Harris
Williams & Co., a preeminent middle market investment bank
focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide, announces that Jason
Bass and Frank Mountcastle have joined the firm as managing directors in
the firm’s Transportation & Logistics (T&L) Group, and that Jershon
Jones and Jeff Burkett have joined the T&L Group as vice presidents. Joe
Conner, who has been spearheading the firm’s T&L effort over the last
few years, will continue in his leadership role working alongside Bass,
Mountcastle, Jones and Burkett to provide the firm’s T&L clients with a
full range of M&A advisory services.
“The T&L sector has long been a core focus area for our firm and a
central component of our growth over time. Over the past couple of years
our firm has seen a significant increase in the number of engagements in
the T&L industry and we expect that success to continue,” said Chris
Williams, managing director and co-founder of Harris Williams & Co. “The
addition of such talented industry veterans coupled with the firm’s
extensive experience across the T&L industry will create one of the most
powerful middle market T&L Groups in the industry and allow us to
continue to fuel our increased activity in the sector.”
“Companies in the T&L industry are focused on growing their service
offerings, driving efficiencies within their operations and staying
competitive in a marketplace that is increasingly global and complex.
These trends are driving consolidation within the industry and
attracting new investors to the space,” said Joe Conner, a director in
the firm’s T&L Group. “We are excited to have Jason, Frank, Jershon and
Jeff joining our efforts to serve the broader T&L industry and
capitalize on the growing M&A opportunity we have in the market.”
Harris Williams & Co. has continued to see strong activity in the
sector. The firm’s recent deals in the space include Walker Group
Holdings’ sale to Wabash National Corporation; Graham-White
Manufacturing Company, Inc.’s sale to Faiveley Transport S.A.;
Touchstone Wireless Repair and Logistics, LP’s sale to Brightpoint,
Inc.; Transtar Holding Company’s sale to Friedman Fleischer & Lowe; Hawk
Corporation’s sale to Carlisle Companies, Inc.; Kenan Advantage Group
Inc.’s sale to Goldman Sachs and Centerbridge Partners; IDQ Holdings,
Inc.’s sale to Castle Harlan; and Charter Brokerage LLC’s
recapitalization by Arsenal Capital Partners among others.
The expansion of the T&L Group is the latest development for the firm,
which has been steadily growing its industry specialization. In 2011,
the firm hired Mike Wilkins to co-head its Technology, Media & Telecom
(TMT) Group, bolstering the firm’s practice within internet and digital
media and in 2010, the firm hired Jon Nemo to lead its Aerospace Defense
& Government Services (ADG) Group. These senior hires further support
the organic growth within the firm across all of its industry practices.
This has been in tandem with the firm’s international expansion
including the 2009 hire of Thierry Monjauze to lead the firm’s European
advisory practice, followed by the hire of Julien Darmon in 2011 to
expand the firm’s senior leadership in Europe.
Harris Williams & Co. (www.harriswilliams.com),
a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:PNC), is a
preeminent middle market investment bank focused on the advisory needs
of clients worldwide. The firm has deep industry knowledge, global
transaction expertise, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Harris Williams & Co. provides sell-side and acquisition advisory,
restructuring advisory, board advisory, private placements, and capital
markets advisory services.
Harris Williams & Co.'s Transportation & Logistics Group is dedicated to
providing superior merger and acquisition advisory services to companies
in a variety of attractive niches across the broader transportation and
logistics industries. Key focus areas include third-party logistics
(brokerage, freight forwarding, transportation management, port
logistics and value added warehousing), surface transportation (niche
trucking, rail and intermodal), airport & aviation services, marine
transportation (inland barge, coastwise and international shipping),
transportation infrastructure, the automotive and heavy-duty vehicle
market (suppliers, distributors, service providers and retail) and
transportation equipment & services. For more information on our
transportation experience, please contact Jason Bass, Frank Mountcastle
or Joe Conner at +1 (804) 648-0072.
Investment banking services are provided by Harris Williams LLC, a
registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, and Harris
Williams & Co. Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Services Authority. Harris Williams & Co. is a trade name under which
Harris Williams LLC and Harris Williams & Co. Ltd conduct business.
For general release inquiries, please contact Kimberly Baker, marketing
director, at +1 (804) 648-0072.
