Blackford receives finalist nods in ‘Firm of the Year’ and three ‘Deal of the Year’ categories
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., September 15, 2022 – Blackford Capital, a leading lower middle market private equity firm, today announced it has been named a finalist for four 2022 M&A Advisor Awards including Private Equity Firm of the Year.
The company’s add-on acquisition of INYO Pool Supply to Boston, Massachusetts-based Aqua-Leisure was named a finalist in three separate Deal of the Year categories including:
- M&A Deal of the year
- Private Equity Deal of the Year ($10MM – $25MM)
- Consumer Discretionary Deal of the Year ($10MM – $100MM)
“We are so proud to be recognized, again, as a finalist for The M&A Advisor Private Equity Firm of the Year award,” said Martin Stein, Blackford Capital’s founder and managing director. “And to have our add-on acquisition of INYO Pools recognized in three separate categories is both an honor and a testament to the work of our outstanding deal teams.”
These nominations continue Blackford’s history of recognition from The M&A Advisor. In addition to being named Private Equity Firm of the Year in 2021 and 2018, Blackford Capital received Deal of the Year honors in 2017 and 2015 and Blackford Founder and CEO Martin Stein was named Private Equity Professional of the Year in 2016. Additionally, Blackford has also been recognized as Small Business of the Year and a Michigan Economic Bright spot by Corp! Magazine in 2018 and was named to the Inc. 5000 in 2016 and 2017.
“We have an outstanding team at Blackford Capital that is laser-focused on delivering growth and value creation for both the firm and our portfolio companies,” said Stein. “Our selection as a finalist for not one, but four such prestigious awards is a great validator that our focus is paying off.”
The winners of the M&A Advisor awards will be announced during the 2022 Future of Dealmaking Summit on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, in New York City.
For more information, and for a detailed list of all the Award Finalists for the 21st Annual M&A Advisor awards, please visit www.maadvisor.com.
About Blackford Capital
Founded in 2010, Blackford Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blackford acquires, manages, and builds founder and family-owned, lower middle-market companies, with a focus on the manufacturing, industrial and distribution industries. With a reputation for a relentless approach to value creation and a focus on operational excellence, Blackford was named the Private Equity Firm of the Year by M&A Advisor in 2021 and 2018. Several of its portfolio companies have been included on the Inc. 5000. For more information, visit www.blackfordcapital.com.