Driving Forces in Aerospace Consolidation, Tuesday, July 27^th / 12pm PT

Consolidation in Service Manufacturing; What are the Driving Forces and How Does The M&A Process Work?

A webinar designed for owners trying to make sense of the rapid consolidation in the industry and the strategic considerations that can help them decide what is right for them. 

We will discuss:

• What are the main drivers of M&A consolidation in service manufacturing?
• Sell now or later? Optimizing my operation and preparing for sale down the road.
• What does a sale process look like?
• Role of your advisors.
• Case Study: Frank Nichols, Silicon Forest Electronics - what’s it like for an owner to go through the process?
• Q&A

Speakers Include:

Craig Ladkin, Managing Director at FOCUS Investment Banking, Advanced Manufacturing Team

Craig Ladkin, a FOCUS Managing Director, has twenty-five years of investment banking experience, managing complex financial and development transactions between private, public and non-profit sectors in a variety of industries and international jurisdictions.  He has advised on transactions across the spectrum; for clients such as the World Bank, IFC, the Treasury Departments of more than a dozen OECD nations, along with their state-owned power and utility companies, down to the very small; angel level investments, small city urban renewal projects and private school campuses.

Since 2016, Craig has helped build the Advanced Manufacturing and Automation practice at FOCUS Investment Banking into one of the nation’s leading advisors for lower middle market manufacturing businesses.  FOCUS is a trusted name in M&A advisory services with a nationwide footprint and a global reach. The Advanced Manufacturing team is here to help business owners navigate this new and unfamiliar terrain.  We provide M&A advisory services (buy and sell side) and locate the capital businesses need to grow.

Courtney Ryan, Founding Partner at Steadfast Partners

Courtney Ryan is a Founding Partner of Steadfast Partners, an industrial technology advisory group founded by four seasoned Jabil executives with over 100 years of combined experience growing a small, regional manufacturer into a Fortune 150 global powerhouse. Steadfast brings a passion for creating a purpose-driven culture with deep expertise developing and driving competitive advantage across Enterprise Strategy and Operations. The endeavor aims to directly help private equity sponsors accelerate and maximize value creation in their portfolio companies.

Courtney recently departed Jabil after a 27-year career, where his most recent position was that of EVP, Enterprise Strategy and Corporate Development. In this role he was responsible for driving Jabil's Enterprise Strategy, M&A, R&D, and Sales Enablement functions.  Courtney was also CEO of Jabil’s Health Care and Packaging division, and SVP of Global Supply Chain and VP Operations for Europe, responsible for 13 plants across eight countries.

Frank Nichols, Thought Leader/Owner of True North Strategies & Founder/Former President at Silicon Forest Electronics

Mr. Nichols has nearly 50 years of experience in the aerospace and military sectors as: an engineer/manager for the US Navy/Air Force, a program manager (military prime contractor), a business segment manager (military - industrial automation), an independent marketing and management consultant (Military and DOE programs), and President/CEO of Silicon Forest Electronics (start-up through sale in March, 2021).  Mr. Nichols currently serves as a management advisor, the Founder and former President of Silicon Forest Electronics.  He grew Silicon Forest Electronics from a “green field start-up in 1998 to $24M in revenue (2020) with 86 employees and provided contract-manufacturing services building leading-edge electronics for the aerospace, unmanned, medical, industrial, and military markets.  Most recently, he has founded a new venture, True North Strategies, operating as a Leader, Mentor, Advisor, and fractional CEO.

Mr. Nichols completed all but his dissertation for his Ph.D. from Walden University in 2019.  He earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix in 1992.  His undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Fresno, in 1972.  

Mr. Nichols is a private pilot (not current), a world traveler, an accomplished professional photographer, and lives in Woodland, WA and Rockmart, GA.  He is married, has six children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.