News Release | Contact: Kent Kaiser 651-338-1777
GARFIELD, Minn. –September 14, 2021 – Sunbelt Business Advisors President Chris Jones today announced that Sunbelt facilitated the sale of Garfield Truss Systems, Inc. to the Oxford Group, a Ramsey, Minnesota-based private equity firm. Led by Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors Mike Wheelock and Nacia Dahl, the Sunbelt team initiated, structured, and negotiated the transaction on behalf of Garfield Truss Systems. The deal closed on July 30.
Garfield Truss Systems of Garfield, Minnesota, has eight employees and has been in business since 1976.
The Oxford Group uses an innovative proprietary scoring rubric for evaluating potential business acquisitions, and Garfield Truss scored the highest of any business the private equity group has evaluated—20 out of 25 points. The scoring rubric, which uses a point system ranging from -5 to +5, quantifies categories such as EBITDA, proximity to the Twin Cities, potential for the Oxford Group to have an impact, and prior Oxford Group experience in the industry, among others.
“Once we applied our scoring rubric to the dozens of potential business acquisitions presented to us, we were quick to make a decision,” said Brian Swanson, CEO of the Oxford Group. “Also, we just had a great support team for us who had never done this before. I think we had the best team possible.”
In addition to Sunbelt Business Advisors, the Oxford Group team that brought the deal together included Jeff Jones at Growthink, Mike Nixt at Moss & Barnett law firm, M&A HR Consultant Maggie Debner of HR MD Consulting, and Wipfli Accounting.
“The former owners of Garfield Truss are ready to take a step back and move towards retirement,” said Wheelock. “They have agreed to continue to be on site to provide transitional leadership for another three years. It is a very positive situation for everyone involved.”
“It is important to us to strive towards developing leadership from among the current Garfield Truss Systems team,” said Swanson. “Building on the good of the past and developing from within—that’s the kind of operating philosophy we want to bring to each deal we do. During the transition, Kaitlin Palermo of the Oxford Group will serve as the CEO of Garfield Truss Company.”
ABOUT SUNBELT® – Sunbelt® is Minnesota’s largest seller of companies. Founded in 1978, Sunbelt now has 200 offices worldwide, helping people buy and sell businesses. The Sunbelt Business Advisors Minneapolis office is the largest office in the Sunbelt network with a staff of over 50 advisors, associates, analysts, and business development representatives. The firm provides services to business owners interested in selling their businesses, assistance with merger and acquisition activities, complimentary business value assessments, and advisement for business owners in understanding how to maximize their net proceeds when they exit. The firm provides business brokerage and Mergers & Acquisitions advisory services for companies with revenues from $500,000 to $100 million, as well as finance, exit planning, franchise sales, consulting, and business valuation services. More information is available at www.sunbeltmidwest.com.
