Closed Transactions

Closed Transactions

When our clients need assistance with mergers and acquisitions, we successfully guide them through the process to reach a closed transaction. If you need help from a seasoned team with expertise in the transfer of ownership of privately-held companies, we encourage to reach out.

Bondcote & Heytex

Bondcote has been acquired by Heytex

Touchstone Advisors served as

Exclusive M&A consultant to the seller

Micorp & Monhegan

Micorp Auto and Truck has been acquired by Monhegan Partners

EA & SIKICH

EA has been acquired by SIKICH

Polonez Parcel Service & IPS Acquisitions, LLC

Polonez Parcel Service has been acquired by IPS Acquisitions, LLC

Universal & Cenergy

Universal Staffing Services has been acquired by Cenergy

R & R Freight Services & Uniprop

R & R Freight Services has been acquired by Uniprop

Arcor Laser & Cadence

Arcor Laser has been acquired by Cadence

York Dental Laboratory & Knight Dental

York Dental Laboratory has been acquired by Knight Dental

NAS & BenfitMall

NAS has been acquired by BenfitMall

CPA International, Inc & Transportation Insight

CPA International, Inchas been acquired by Transportation Insight

Bondcote & Heytex

“HEYTex thought that Touchstone’s strategic approach to the acquisition search, along with the screening and financial analysis Touchstone directed, was instrumental in finding a suitable number of companies to seriously consider, resulting in an ideal target for us to acquire… definitely a good match from business and financial compatibility perspectives. Touchstone’s persistence during the due diligence process was also commendable, especially during some of the challenging episodes which these deals all seem to encounter.” – Heribert Decher, CEO, HEYTex

Campion Ambulance & Trinity Health New England

Jeff Rich and Roy Johnson of Touchstone Advisors, LLC, acted as the exclusive advisors to Campion Ambulance. “I am deeply indebted to Touchstone Advisors for the hard work, patience, and perseverance exhibited in the sale of our company to Trinity Health of New England”, said William Campion, Former CEO and Owner of Campion Ambulance. “This deal had numerous challenges that had to be dealt with during the past year or so, and Touchstone rose to meet all of them resulting in a successful outcome. They were a valued ally and without them, I doubt that this transaction could have been completed.”

 

Claudio Capone, VP of Strategy and Business Development of Trinity Health New England stated, “As one of the chief members of the buying group, I want to commend Jeff Rich and Roy Johnson of Touchstone Advisors for their professionalism, courtesy, and fairness throughout a lengthy and dynamic evaluation, due diligence and closing process. Trinity is delighted to have Campion Ambulance as part of its New England health care operation, and we appreciate the way in which Touchstone managed this transaction from their end.”

MiCORP LLC & Mohegan Partners

“Touchstone Advisors did a great job managing our sale process. In particular, Jeff Rich kept our various constituencies (including potential acquirers, management and lenders) at the table for a company that was going through a slower period of growth”. “They maintained focus throughout, when other banks might have moved on to the next project, and ultimately saw the transaction through to a successful completion. I would certainly use them again in the future!” – Ryan Kim founder Castle Island Partners, MiCORP LLC, a portfolio company of Castle Island Partners

 

“Jeff and Roy were true professionals and contributed greatly to a smooth acquisition process. The communication channels were open and honest and the deal closed on schedule.” – Peter Pfister, Managing Partner, Monhegan Partners

Universal Staffing Services & Cenergy Partners

“In my role as a private equity investor for a growth-oriented organization, I am constantly involved in acquisitions and deal with many brokers and merger & acquisition advisors. In the course of our pursuit of Universal Design Inc., a staffing company that we closed in September, 2016, I had the opportunity to work with Touchstone Advisors for the first time.  Of all the people and firms that we work with, I would put advisors Steve Pappas and Roy Johnson, along with the Touchstone support staff, at the top of the list.  They exhibited a combination of dedication to their client and fairness to us throughout the process.  Their responsiveness to our questions was both rapid and thorough, and they were always there at every step of the evaluation and due diligence phases … coordinating all the major activities, conference calls and meetings.  Their efforts were instrumental in a successful closing and we are now integrating UDI into our organization. I am very appreciative of Touchstone’s efforts and hope they will bring more deals my way.” – Reginald (Reggie) Greiner, Partner Thornblade Capital and Cenergy Partners

R & R Freight Services & Uniprop

“Steve and Roy went above and beyond and exceeded all our expectations to find a good fit for our business.” – Russ D’Agostino, former owner at R & R Freight “Steve gave us a lot of information about Touchstone that really impressed us, and we knew we wanted Touchstone to represent us to find a buyer for our business. He went through our company’s story and history in detail, right back to 1986, to understand our company and find the best buyer. Steve then introduced us to Roy Johnson to help with the finance part of it and it brought the service to another dimension…. When Touchstone explained the process, I was surprised they would be advertising our company without a price, but I trusted them. They did everything they said they would and, in the end, got the best price possible. It was amazing. We were very happy. If I was giving them stars, I would give them 5 out of 5 stars. I have already recommended them to another business owner looking to sell.” – Russ Vito, former owner at R & R Freight

York Dental Laboratory & Knight Dental

“I would like to thank you and your staff at Touchstone Advisors for all the work you have done to facilitate a successful sale of our Dental Laboratory business this year. At the beginning of our engagement you said your process would include placing several strategic acquirers and Private Equity firms in competition with one another… this competitive process worked excellent because we were able to achieve a price that exceeded our expectations.” “The interview process you used with the finalists allowed me and my management team to make sure that the acquirer we were selecting was not only the right buyer financially, but the right fit culturally and organizationally for our employees. The bottom line is I would highly recommend Touchstone Advisors to any business owner looking to maximize the price for his company”. Benjamin Franford, York Dental former owner and President “This deal went a lot smoother than normal with the help of Touchstone Advisors who was the acting broker for York. Steve Pappas and the Touchstone team are a highly professional group that helped reduce the typical waiting times, took an active role in dealing with hard topics and the reduction of the minutiae that sometimes can break a deal.” “Always a seller advocate but always the resource for the buyer to get through those sometimes-difficult steps. I’m hoping that we get a few more opportunities presented to us from Touchstone Advisors, would not hesitate to work with Steve Pappas again.” Warren H. Rogers, CEO of Knight Dental Group.

Hermann Schmidt Company, Inc & Thomas Duff III and Patricia Duff

“As the second generation owner of a precision manufacturing company, I was very proud of what my father and I collectively had built up over a 55-year period. My dad started the company and established our high quality standards. I’d like to think that I advanced our manufacturing expertise and expanded the product lines. What I did not fully appreciate was that operating a company is not the same as selling it. A specialized business with a unique capability and market niche may not translate into an easy one to sell. After a year or so with a business broker, which did not yield much in the way of results, I was introduced to Touchstone Advisors and its owner, Michael Camerota. Mike and one of his M&A advisors, Roy Johnson (who managed the deal), explained their process in detail. What initially impressed me was the time spent analyzing my company and the markets we served to help target the business sale effort. The fact that Touchstone has two dedicated support staff people – one for Marketing and another for Due Diligence – was also a factor in my decision to engage them. My sincere thanks to the Touchstone group for all their hard work in enabling me to reach one of my goals.” – Peter Schmidt, Owner The Hermann Schmidt Company, Inc

Wasp & Weavers Outdoor, Inc

After the death of my husband, Touchstone Advisors handled the sale of his business, WASP ARCHERY PRODUCTS, INC. I cannot say enough good about them. Steve Newman went over and beyond anything I could have asked for. He helped me with any questions and concerns I may have had. When we would meet with perspective buyers and questions would be asked, Steve knew the ins and outs of the business better than I did! Mike and Steve were just great and I thank them for handling everything in such a professional way. – Karen Maleski, WASP Archery Products, Inc.

Bennecom Associates & Rogers Acquisitions Corporations

“Bill and I went to their offices and sat down with them and they explained the whole process of what would take place. Their whole process was far more extensive that what we had experienced the first time when we went to sell our business.” – Kay Griffin, former co-owner Benecom Associates

New England Bioassay & GZA

“Right from the beginning you brought enthusiasm, energy and amazing attention to the details of such a transaction. In my view, you exceeded our expectations by a long shot. Your almost daily follow up with many parties, chasing down answers to questions and helping resolve the many small issues that can kill a deal were exactly what was needed.” – Frank Sampson, former Chairman/CEO, New England Bioassay, Inc.

RJ Enterprise, Inc & Passu Progressive Alloy

“I was extremely satisfied with the way Touchstone Advisors handled the sale of my business. They jumped right in and put a tremendous amount of time and energy into the challenge before them. I had no idea that it would be as involved as it was, but they were always by my side to give me advice and understanding. My partner and I sat down with Jeff and Mike in September of 2011 for the first time and had our closing on June 15th 2012. It doesn’t get any better than that. I would highly recommend Touchstone Advisors to anyone that wants to sell their business in a smooth, timely fashion.” – James A Klar, Former Owner, RJ Enterprise

Fandotech & Industrial Defender

“I have bought and sold several businesses in my career and I have chosen to repeat the process with a Broker that has exhibited unquestionable integrity in the process as I bought from him one business and sold several through him. That is a partner – Touchstone Advisors.” – John W. Boyd, Jr., P.E., Former General Manager, Fandotech

C Thru & Acme United Corporation

“From the very beginning, we were advised as to what we could expect, as we entered each phase of the negotiation. Because of your candor, there were very few surprises I can’t say enough about the part Jeff Rich played as the sale progressed. Some mornings, I felt that if I didn’t get to work on time, he would be in my office before me. There were emails at hours when most of us were asleep. Your fairness and even temperament brought both parties together over issues that might have scuttled the agreement. You are tactful, reasonable and blunt when necessary. You all make a great team.” – Theodore L. Zachs, Former President, C Thru Ruler Co

Aqua Blasting Corporation & A group of investors led by Richard Madamba

“The word that comes to mind when I look back at our experience with Touchstone is ‘Perseverance’. They never lost sight of the goal! Anyone that has ever been involved in a sale of a business will understand that the process can become overwhelming and challenging at times. Throughout the process, Touchstone was extremely helpful and professional. Their expertise and experience proved to be an incredible resource to us in achieving our goals. We never could have anticipated the time and energy that goes into the sale of a business and are very satisfied with our decision to hire Touchstone Advisors. We would certainly refer Touchstone Advisors to others looking to sell their business.” – Victoria Stavola, former President, Aqua Blasting Corporation

Stencil Ease & Liftline Capital, LLC

“The experience of working with Touchstone Advisors was nothing but first class. Their dedication, integrity and honesty throughout the process was impressive and uncommon for M&A firms.” – Brian Greenho, former Owner, Stencil Ease

William Laboratories, Inc & Temptime

“The Touchstone process facilitates the entire process resulting in the speediest company sale possible, because of the constant attention to detail and importance of timely responses and actions at every step of the process. Finally, the highest level of ethical behavior by Touchstone employees demanded the same of all potential acquirers of our company. The result was multiple offers from excellent organizations and a successful sale exceeding our expectations.” – Ed Sharpless, former Owner, William Laboratories

Cyclone Home Systems & Private Investor Group

“I remember what Mike Camerota said one year and one month ago today, ‘You’ll close this time next year, I’ll never forget those words. I thought, this man has incredible confidence. What I didn’t realize was, that confidence was backed up by a fantastic staff, a state-of-the-art business sales process, and the ability to stay one step ahead of all the difficulties that can occur. From the beginning to the end, you and your staff stayed with me and guided me to ultimate success. Without a doubt Touchstone Advisors are the best in the business.” – Robert Mariano, former President, Cyclone Home Systems Inc

Raintech Sound and Communications, Inc. & North East Protection Partners

Touchstone Advisors is pleased to announce the sale of Raintech Sound and Communications, Inc. to Northeast Protection Partners, an integrator of life safety and security systems.  

Deborah Agrafojo, Partner at Touchstone, shared, “We are excited to have advised Raintech through this transaction. The fit between Raintech and Northeast Protection Partners is outstanding.”  

Founded in 1989, Raintech has grown to become one of the most successful electronic systems contractors in New England, specializing in Health Care Communications Systems, Patient Safety Systems, Professional/Commercial, Sound Systems, Intercom Systems, Security/Access Control Systems, and Video Surveillance Systems. Rainer Hodina, President and CEO of Raintech said, “Northeast Protection Partners will bring a wealth of industry experience and resources to Raintech customers and employees.”

Northeast Protection Partners, with corporate headquarters in Parkesburg, PA specializes in providing hospitals, senior living communities, and other healthcare and commercial facilities with state-of-the-art life safety and security options. “Raintech Sound and Communications is a strong addition to Northeast Protection Partners’ growing presence in the New England market,” said Latham Pali, President and CEO of NEPPS. “We’re thrilled to integrate Rainer’s team into the Northeast family…We look forward to the expertise and knowledge our shared teams will bring to our organizations.”

Deborah Agrafojo and Steve Eick of Touchstone Advisors served as exclusive M&A advisors to Raintech Sound and Communications. “I am thrilled with the successful transaction between these two outstanding companies and the hard work of Deborah and Steve in making this happen,” said Steven Pappas, Partner at Touchstone Advisors.

“Touchstone Advisors and their team of experts performed exceptionally during our transaction,” said Hodina. “Their attention to detail and conveyance of information to our team was instrumental in bringing two great companies together. The process can be quite complicated, yet they were able to advise and explain each step with ease resulting in a comfort level that limited our stress and allowed us to continue to focus on our daily business operations. Wonderful experience!” 

For more information, please contact Deborah Agrafojo of Touchstone Advisors 936-689-2501 or dagrafojo@touchstoneadvisors.com

Recol & A&A Office Systems, Inc

“We couldn’t be more proud of this union of two leading Connecticut technology companies. With this acquisition, A&A Office Systems will be able to offer unparalleled solutions to businesses and organizations across New England.” – Barry Sullivan, Vice President A&A Office Systems

Woodhouse Academy & Private Investor Group

Touchstone Advisors Announces Sale of Woodhouse Academy
NEW HAVEN, CT, UNITED STATES, February 2024 [PR]
Touchstone Advisors is pleased to announce the sale of Woodhouse Academy to New Story Schools, a provider of special and alternative education and pediatric mental health solutions for children with serious and complex challenges. New Story is a subsidiary of Audax Private Equity.
“It is always rewarding to work on a transaction where it is evident that the seller and buyer are in alignment. New Story is poised to maintain the focus on student development that Woodhouse has become known for throughout Connecticut,” said Deborah Agrafojo, Partner at Touchstone.
Established in 2002, Woodhouse Academy is a Connecticut State approved special education school. The company provides an unparalleled educational, emotional, and therapeutic haven for adolescent students who have been diagnosed with internalizing psychological issues, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and/or Learning Disabilities. The company will continue to operate as Woodhouse Academy, including current leadership, teachers and staff.
“We feel confident that we chose the right buyer with New Story. They remain committed to the focus, student profiles and philosophies of Woodhouse Academy,” said Barbara Feldman, the school’s former Chief Administrator and owner. “Their vision and goals for the school definitely aligned with what we were looking for in a buyer,” added David Feldman, Chief Business Officer and co-owner.
Founded in 1997, New Story provides education, therapeutic and clinical programs designed to meet the needs of each child to promote their achievement, growth, and development. They have 75+ locations concentrated in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
“David and I are very proud of the Woodhouse program and reputation and firmly believe that Woodhouse Academy will maintain its same level of excellence within the New Story group of schools,” stated Barbara Feldman.
Steven Pappas and Deborah Agrafojo of Touchstone Advisors served as exclusive M&A advisor to Woodhouse Academy.
For more information, please contact Deborah Agrafojo of Touchstone Advisors at (936) 689-2501 or dagrafojo@touchstoneadvisors.com
Deborah Agrafojo
Touchstone Advisors
(936) 689-2501
dagrafojo@touchstoneadvisors.com
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Touchstone Advisors Announces Sale of Airex Rubber Products Corporation

June 2022
Westport, CT
Touchstone Advisors is pleased to announce that, in conjunction with Four Points Capital Partners, they served as the exclusive financial advisors to Airex Rubber Products Corporation (“Airex”) in its sale to Airex Holding, LLC (“Holding”) a newly formed entity.
Airex, located in Portland, Connecticut, is a Tier 1 producer of rubber-based products for the aerospace, helicopter, medical device, and oil exploration industries. The company offers full-service design and manufacturing, with expertise in rubber-to-metal bonding and precision molding of rubber parts. Product design, material formulation, testing, and certification, along with mold tool manufacturing, in-support onsite production, are core capabilities. Founded in 1943, Airex was in its third generation of family ownership at the time of the sale.
The key principal at the buying entity has an engineering background in rubber products manufacturing and has most recently worked in the aerospace industry, with exposure to U.S. military and defense.
Roy Johnson, M&A Advisor and Steve Pappas, Partner of Touchstone, co-managers of the transaction in coordination with Four Points Capital Partners, who managed various aspects of the process, commented … “We are pleased to have successfully advised Airex shareholders, trustees and senior management in this engagement, despite COVID and other factors contributing to a challenging environment. We were able to include the company-owned real estate in the transaction, which was a desire of our client” The Touchstone advisory team included Heather Lockwood as Due Diligence Coordinator, and she was instrumental in helping to manage the latter stages of the transaction.
SRC, Certified Public Accountants, P.C. provided accounting and tax advice, and Jacobs, Walker, Rice & Barry, LLC provided legal advice to Airex. Thomas J. O’Neill, III, LLC, Attorney at Law provided legal advice to Holding. Senior debt financing was provided by Live Oak Bank.
Because the structure of the deal involved a securities transaction, Touchstone Advisors acted through Four Points Capital Partners, member FINRA/SIPC.