonprofits. Courier 250 sponsors consist of Frost Brown Todd, Clark Schaefer Hackett & Co., CB Richard Ellis, LaSalle Bank, Robert Half International and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Make your nominations now and mark your calendars for a fun and rewarding event.

John E. Pepper, Jr., chief executive officer of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and chairman of the board of The Walt Disney Company, is the designated recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth as part of its annual Deal Maker Awards Program.

Six other Cincinnati businesses and business leaders will also receive recognition at the ACG Cincinnati Deal Maker Awards Dinner on May 10 at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hall of Mirrors.

Richard Kiley, co-founder of CincyTech USA, a regional technology-driven economic development program, will receive the Financier Award. The Service Provider award will go to Mark J. Jahnke, president, CEO and member of the management committee of Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild, a full service law firm.

Businesses recognized with Corporate Deal Maker Awards are Triplefin LLC, a provider of logistics and fulfillment services; Universal Trailer Corporation, a manufacturer of specialty trailers; K.O.I. Enterprises, Inc., a distributor of automotive parts; and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The Deal Maker Awards are presented annually by ACG Cincinnati to recognize significant achievements of local companies, entrepreneurs and financiers who participate in merger and acquisition activity in Greater Cincinnati. Award winners are "Deal Makers" who have been inspirational, visionary, creative, tenacious and persistent in their efforts to complete acquisition, joint venture, financing and strategic alliance transactions.

Lifetime Achievement Award honoree John E. Pepper, Jr., is a well-known Cincinnati business executive who joined The Procter & Gamble Company in 1963 and advanced to become president, then CEO and chairman of the board. After retiring as chairman of the Procter & Gamble Board of Directors Executive Committee in 2003 he served as vice president of Finance and Administration at Yale University. He became CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in January 2006.

Richard Kiley, winner of the 2007 Financier Award, was a founder of CincyTech USA, southwest Ohio's entrepreneurial support center for technology-based innovators, in 2000.  In 2003 he led the Ohio Business Roundtable strategy development program tasked with formulating a business-oriented strategic plan for the $1.5 billion Third Frontier Program. Kiley has been active in founding or facilitating the development of several venture capital funds.

The 2007 Service Provider Award recipient is Mark J. Jahnke, president, CEO and management committee member of the law firm of Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild. Jahnke's practice is concentrated in corporate law with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Jahnke is recognized by bankers, CPAs, and investment advisors as a seasoned professional in terms of structuring the buy and sell side of transactions. Over the past several years, Jahnke has represented buyers in 23 transactions, served as counsel to sellers in 10 transactions and has been involved in three management buy outs.

Corporate Award winner Triplefin LLC, maintains a 99.9% average inventory and order accuracy rate at its 150,000 square foot Cincinnati warehouse and fulfillment facility. The company, which was founded in 1981, serves members of the pharmaceutical, health and beauty, and consumer products industries. Greg LaLonde is CEO of Triplefin.

Universal Trailer Corporation, another Corporate Award winner, was formed in 2001 to acquire specialty trailer manufacturers and then to grow the acquired businesses. So far it has succeeded in this mission. Revenues increased nearly 300% between 2002 and 2006, making Universal the largest manufacturer of specialty trailers in North America. Tom Frey is president and CEO of the company.

K.O.I. Enterprises, Inc. started as a Newport, Kentucky, gasoline station in 1946, and through internal growth and strategic acquisitions has become a regional automobile parts distributor with multiple warehouses, approximately 65 retail stores and over 800 employees in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. This record of corporate growth earned the company a 2007 Corporate Deal Maker Award. David Wesselman is president of the employee-owned business, and Mary N. Riesenbeck is vice president.

The past decade has been a period of unprecedented growth for Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, another 2007 Corporate Deal Maker Award winner. Over the past 10 years Cincinnati Children's has sustained an average annual growth rate of over 15% and employment has increased from 3,000 to more than 9,000 today. The deals that brought Deal Maker recognition to the medical center are primarily joint venture and collaborative agreements with other major hospital systems across the country, successful recruitment of research and clinical programs from academia and industry, and acquisition of private health care businesses, such as home nursing care agencies. James M. Anderson, president and CEO of Cincinnati Children's, is credited with being a key architect and implementer of this growth cycle.

General sponsors of the ACG Cincinnati 2007 Deal Maker Awards Program are Cors & Bassett LLC, Attorneys-at-Law; Paycor Payroll Services; PNC Business Credit; Rippe & Kingston, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants; and Winton Associates, Inc., Investment Bankers. Additional sponsorship support is provided by the program's Media Sponsor, The Business Courier, Printing Sponsor, Bowne and the evening's Post Party Sponsor, Integra Bank.

All award recipients will be honored at the chapter's annual Deal Maker Awards dinner at the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel's Hall of Mirrors on Thursday, May 10, 2007 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

To make your reservations for the Deal Maker Awards Dinner Gala, click here or call (866) 500-ACGC to reserve your seats now.  This event will sell out!

When you see the following individuals, welcome them to ACG Cincinnati!

David Anderson - GE Healthcare Financial Services
Shawn Byerly - WesBanco Bank, Inc.
Michael Capozzoli - Central Investment LLC
Mike Janson - G&W Products, LLC
Ben Rencher - GE Healthcare Financial Services
Christopher Ruberg - Batesville Casket Company
 

For a small annual investment, you can join the premier national organization focused on corporate growth and development. Becoming a member of ACG Cincinnati earns you discounts to events, access to and listing in the Membership Directory; access to member-only events and more.

If you would like more information about becoming a member, click here or call Fred Young at (866) 500-ACGC.

Join the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors and ACG Cincinnati for a special presentation by Rob Slee, author of Midas Managers.  The luncheon will be held at the Westin Cincinnati on Thursday, June 14, 2007 in conjunction with the AM&AA Summer Conference.

Most owners and managers need a practical guide that will help them run private businesses in this era of hyper-competition. Midas Managers is just that book. It raises the ante, challenging readers to rethink everything they know about business and learn how to create wealth in an always-on, global economy. The backdrop of Midas Managers is that the world has entered a new Age of business called the Conceptual Age. With each new Age, the rules of doing business have changed - and the Conceptual Age is no different. Of course, no one needs to tell owners and managers that things are different. They're just not sure what to do about it.

This books fills in the blanks. It contains 18.5 stories of how private business owners and managers developed innovative strategies to create value for their companies and wealth for themselves. These men and women are called Midas Managers, because they truly have a golden touch. Each of their stories is followed by a "Blueprint," which provides step-by-step instructions for readers who want to employ these strategies in their own businesses.

The cost for the luncheon is $30 for ACG members and prospects and free to those attending the AM&AA's Summer Conference.  All participants will receive a complimentary copy of Midas Managers.

To register, click here or call (866) 500-ACGC.