As the leading transaction platform for the lower middle market, we’re familiar with the glaring lack of a centralized location to read about deal activity from boutique advisory firms and lower middle market buyers and investors.

With that said, on the first Friday of the month, we are circulating the biggest stories in the lower middle market from Axial’s member base that you may have missed from the month prior.

We are excited to officially introduce you to Axial’s Monthly Digest.

To view Digest in your browser, click here

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February was an active month for Axial members. We had 22 new buy-side members and 48 new sell-side advisory firms participating on the platform for the first time, bringing network totals to 1700+ on the buy-side and 3400+ on the sell-side.

Highlights included:

–  Family Offices: CVJ Capital Partners, Applied Value Group, & Yorkshire Equity

–  PE firms: Arc Industries, Edgewater Capital Partners & SK Capital Partners

–  Corporations: Volaris Group, Carwild Corporation & Global Empire

–  Investment Banks: Frontier Investment Banking, KPMG & Objective Capital

From an activity perspective, we saw an uptick in Private Equity exits in February – some examples include Shoreview’s sale of HSG, H.I.G’s sale of Caraustar, and Brook Venture’s sale of RKD Group to BV Investment Partners.

Over the past several quarters, 3 of the hottest 10 verticals have continued to be construction, healthcare and engineering services in terms of total deal volume. Last month, we saw Investment Banking members such as Croft & Bender, PSMJ Resources, League Park Advisors, and Cascadia Capital publishing interesting thought pieces on trends within each of the industries (see below).

***Make sure to follow Axial on LinkedIn to stay up to date on all of the latest market news.***

Shoutouts

• TSG Consumer Partners Closes Eighth Fund. Read More
• SK Capital Partners Closes on $2B+ Fund. Read More
• LoHi Merchant Bank and Leading Title Insurance Executive Howard Turk form Investment Banking Joint Venture. Read More
• Oaklins Investment Bank announces a Significant climb in the league table position. Read More

Thought Leadership

•  Objective Capital Partner’s 10 Most Impactful Life Science and Healthcare Market Trends for 2019. Read More
• PSMJ Resources publishes “AI, IOT, Climate Change and More: Architecture & Engineering Industry Futurist Back with Provocative Predictions for 2030”. Read More
• Cascadia Capital’s Healthcare Team Releases New Industry Highlight on Revenue Cycle Management. Read More
• League Park Advisor’s Building Products Quarterly Market Update. Read More 

People Moves

• Kainos Capital Announces that Rob Ruegger Joins as Managing Director. Read More
• Ben Bryer Joins Main Line Equity Partners. Read More
• Route 2 Capital Partners Welcomes Team Addition. Read More
• Excellere Partners Announces Promotions and Team Addition. Read More
• Matthew J. Pelo Joins Objective Capital Partners As Vice President. Read More
• BRG Capital Advisors Expands with Healthcare Investment Banker. Read More

Deal News from Sell-Side Members

•  Stout Investment Bank Advises AIM Plastics on Sale to Medbio. Read More
• Peakstone Closed Deal Announcement: Third-Party Logistics and E-Commerce Fulfillment Company. Read More
• Equity Partners HG brokers sale of Bartlett Management, Inc. to EYM Foods II, LLC. Read More
• Protegrity Advisors Serves as Exclusive Advisor to Premier Prosthetics Company in Sale to Leading Orthopedic Solutions Provider. Read More
• Kratos Capital Advises Protech Global Solutions On Its Sale To Compass Group Equity Partners. Read More
• Chessiecap Securities advises Global Teletherapy on its recapitalization with Graham Software Development. Read More
• Croft & Bender Serves as Financial Advisor to SIP.US in its Sale to BCM One. Read More
• Caber Hill Announces the Sale of Houston-based LMS, Inc. to Davey Tree. Read More
• Boxwood Partners Advises Stuart Hose & Pipe On Its Acqisition By GHX Industrial, A Sunsource Company. Read More
• Covington Associates Announces Advisory Role in the Sale of myStrength to Livongo. Read More
• Corum Group advises Planet Software on its sale to Rubicon Technology Partners portfolio company QSR International. Read More

Deal News from Buy-Side Members

• Rubicon Technology Partners portfolio company & QDA Market Leader QSR International Acquires Planet Software. Read More
• BelHealth Investment Partners portfolio company Village Fertility Pharmacy Acquires Integrity Rx Specialty Pharmacy. Read More
• Brook Venture Partners Announces Sale of RKD Group to BV Investment Partners. Read More
• Family Office Dorilton Capital portfolio Company Traditions Health Expands Presence in East Texas; Acquires Hospice Connection. Read More
• LFM Capital portfolio company Eckhart continues their acquisition spree with the acquisition of Indiana-based Gasper Engineering. Read More
• ShoreView Capital is pleased to announce the successful sale of Hermetic Solutions Group, LLC. Read More
• LLR Partners Portfolio Company Agility Recovery Acquires Preparis. Read More
• Strength Capital Partners portfolio company ARCH Global Precision Announces the Acquisition of American Tool Service & OrthoGrind. Read More
• Hammond Kennedy Whitney Announces Add-on Acquisition by GCR, Inc. Read More
• Smartrak, A Volaris Group Company, Expands its Offering with Mobility Solutions through Acquisition of the Assets of Lingo Systems Pty Ltd. Read More
• Caymus Equity Partners portfolio company Hospitality Staffing Solutions Acquires FoodStaff. Read More
• One Equity Partners’ Merfish Pipe & Supply and United Pipe & Supply Combine Ownership. Read More

Last Month on Axial’s Middle Market Review

• Expanding Horizons for GPs. Read More
• How Dane Manufacturing Grew 3X in 3 Years [VIDEO]. Read More
• Every Deal Is a Tech Deal Today. Read More
• 3 Ways This New Family Office Is Finding Deals. Read More
• Family Office Kaulig Capital Stays Busy in the New Economy [VIDEO]. Read More
• M&A Lending Environment Remains Strong in 2019. Read More