RKCA Investment Banking

A city feels like home when you frequently and spontaneously run into people who you know and who know you. Last week, on my way to Graeters, I was reminded that this has become my reality. Within a 0.2-mile roundtrip walk, I bumped into two groups of friends and acquaintances. As someone not from here, Cincinnati was not always this way for me. It’s kind of surreal that only 5 years later, I received a 40 under 40 award for Cincinnati. // In 2019, My wife and I had just moved back from New York City. Outside of her family and a couple of college friends, I had few (if any) connections in Cincinnati. I was having difficulty making it feel like home and trying off-the-wall tactics… - I remember walking to 1215 Coffee to sit at the bar and hopefully strike up a conversation with a stranger just to start building a seedling of a network. - I applied to jobs where I thought interesting people might work and chatted with the interviewers. - I made friends with similar interests on Twitter when I noticed they were from Cincinnati and connected IRL when possible. Then, in late 2019, the momentum changed. I joined RKCA Investment Banking. After a year-long COVID hiatus from human contact, RKCA gave me the platform to make Cincinnati feel not-so-foreign while also challenging me to succeed and shape the company's future. I can’t imagine having half the success, network, or experiences at any other firm in town. By mid-2021, I told the Partners at an off-site that “Cincinnati is starting to feel like home” as I got into the swing of the business community and took part in the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s C-Change program. While you will never get the Browns fan out of this Cleveland boy, today, Cincinnati feels like home. I am excited to raise a family here, get more involved in the business and non-business communities, and make many memories while also making an impact. Here's to making bumping into folks an even more common occurrence. // There are a million people to thank… - my parents, - my wife Colleen Huster, who has been the foundation, - the Partners and my colleagues at RKCA for believing in me and appeasing my good and (more often) bad ideas, - my classmates in C-Change 16 for challenging me, - Mike Veith, CFA, for introducing me to RKCA, - every client and portfolio company manager that I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside, - the folks who took the time to nominate me, - and so many more. I am honored to be named a Cincinnati Business Courier 40 under 40. There’s a heck of a lot more to come! https://lnkd.in/gnpbtpGP

We're hiring! Join the team at RKCA as we look to help business owners realize their life's work.

We're hiring! Join the team at RKCA as we look to help business owners realize their life's work.

Congratulations to Justin Hollon on his promotion to Senior Analyst! Justin joined RKCA in 2021 following his graduation from the University of Cincinnati. Since joining RKCA, Justin has become a trusted deal team member and key contributor to the IT Managed Service Provider focus. We would also like to congratulate Justin on his acceptance into the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's Cincy Next Class 11 and are excited to see his continued growth with the organization.

We are pleased to announce the successful sale of Label Traxx (Tailored Solutions, Inc.), Batched (Batched, LLC), and Siteline (My Siteline, LLC), (together "the Companies") to Amtech Software (Amtech Software LLC), an enterprise software solutions provider for the corrugated manufacturing and folding carton industry. Amtech is a portfolio company of Peak Rock Capital and is based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. The transaction closed in March 2024.   "RKCA provided us a long-term, consultative approach to the process of bringing three companies together and preparing us for the sale process,” said Ken Meinhardt, an owner of Label Traxx. “They were our trusted advisors, sometimes therapists, and true partners which resulted in the right sale, to the right partner, at the right time."   RKCA engaged with all three companies starting in 2019 to help them work through how best to optimize each business for the exit they desired in the 2023/2024 timeframe. Working with RKCA, the ownership teams formally aligned in 2021. Each company recognized the industry’s need for a combined technology package, the efficiencies that could be gained by working as a unified team, and the opportunity each business had for value improvement by being sold together rather than separately.   The Companies underwent a "Synthetic Cashless Merger" and some operational integrations as a means to realize this vision. A Synthetic Cashless Merger refers to an agreement in which companies are not legally merged but come together to pursue an outcome in an M&A transaction.   RKCA was retained as the Companies’ exclusive M&A advisor and provided pre-transaction advisory services. The transaction was led by Brent Rippe, Managing Partner; and Justin Hollon, Senior Analyst. See Disclaimer in the first comment below.

Great Selling Starts with Great Planning At RKCA, we believe that the process of selling your business starts years before you decide to sell your business. Our friends at Bartlett Wealth Management feel the same way. That's why Brent Rippe of RKCA teamed up with Holly Mazzocca, CFP® and Jason Katz, CPA, CFP®, CEPA of Bartlett Wealth Management to talk through what business owners need to know as they begin to think about selling their businesses. Watch the webinar at the link below! (60 mins) Together we cover: 1- Defining your purpose and goals 2- Assessing the timing of a sale that aligns with your goals 3- Addressing the gaps within your business ahead of a sale 4- Identifying the team that will help you cross the finish line 5- Understanding different types of buyers and the market Our audience also asked a few questions. If you have specific questions about your business, you can reach out to Brent Rippe (brippe@rkca.com) or respond to this email directly! https://lnkd.in/gtQiuzt7

Our mission at RKCA is to help business owners realize their life’s work. On April 25th, business owners can learn from Brent Rippe and Jason Katz, CPA, CFP®, CEPA (moderated by Holly Mazzocca, CFP®) on a Bartlett Wealth Management webinar about what they need to know before a transaction. Register using the link below to join us for “What Business Owners Need to Know (That No One’s Told You)!” Recording to follow: https://lnkd.in/gquJMKqJ

Congratulations to Eric Knight Hornung for his promotion to Director at RKCA! Eric began his career at RKCA in December 2019 as an Associate. Following a promotion to Vice President, Eric also took on the duties of Chief Operating Officer and sits on the Leadership team at RKCA.   Eric now works between Investment Banking, where he helps business owners realize their life’s work; and Direct Investments, where he serves as an investment principal and board member.   Before joining RKCA, Eric was a Vice President at Duff & Phelps’ Governance, Risk, Investigations, and Disputes group. He also ran upside.fm, a podcast about startups outside of Silicon Valley, which garnered the title of “Top Business Podcast” by Fortune Magazine.   Eric is a proud member of the 3-C club: a native of Cleveland, a graduate of Ohio State University in Columbus, and a current resident of Cincinnati with his wife (Colleen), Bernese Mountain Dog (Hank), and 8-month-old daughter (Quinn).

We are excited to welcome Kingsley E. to RKCA! Kingsley began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Atlanta, GA in its Assurance group.   Following his time at PwC, Kingsley joined Houlihan Lokey where he was a part of their Financial and Valuation Advisory Services group. While at Houlihan Lokey, Kingsley supported the execution of M&A transactions across the healthcare industry.   Kingsley is a graduate of Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business and holds a BSBA in Finance and Accounting. Kingsley also holds a Master of Accountancy from Mercer University’s Stetson-Hatcher’s School of Business.

We're hiring! Join the team at RKCA as we look to help business owners realize their life's work.