Blackford also named a finalist in three Deal of the Year categories
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., October 29, 2021 – Blackford Capital, a national private equity firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, today announced that it has been named a finalist in the Private Equity Firm of the Year category by The M&A Advisor. Blackford was also named a finalist in three separate Deal of the Year categories. The company’s acquisition of Aqua Leisure was named a finalist in the Consumer Discretionary Deal of the Year (Under $100MM) and Private Equity Deal of the Year ($50MM to $75MM) categories, while Blackford’s sale of Ellison Bakery was recognized in the Consumer Staples Deal of the Year category.
“We are thrilled to be selected as a finalist for Private Equity Firm of the Year by The M&A Advisor, and to have two of our transactions recognized as well. It is always an honor to be recognized for our work by one of the most credible publications in our industry,” said Martin Stein, Blackford Capital’s founder and managing director. “We have an outstanding team that has been working diligently to surpass our goals for this year and are excited to see continued growth for both Blackford and our portfolio companies.”
These nominations continue Blackford’s history of recognition from The M&A Advisor. Blackford was named Private Equity Firm of the Year in 2018 and received Deal of the Year honors in 2017 and 2015, while Martin Stein was named Private Equity Professional of the Year in 2016. In addition, Blackford was recognized as Small Business of the Year and a Michigan Economic Bright spot by Corp! Magazine in 2018, and has been named to the Inc. 5000 in 2016 and 2017.
The winners of the M&A Advisor awards will be announced during the 2021 Future of Dealmaking Summit on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at the New York Athletic Club.
For more information, and for a detailed list of all the Award Finalists for the 20th 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 Capital makes majority control investments in founder and family-owned, lower middle-market manufacturing, industrial and distribution companies. Currently, Blackford Capital has eleven portfolio companies. Blackford and their team members have received a number of recognitions over the past several years, including M&A Adviser Private Equity Firm of the year, Corp. Magazine Small Company of the Year (Michigan), GR Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year (West Michigan), numerous recognitions on the Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies list and M&A Adviser Private Equity Professional of the Year (Martin Stein). For more information, visit www.blackfordcapital.com.