Evergeen Advisors helped celebrate its tenth anniversary with a food drive for the Howard County Food Bank located around the corner from their Maryland Office.

Shelley Lombardo, Vice President of Marketing noted that “It has truly been a rewarding experience as the families of Evergreen employees have come together to collect food and provide a monetary donation. The 249 pounds of food are equivalent to 208 number of meals supplied to disadvantaged families. Food pantries have been struggling to keep up with the increased demand and we are grateful to help one in our own backyard. “

Evergreen Advisors has a long history of community involvement assisting local charitable organizations. Among the many groups supported are Ed Block Foundation, University of Maryland Medical System, Catholic Charities, National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), The Krista Rita Strouse Foundation, American Heart Association, and the Columbia Foundation.

 

About Evergreen Advisors

Evergreen Advisors is a leading investment banking and corporate advisory firm focused on assisting emerging growth and middle-market companies in the areas of corporate finance, growth and exit strategies,  business valuations and advisory services.  For more information, visit https://evergreenadvisorsllc.com/

Southwest Airlines celebrated their 40th anniversary this year, young by most standards for larger corporations. The origin of Southwest is as remarkable as the great  airline that they have come to be. Their first chairman, Herb Kelleher, led the legal fight to provide service within the state of Texas. It was a long and costly fight but finally on June 18, 1971 Southwest Airlines began offering service to Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. (If you would like to know more about the Southwest story and their colorful former chairman, Herb Kelleher, a book you would thoroughly enjoy is called “Nuts.”)

Culture is neither negotiable nor optional. Almost 20 years ago, two former Price Waterhouse partners wrote a book called, “The 100 Greatest companies in America”. They reviewed thousands and thousands of pages of data on over 5,000 companies to determine the best of the best. They discovered two unique traits about the companies they eventually chose as “the best 100”. First, except for one company the other 99 had stuck to their knitting during their entire history. The other discovery was that the original “Value statement” and Culture of the organizations had remained intact.

I can remember as a kid in the 60’s and in love with baseball and the Oriole’s, you would often hear people talk about “The Oriole Way” (their culture). What was it that made the hometown team dominant in baseball through the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s? Sure, it was great pitching and defense and as Hall of Fame Manager Earl Weaver would say, “and a nice three run homer from time to time”. However, it was also the professionalism, team spirit, “hustle” preparation and a determination to be the best that was expected from every player. An organization that has had the highest winning percentage in baseball the last twenty years is the Atlanta Braves, and it is not a coincidence that their leader as GM and now team president for that entire period has been Baltimorean John Schuerholz, whose first job in baseball was in 1966 with…. You guessed it, the Oriole’s.

Is your Culture a competitive differentiator?

Go For It!

http://www.southwest.com/assets/pdfs/about-southwest/garys-greeting.pd

Evergreen Advisors is pleased to announce that Rick Kohr will be a panelist at the, “Maryland’s Cyber Battleground APG to Ft. Meade: The Regional Impact and Global Reach of the New Cyber Technology,” Corridor Inc. conference on September 22, featuring keynote speaker Dutch Ruppersberger, Ranking Member, House Select Committee on Intelligence. Along with working many cyber related businesses in the area, Rick also serves on the Howard County Cyber Commission. The commission advises Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to help maximize opportunities generated by the growth of cyber activity in the Baltimore-Washington region.

Other panelists include high-level Security, Intelligence Business and Military officials including Mark Barnett, Director of Small Business Programs, NSA, Neal Ziring, Technical Director of Information Assurance Directorate, NSA, Bob Hannon, President & CEO, Anne Arundel EDC, Hart Rossman, VP & CTO Cyber Security Services & Solutions, SAIC, Bill Varner, President & COO Mission, Cyber and Technology Solutions, Mantech, Chris Foster, Business Development Executive, Raytheon, and Christian Johansson, Secretary, DBED.

Panelists will outline the state of cybersecurity in Maryland, what lies ahead, and – most importantly – financial opportunities that exist for companies of all sizes.
Special commentary will be provided by Aris Melissaratos, Special Advisor for Enterprise Development to the President of Johns Hopkins University.

For more information visit: http://corridorinc.com/corridorevents/event/3/Maryland%E2%80%99s-Cyber-Battleground
_____________________________________________________
About Evergreen Advisors
Evergreen Advisors is a leading investment banking and corporate advisory firm focused on assisting emerging growth and middle-market companies in the areas of Mergers and Acqusitions, Business Valuations, Advisory including corporate finance, growth and exit strategies, and CFO advisory services.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she was telling me how tough the marketplace has been for her for too long. I shared with her my philosophy about the “pie” and what you need to do to get your fair slice. You see when times are tough the pie is smaller or to put it another way, your opportunities are fewer than when the tide is rising and there is plenty for everyone. But you still need to get your fair slice of the pie, a daunting task but one that you have to win-no excuses!

Here are some ideas for you to consider and implement NOW.

Say out loud, “THE ECONOMY STINKS”, OK do you feel better, now do something about it…….get the slice you want and leave the crumbs for your competitor.

1. Spend more time each evening and morning reviewing your game plan for the day.

2. Ask for referrals more often. If you did a great job taking care of the customer you’ve earned the right.

[Read more…]

With the advent of accounting (FASB 123R) and income tax (IRC 409A) guidelines regarding the valuation of equity-based compensation, it has become increasingly important for entrepreneurs to become familiar with complex equity securities and the valuation of equity-based compensation such as stock or option grants.

This typically arises in the context of venture capital funding. Providers of early stage institutional funding provide growth capital for emerging companies and therefore, are interested in the return of the their capital (often called liquidation preference)  but also participating in the “upside” or increase in equity value of the business, hence achieving a return commensurate with the risk involved.

[Read more…]

Newt Fowler sat down for a conversation with Mike Gill, Chairman of Evergreen Advisors, published in www.Citybizlist.com. Here is an excerpt of the article…

How does one seek out mentors? Is that enough? What does it take inside of us to be reflective enough to grow? I explored these questions with Mike Gill and came to better understand from a consummate mentor to many exactly what he means by “positive energy,” how we comport ourselves, and how we choose to learn from others.

The Skinny. Mike Gill is CEO of Hoyt Capital, a small investment firm providing capital and business advice to start-up and existing enterprises and also serves on the Board of Advisors for Evergreen Advisors, a regional M&A and advisory firm.

Wanting to Succeed. Mike has mentored many business leaders in the region, so when we sat down for breakfast, I wanted to understand what makes a great mentor. But Mike really wanted to explore what it takes to succeed in business, what attributes enable a young entrepreneur to succeed. So Mike had us start our conversation at the other end of my question: what is it that makes a young entrepreneur “want to be successful?” He started by telling the story of another Calvert Hall alumnus, a fellow who, with 28 promotions, worked his way through IBM to become its CEO – Sam Palmisano. “How does that internalized desire become demonstrated by actions?” Mike answered his own question, “he is always working to get better, a constant effort at self-improvement.”

To read more: http://baltimore.citybizlist.com

Together with regional industry leaders, government leaders and early-stage investors, Rick Kohr, CEO Evergreen Advisors, helped select the 2011 eleventh annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year (ICOY) Awards. The winning companies were selected based on the organization’s goals and its success in achieving their objectives. Judges considered factors such as technology or product development; intellectual property; increase in employee numbers; growth in revenue or earnings; engagement of significant customers and strategic partners; attraction of outside investors; innovation; self-sufficiency; impact on the region; and usage of the incubator’s services.

Click here to see the list of winners: http://www.marylandtedco.com/_media/pdf/2011ICOYWinners.pdf

 

Over the past 10 years, Evergreen Advisors has served middle market investment banking clients through the Mid-Atlantic with the objective to assist clients in Realizing Their Destiny by understanding their needs and coming up with creative solutions to help them achieve their goals.  Increasingly, clients have accessed the full landscape of advisory services.  “From assisting clients with CFO services, business valuations, capital raises to growth and exit strategies, we are providing the full range of financial advisory services needed by companies throughout their life cycle, explains Drew Clark, Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer.  The length of Evergreen’s relationship with clients throughout different times provides compelling evidence of the commitment to forming a relationship with clients rather than just completing a transaction.

The company has grown considerably over the years with an office outside of Baltimore, in Columbia Maryland, and is planning the opening of a new office in Northern Virginia this year.  “We have invested very heavily in the last two or three years in our Board of Advisors, in people, and in marketing.  We are coming off our best year ever and there is no reason it should not continue”, Rick Kohr, Founder and CEO.  Beyond 2011, Evergreen Advisors will continue to expand its employee base and build upon well-established customer relationships and our core capabilities to maintain growth and expertise.

Rick Kohr is honored to serve on the selection committee of the eleventh annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year (ICOY) Awards on June 11, 2011.  The companies hail from many parts of Maryland and they each represent unique technologies and services. The ceremony will recognize 22 current and graduate companies within Maryland’s incubator network.  For more information go to: http://www.mdincubatoraward.com/

Evergreen Advisors is proud to be sponsoring and attending The Columbia Foundation ‘s Spring Party on 05.05.11. The Columbia Foundation, Howard County’s community foundation, awards grants to Howard County nonprofit organizations delivering human service, cultural, educational and civic programs. Rick Kohr, Evergreen Advisors CEO serves on the board of trustees.
The Columbia Foundation’s 29th Annual Spring Party will be held on Tuesday, May 5, from 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Spear Center located in The Howard Hughes Corporation building at 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, Maryland. Each year the Foundation awards grants to over 50 Howard County nonprofit organizations. Learn more at http://www.columbiafoundation.org/

 

Evergreen Advisors

Evergreen Advisors is a leading middle market investment bank and advisory firm focused on assisting companies in the areas of corporate finance, growth and exit strategies, business valuations and CFO advisory services.

Friends of Evergreen Newt Folwer and Frank Bonsal recently sat down for a conversation published in www.Citybizlist.com . Here is an excerpt of the article….

Frank Bonsal By: Newt Fowler

I enjoy talking with Frank Bonsal. He has invested in more companies and seen the launch of more technologies and new market sectors than I can fathom. And each time I see him, as much as I try to coax from him promising leads, he more subtly works me for what I know is going on. I always leave wondering who got the better end of the conversation. Spending time with Frank is like playing poker with that guy who always fumbles with his cards, keeps asking which hand trumps another, and yet ineffably either folds fast or wins a large pot… So we sat down recently over lunch to figure out how Frank succeeds in investing at the earliest and most volatile stage of business growth and what insight there might be for entrepreneurs seeking funding from such an archetypal angel investor.

[Read more…]

Mike Gill, Chairman of Evergreen Advisors sat down with Rick Kohr, Founder and CEO of Evergreen Advisors to hear Rick reflect on the 10th Anniversary.

Mike: It’s Evergreen’s 10th Anniversary, what does that mean to you?

Rick: It’s a sign of a business model that has some merit to it. We were able to stick to something that in hindsight weathered two of the worst economic cycles in our history, going back to the dot-com blow up in 2001-2002 and more recently in the last 3 years of the “great recession” , as its been coined. In 2010, we had our best year, with our best people on board. Therefore, for me it is a badge of honor, its perseverance.

Mike: When you started Evergreen, was there something that was in your mind about what it could be, where you wanted to take it?

Rick: I don’t know that it’s wildly different from where we are today. I probably would have guessed it would have been easier than it was. However, I always viewed the model to have merit to it because I have watched other boutique investment banking firms struggle during the lean times and in some cases struggle even during the better times, due to being totally transaction focused. I felt like there was a big gap in the marketplace for folks who understood the right side of the balance sheet; which is in essence what investment banking is all about. Capital raise and bank debt, evaluation, and sophisticated CFO services, all of that is also understanding the right side of the balance sheet as well as understanding the other aspects of the business.

[Read more…]

The rivers were rising, the skies were dark, and the roads a little perilous, but almost 100 people found their way to Bulle Rock in Harford County, Maryland for a dynamic, energized, breakfast forum, titled, “Leadership Super-Sized….from George Washington to Steve Jobs.”

The event held on March 10th was co-hosted by Evergreen Advisors, the law firm Duane Morris, and the Harford County Office of Economic Development. The focus of the forum was on leadership, the potential of Harford County and the importance of BRAC to the county and business community.

Frank Bramble, former Vice Chairman of MBNA and currently a member of the Board of Directors of Bank of America was the keynote speaker. His talk was focused on the key characteristics of the great leaders that he has been associated with and observed. Some of the characteristics that Frank mentioned were Mental Toughness, Vision, Honesty, and being Fearless. In commenting on the banking industry, Frank said, “We can’t forget who we really are, we’re bankers and the business we’re in is a noble business, We need to do the right things all the time.”

Brigadier General Harold Greene, Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Commanding General, Natick Soldier Systems Center made a guest appearance to describe the BRAC initiative from a leadership and high level perspective.

The last part of the morning featured a panel of three of the most distinguished citizens of Harford County, Lyle Sheldon, CEO of Upper Chesapeake Health System, David Craig, County Executive of Harford County and John Ferriter, Senior Vice President of SAIC. Mike Gill, Chairman of Evergreen was the moderator and engaged the panel on a wide range of topics including, how they dealt with the Economic turbulence that began in 08, Harford County’s greatest challenges and the county’s potential, and a fun discussion on-if they could have one Mulligan- what would they like to do over.

It was a great morning with fabulous speakers and we thank all of our attendees for braving the monsoons to be with us.

 

Evegreen Advisors

Evergreen Advisors is a leading middle market investment bank and corporate advisory firm focused on assisting companies in the areas of corporate finance, growth and exit strategies, business valuation services and CFO advisory.

Whether preparing to raise funds or the eventual sale of your company – always be ready for the due diligence process.

Why wait for a funding event or a possible sale of your company to prepare for due diligence. The due diligence process can be time consuming. By being prepared in advance your business can be well positioned for the process. Today there are cost effective sites you can use to create a data room to house your due diligence materials.

The key documents you can gather in advance are the following:

• Key contracts
• Employment agreements
• Minutes and consents of the board of directors and
• Confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with
• Corporate charter and bylaws
• Patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property related Tax
• Financial and marketing plans

How can Evergreen CFO Services help?
We provide experienced talent to address the challenges faced by emerging businesses on an outsourced, part-time basis. Our staff typically works one or more days per week on site, which positions us to immediately address pressing financial concerns, mentor staff, and help you make critical decisions.

Mark Gretz is a Vice President with Evergreen’s CFO Advisory practice and he can be reached by calling 410-997-6000 x234 or e-mailing him at mgretz@evergreenadvisorsllc.com

There are many options available if you are looking to get your business valued. A simple online search for “business valuation Chicago” will find you a local valuation expert, but what approaches might they use? Well, there are three general approaches that are considered to determine the value of a business. The conventional approaches include the cost, income and market comparison approaches, or a combination of the three. These approaches can be summarized as follows:

In the Cost Approach, the aggregate value of the company’s assets is netted against the estimated value of all existing and potential liabilities, resulting in an indication of the value of the business enterprise. The resulting indication of value often represents a minimum, or floor value that a company may reasonably expect to realize, often through the liquidation of its assets.

The Income Approach considers expected returns on an investment, which are then discounted or capitalized at an appropriate rate of return to reflect the risks and potential rewards associated therewith. These valuation methods include (1) Discounted Cash Flow and (2) Capitalization of Income. These methodologies focus on the income-producing capability of the business enterprise.

Two commonly-used methodologies for business appraisals in the Market Comparison Approach are (1) the Guideline Public Company method, which focuses on comparing the subject company’s risk profile and growth prospects to select reasonably similar (or “guideline”) publicly-traded companies and (2) the Guideline Merged and Acquired Companies method, where consideration is given to pricing multiples in recent merger and acquisition transactions that have occurred in the subject company’s industry or in related industries.

There exists additional valuation methods within each of the above valuation approaches. The specific valuation techniques used in a valuation engagement depend on the facts and circumstances specific to each case, including the nature and characteristics of the business enterprise being valued, and the purpose of the business appraisal.

To discuss which approach or combination of approaches is appropriate for your business or our business valuation services, contact Greg Huff at 410-997-6000.

Evergreen Advisors CEO Rick Kohr appeared on Executive Leaders Radio on March 3, 2011.  Rick shared the founding of Evergreen Advisors and that  “it is fascinating because it’s not in many businesses that you get to sit down with someone and really know their passion, vision, dreams, concerns, financial statements…you get to work on their dream.” Executive Leaders Radio is dedicated to honoring individuals who have risen to leadership roles through hard work and dedication.

Evergreen Advisors was ranked 6^th in the Baltimore Book of Lists recently-published 2011 list of Largest Management Consulting firms. More than 50 companies were surveyed for this list and the growth Evergreen has seen helped lift the firm to the top. Evergreen assisted 75 clients in 2010 with 46 being the in Baltimore Metro Area.

“We take great pride in being ranked in the BBJ’s “Book of Lists,” remarked Rick Kohr, CEO. “Helping business owners in our community Realize their Destiny is our mission. We want to help as many area companies as we can. “

About Evergreen Advisors [Read more…]

The biggest weakness we see in entrepreneurial businesses is a lack of access to high-level financial guidance when and where it is needed. At the end of the month, quarter, or year, it is all about the numbers. Revenue, costs, cash flow – all the issues that keep an entrepreneur up at night. In any high growth business, a solid finance function is an early key to success. Yet the cost for a full-time CFO may be out of reach for many early-stage companies. For many businesses, a part-time CFO or an outsourced CFO can be that key. This is where those looking to get into the bookkeeping and accounting game may choose to start. It cannot be easy to create a virtual bookkeeping firm, but there are always businesses searching for the right firm to assist with their finances. Equally, those starting accounting firms or are already in the midst of it may require help with workflow management, as firms can get extremely busy, making it difficult to keep track of deadlines and progress. You can find out more at JetPack Workflow for accountants looking to make their day-to-day work life easier.

The leadership through an outsourced CFO solution can make a difference in your long-term financial strategy. While an office manager or bookkeeper can assist you on a day-to-day basis, this strategy does not provide you emphasis on the overall organization. The CFO service provide you a foundation for success.

The challenges we find in all emerging businesses include:

[Read more…]

 

Evergreen Advisors announces that Rick Kohr, CEO was named to the 13 member Howard County Cyber Commission. The newly formed commission will advise Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to help maximize opportunities generated by the growth of cyber activity in the Baltimore-Washington region.

 “Rick’s financial expertise is a welcome addition, and makes what was already a strong commission even stronger.  Much of the Cyber Commission’s work will focus on regional business development and job creation, so Rick’s in depth knowledge of investment banking and corporate financing will be invaluable,” said County Executive Ken Ulman.

 Kohr brings a wealth of knowledge to the commission in business development.  He serves on the board of many local technology companies and is actively involved with area business incubators and other business development initiatives.  “It’s an honor to serve on the Howard County Cyber Commission,” said Kohr.  “I look forward to working with the talented people serving on the commission and making recommendations that will maximize opportunities for Howard County in cyber security technology.”

WASHINGTON, DC/BALTIMORE, MD – Evergreen Advisors’ client Pathsensors, Inc., an environmental testing company that manufactures pathogen identification systems is positioning itself for future growth. Recently spun-off from Rockville based Innovative Biosensors Inc. (IBI), Pathsensors is a leading edge biotech company focused on the food testing and biosecurity market. The company recently was awarded a $5 million contract from the Department of Defense.

Pathsensors will be relocating to the UMB Biopark, in Baltimore Md., and will utilize a recently completed equity offering for expansion of sales and marketing, automation of quality systems and new product development.

Pathsensors received an investment from the Chesapeake Emerging Opportunities Club, LLC, which is an early-stage private equity investment fund focused on promising emerging growth companies in the mid-Atlantic region.

“When Pathsensors looked for a financial advisor we turned to Evergreen Advisors. With LeadJig, financial advisors can use omnichannel marketing so the chances are you will have contact with a lot of different companies. We selected Evergreen for their strength in Biotechnology and their ability to understand our needs. With Evergreen we know that not only would they guide us through the process but also develop a lasting relationship with us.” _________________________________________________________

I recently spent part of an an afternoon with Paul Silber, a valued Advisory Board Member. It was a fascinating discussion as we talked about his business career and how he has been “filling his time” since selling In Vitro Technologies four years ago – MG

Dealing with “too much of a good thing”

In 1986, Paul’s first job was at Mary Kay Cosmetics in Dallas, Texas. A newly minted Ph.D., “I thought I’d probably join P&G, or Smith Kline”, Paul said, “but Mary Kay was offering me the opportunity to pursue my greatest interest, Toxicology”. As Paul explained to me, the simplest definition of Toxicology is dealing with too much of a good thing. Paul loved the work he did at Mary Kay, “I could kill a product if necessary and more than once was called to Mary Kay’s office to talk about the affect of one of the company’s products on her sensitive skin”.

Mary Kay turned out to be a great experience for Paul; he worked closely with the regulatory affairs group, marketing, operations, and represented Mary Kay in Washington with the industry groups. “This turned out to be a very critical period for both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as we came under attack by the animal rights groups.” “My boss and I saw an opportunity to start our own company, where animals were not necessary for testing and we began to use test tube methods instead to determine how things would react.” The company they started was called In Vitro Alternatives, and the “aha” moment was when Revlon announced they were going to stop all animal testing. One early bump in his new entrepreneurial life was the partnership failing, “we split the company in half and I never looked back. In Vitro test tube tests changed the paradigm and an American success story was underway.

[Read more…]

The biggest weakness we see in entrepreneurial businesses is a lack of access to high-level financial guidance when and where it’s needed. At the end of the month, quarter or year, it’s all about the numbers. Revenue, costs, cash flow, all the issues that keep an entrepreneur up at night. In any high growth business, a solid finance function is an early key to success. Yet the cost for a full time CFO may be out of reach for many early stage companies. For many businesses an outsourced CFO can be that key.

The challenges we find in all emerging businesses include:

• Lacking the accounting skills necessary to make difficult or urgent decisions
• Spending too much time in the business and not enough on the business
• Need for executive-level expertise, but no cost justification for a full-time position
• Obtaining meaningful, timely, and accurate financial statements and management information
• Evaluating equity transactions and owner equity protection
• Developing key relationships: venture capitalists, bankers, auditors, lawyers
• Maintaining vital flow of financial information during employee turnover or leaves of absence
• Selecting and implementing accounting software

How can Evergreen CFO help?
We provide experienced talent to address the challenges faced by emerging businesses on an outsourced, part-time basis. Our staff typically works one or more days per week on site, which positions us to immediately address pressing financial concerns, mentor staff, and help you make critical decisions.

Mark Gretz is a Vice President with Evergreen’s CFO Services department and he can be reached by calling 410-997-6000 x234 or e-mailing him at mgretz@evergreenadvisorsllc.com.

“The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle is perhaps to win it without honor. If there were no difficulties there would be no success; if there were nothing to struggle for, there would be nothing to be achieved.”

 

Samuel Smiles, a Scottish author & reformer (1812-1904)

Quote is from his most famous book, Self-Help

On many fronts we’re excited to bring you our Fall issue of Evergreen News. As we were planning for it, it struck us that this past Summer should have been called “the Summer of Champions.” The NHL and NBA finals, the US Open, Wimbledon, World Cup, British Open, Tour de France . . . and more. Competing in sports and business has everything in common with building an organization, creating a culture, dealing with adversity and much more.

[Read more…]

Building Organizations, Creating a Culture & Dealing with Adversity

A brief snapshot of Chairman Mike Gill’s interview with John Schuerholz, President of the Atlanta Braves and
Bill Miller, Chairman of Legg Mason Capital Management

This is Mike Gill. I am the Chairman of Evergreen Advisors. I’m here with John Schuerholz and Bill Miller.

John Schuerholz is president of the Atlanta Braves and has been since 2007. He was GM for 17 years prior to the promotion to president. Prior to that, John was with the Kansas City Royals for 22 years, 9 as General Manager. John has been involved with three championship teams: the ‘85 Royals, ‘95 Braves, and our hometown Baltimore Orioles in 1966.

Bill Miller is Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Legg Mason Capital Management. Bill co-managed the Legg Mason value trust fund since its inception. From 1991 to 2005, the value trust beat the S&P 500 15 consecutive years. Smart Money called Bill Miller among the top 30 most influential people in investing. Money magazine called Miller the greatest money manger of the 90’s.

I want to start this interview off with a Lou Holtz quote which I think is fitting because what brought us together was this incredible streak between 1991 and 2005 of two individuals in their respective industries. It might be fair to say that it won’t be topped again. But Lou Holtz said something along these lines, “I’ve been on the top, I’ve been on the bottom and I’m probably gonna be in both places again”. Let’s talk about the streak for just a couple of minutes.

{Mike Gill} Bill let’s talk about ‘91 to 2005. When all of a sudden did you say to yourself, “This is pretty interesting. What’s going on with our effectiveness with the value trust fund?”

[Read more…]

It’s been well over twenty years since Gregg Smith, a kid out of Westfield, NJ, was in the goal for St. Mary’s College of Southern Maryland’s lacrosse team. “It was,” Gregg said, “win or lose, I’m the goalie.” It was that experience and the lessons learned that launched Gregg onto an incredibly successful and exciting business career.

From the intense lightning-fast world of college lacrosse, things haven’t changed much for Gregg. He has executed transactions worth nearly a half billion dollars, including the sale of seven companies. I asked Gregg what are the most important things he’s learned in the fast paced world of an entrepreneur. He said, “I think my leadership philosophy really started to develop while playing lacrosse at St. Mary’s. Whether you’re the goalie or the CEO, leading by example, working hard, remembering that the team is the most important of part of success, are the most important attributes.”

A long time friend of Gregg’s, Francis Knott, Senior Vice President of Inflection Point Systems, said this about Gregg. “I know Gregg personally and professionally; he’s all about people, integrity, constant improvement, willing to get outside your comfort zone. People want to work for Gregg and they want to win.”

Rick Kohr, founder and CEO of Evergreen said about Gregg, “He was the first person we asked to join our advisory board. Gregg’s energy, ideas, constant challenge to our senior management team on how we might do things better, makes him invaluable to our board.”

The young kid from New Jersey with a lacrosse stick has come a long way. He has a beautiful nineteen year old daughter, Kelsey, and a legion of people who he has touched inside and outside the business world.

Mark is a Vice President in Evergreen’s CFO Advisory Services Group. He’s had a terrific career with over twenty years of operating and financial expertise in venture backed, closely held, and public companies.

“One of the things I like most about my work at Evergreen is helping growing companies work through their challenges,” Mark said. “Having worked in public accounting as well as the ‘real world’ of private companies, I’ve been there, I’ve seen the movie. Evergreen is a great environment to help early stage companies.”

Mark is a Catonsville native who attended Mt. St. Joe and then went onto Towson University where he received his degree in Accounting. “My dad was an engineer; that wasn’t my calling, but I did want to have a major where I could gain some specific knowledge. Accounting was the answer for me.”

Mark and his wife Mary Clare, and their three daughters, Amanda, Laura, and Olivia reside in Elkridge. He is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Augustine’s School in Elkridge as well as a member of the Maryland Association of CPA’s.

As Rick and I talked about our spring Newsletter, our thoughts kept bringing us back to “March Madness.” Sports metaphors and sports as a learning, growing, teaching experience energize us and encourage us to aspire to greatness.

At Evergreen, we love March Madness and what it represents. In this issue we’re going to do our best to “connect the dots” on the characteristics of March Madness and how we experience them everyday in our professional lives.

We’re especially excited about our “Guest Q & A” which will feature Head Coach Gary Williams of the University of Maryland Terrapins. Gary is an amazing person. He embodies all the characteristics of a Champion. He is a young “65” (March 4th). When the day comes and “Coach” has taken his suits to the dry cleaner for the final time, he will be praised and recognized as one of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. It’s been almost 40 years since Gary first cut down the net as head coach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, NJ. It was his first head coaching job as he led the team to the state title and a perfect 27-0 season. Thanks, Coach.

[Read more…]

Our special guest for this March Madness edition of Evergreen News is Gary Williams, Head Basketball Coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins. As Gary prepared to take his team into the 2010 NCAA tournament, Mike Gill spoke with him about his experiences in such a compeitive environment. We hope you’ll enjoy the conversation.

Maryland’s Gary Williams is among the most successful basketball coaches in ACC history. Despite having one of the most animated and volatile sideline presences in college basketball, Williams has never received the full measure of appreciation his accomplishments merit.

Only two coaches in the ACC’s 57 years, North Carolina’s Dean Smith and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, have amassed more victories than Williams’ 202 in ACC competition. Now in his 21st season at College Park, he has 441 wins at Maryland, more than anyone in school history, and 648 career victories through March 11, 25th all-time among Division I coaches.

Williams, who turned 65 on March 4, is among seven ACC coaches who have won a national championship (in 2002) and among seven who have made repeat trips to the Final Four (2001, 2002). His team won an ACC Tournament in 2004, and he led the Terrapins to first-place league finishes in 1995, 2002 and 2010. His Maryland teams have won at least 19 games for 14 consecutive seasons.

Williams’ Maryland team fell just short of completing a comeback attempt against Michigan State which led to a second round exit during this year’s NCAA tournament.

[Read more…]

Entrepreneurs exhibit various leadership styles in their businesses. Some are hierarchical and imperial. They are the boss and everyone knows it. I have heard that a current public leader has told subordinates that he does not pay them to think or have opinions; he pays them to do what he tells them to do. I recently observed a discussion with another entrepreneur who was protesting that someone was discussing an issue with his “people.” He summed up his style by saying: “I have no people, there is only me. I am the only one in my organization that makes decisions.” The business he runs is a multistate chain of distribution outlets. Neither of these organizations seems like it would be a fulfilling place to work for most of our readers.

The onset of March Madness seems like an appropriate time to focus on another style of leadership that is displayed on the hardwood – point guard leadership. The role of the point guard is to implement the coach’s game plan. He or she provides leadership in the midst of the chaos of competition by controlling the tempo of the game and distributing the ball in a fashion that plays to the strengths of teammates. Point guards are seldom the team’s biggest star and usually do not lead the team in points scored or rebounds. They also are not typically the one to take the last second shot, but their leadership is critical on the outcome of the game.

This month’s interviewee, Gary Williams was a point guard during his playing career at Maryland and is one of many former point guards to succeed at the coaching level. Most talented people would rather work in an organization that is led by someone who leads like a point guard. Someone who distributes responsibility, plays to people’s strengths, gets tasks to the appropriate people at the appropriate time and who is motivated by the team’s ultimate success rather than personal recognition.

How do you lead – emperor or point guard?

2010: Market Conditions will be better for selling a company

We’re excited to bring you our final “Evergreen News” for 2009. Most of our Friends of Evergreen are somewhere between thankful and euphoric when they think of having 2009 in their rearview mirror. From the inauguration of a new president in January, the first quarter meltdown of the stock market to its comeback over the second half of the year, 10% unemployment while gold was blowing past a $1,000 an ounce……..2009 has been a “character builder” for everyone.

“What would Jimmy Buffett do”, is our way of connecting the dots to a decision that many business owners will consider in 2010 – To Sell or Not to Sell their business. At Evergreen, we anticipate that M&A activity will be up significantly over 2009. Though the banks remain cautious, well run companies in the middle market sector are anxious to expand their footprint; the capital to do acquisitions will be there. We’re also seeing strong signs that business valuations are rising, offering encouragement to business owners who want to spend more time in “Margaritaville.”

2009 has been a year of “growth and development” for us at Evergreen. We’ve added a number of key team members over the last twelve months and expect to add at least two more in the next thirty days. Team Evergreen has never been stronger; we’re deep and look forward to working with you in 2010. In the mid 80’s U.S. West ran an ad that showed cowboys on a hard trail drive, the caption under the ad read, “In business you either make dust or you eat dust.” 2009 has created a greater sense of urgency for all of us.

We want to wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday and a fantastic start to the new year. We thank you for your friendship and support and look forward to helping you “make dust” in 2010.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Evergreen