Merger & Acquisition Advisors to Exceptional Private Companies

About Us

A leading merger and acquisition advisory firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, we specialize in selling lower-middle market companies (less than $250 million in revenue). Our clients are entrepreneurs, families, private equity firms and corporations.

We guide business owners and management through the fast-paced, global M&A market for private companies.

Franklin Partners is a team of experienced deal makers from well-regarded investment banks, commercial banks and private and public corporations. We have led technology and industry practices in investment banks, held CEO and CFO positions, serve on boards of public, private and not-for-profit companies, and led and advised businesses through meaningful challenges.

We have the unique experience of having sat on all sides of the deal table: buyers, sellers, investors, lenders, directors – as well as advisors.

As a result, we are able to anticipate the perspectives of stakeholders in a transaction, and we find practical, win-win solutions. Our board transaction and business experiences are smaller transactions where management is frequently not prepared for rigors of a competitive sale process involving sophisticated buyers.

The Team

Our senior partners have transaction experience on all sides of the deal table, from investment banking to public and private company management, boards of directors, private equity and commercial lending.

We are adept at navigating complex negotiations involving multiple stakeholders including sellers, buyers, management, lenders, attorneys, and tax advisors. From our own business experience, we also understand the challenges of private company leadership.

Chip Myers

Chip founded Franklin Partners in 1994 to guide owners through the process of selling their companies. By working for larger companies on the buy-side, he experienced first-hand the mistakes business owners make when selling their businesses - mistakes that result in lost value and lost opportunities. His goal was to use his skills to level the playing the field in favor of smaller company owners, and to bring integrity and transparency to a complex process.

Today, Franklin Partners is a tight team of senior people with shared values and complementary experiences, and who are dedicated to success of closely-held business owners.

Prior to Franklin, Chip worked for Owen-Illinois, Inc., Econotherm Energy Systems Corporation, and was a founder of an acquisitive, private holding company. He has served on boards of public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations.

Chip is a graduate of Grinnell College (B.S.) and the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago (M.B.A.).

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Joe Caruso

Joe began his career as an analyst in advanced energy research at Argonne National Laboratory. After more than 20 years in investment and commercial banking, Joe Caruso became a partner at Franklin Partners in 2001. While at Piper Jaffray, General Electric Capital Corporation and The First National Bank of Chicago, Joe led transaction teams in sell-side and buy-side M&A engagements and in the underwriting, sale and placement of several billion dollars of public and private equity and debt securities.

Joe’s transaction experience by sector includes the technology, healthcare, telecommunications, consumer products, specialty retail, energy and utility industries. He has advised public and private companies as well as family offices.

Joe is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University (B.S.) and the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago (M.B.A.).

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Joel Fischer

Joel Fischer joined Franklin Partners in 2011 and has 15+ years of experience in the investment and commercial banking sector. During his time with Franklin Partners, Joel has advised privately-held companies on a variety of M&A transactions, including sell-side, buy-side, leveraged buyouts, and corporate divestiture assignments.

Prior to joining Franklin Partners, Joel spent six years with The Marshall Group/BankFirst where he originated, syndicated, and managed the restructuring of a wide range of commercial debt. His responsibilities included restructuring strategies for a $350 million portfolio of non-performing corporate debt and commercial/multi-family real estate projects involving more than 500 syndicate lenders.

Joel is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College (B.A.) and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota (M.B.A.).

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Approach

We believe attractive investment opportunities are found in smaller companies, where innovation flourishes and attention is paid to traditional business values. Presented in a proper manner to the right buyers, exceptional values can be achieved.

VALUE CREATION, NOT EBITDA ENGINEERING

We analyze businesses for their valuable characteristics, seeking out scalable or leverageable elements that make it attractive for growth-oriented investors. We move past the financial statements and focus on the market, customers, and business model, and develop metrics that support a compelling investment thesis. It is our view that each opportunity is unique, and our customized approach achieves superior results.

GETTING BEYOND THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Superior results are achieved when we reach out to buyers beyond the usual suspects. We find and qualify buyers by focusing on common themes such business model characteristics or markets served. We have extensive contacts with private equity firms, family offices, and domestic and foreign companies seeking to buy private companies.

HANDS-ON ATTENTION FROM SENIOR PEOPLE

We have no junior people. And we stay "hands-on" all the way to closing, so that our client can depend on the same senior person throughout the project. We limit ourselves to a small number of projects at any one time to insure each client receives our personal attention.

CRITERIA

Our principal criteria is whether the business has unique characteristics that will make it attractive in the international M&A market. Most of our projects have values from $20 million to $50 million, in the past year we have sold companies ranging from $5 million to $150 million in value.

Transactions

Industries

Data
Technology
Technology-enabled Business Services
Financial Services
Marketing Services
Medical Products
Healthcare
Specialty Manufacturing
Specialty Distribution

Buyers

Public and private corporations (North America, Asia, and Europe)
Private Equity Firms (North America and Europe)
Portfolio Companies of Private Equity Firms
Independent Sponsors (Principally North America)
Family Offices

Contact

Chip Myers
612-436-0891
Email
LinkedIn

Joe Caruso
612-436-0892
Email
LinkedIn

Joel Fischer
612-436-0894
Email
LinkedIn

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Learn More

Merger & Acquisition Advisors to Exceptional Private Companies

Merger & Acquisition Advisors to Exceptional Private Companies

About Us

The Team

Approach

We believe attractive investment opportunities are found in smaller companies, where innovation flourishes and attention is paid to traditional business values. Presented in a proper manner to the right buyers, exceptional values can be achieved.

Transactions

Contact

Chip Myers612-436-0891EmailLinkedIn

Joe Caruso612-436-0892EmailLinkedIn

Joel Fischer612-436-0894EmailLinkedIn

Join Our Newsletter

Sign up to receive announcements and updates from Franklin Partners.

Chip Myers
612-436-0891
Email
LinkedIn

Joe Caruso
612-436-0892
Email
LinkedIn

Joel Fischer
612-436-0894
Email
LinkedIn