Latest news & events

Categories

HBM Announces CFO Succession

HBM Announces CFO Succession HBM Holdings announced today that Patrick Fitzgerald has been named SVP & Chief Financial Officer of HBM Holdings. Fitzgerald will report to Anderson Fincher, President and CEO of HBM Holdings. Fitzgerald succeeds Don Roberts, who will retire in May following a transition period. “We honor Don’s successful legacy, and welcome Pat […]

Continue Reading

HBM Promotes Jim Norris to President & CEO of Control Devices

HBM is thrilled to promote Jim Norris to the role of President & CEO of Control Devices effective this October. Jim replaces Scott Kerns, who recently left the organization to accept a position with another organization. Jim is a veteran of the Control Devices business, first joining in 1996 in a commercial role and expanding […]

Continue Reading

Highlights from Talent Connect 2022

HBM was thrilled to host our first portfolio-wide in-person Talent Connect event since 2019 on Sept 21st & 22nd. Over 90 leaders from Mississippi Lime Company, Schafer Industries, HarperLove, Control Devices, and HBM gathered in St. Louis for a day and a half of networking, leadership development, and shared learning. Reflections & The Future The […]

Continue Reading

Mississippi Lime Acquires Valley Minerals, Dolomitic Quicklime Producer

Mississippi Lime Acquires Valley Minerals, Dolomitic Quicklime Producer  ST. LOUIS, MO – (September 20, 2022) – Mississippi Lime Company, an HBM company headquartered in St. Louis, and a leading global supplier of high-calcium lime products, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Valley Minerals, a single-site dolomitic quicklime producer based in Bonne Terre, Missouri. […]

Continue Reading

HBM Holdings is pleased to announce that our largest holding, Mississippi Lime (MLC), has acquired Singleton Birch.

HBM Holdings is pleased to announce that our largest holding, Mississippi Lime (MLC), has acquired Singleton Birch. Singleton Birch is the leading independent supplier of lime products in the United Kingdom. This acquisition, which closed today, is part of HBM’s overall strategy to build and invest in high performing companies and to drive growth and […]

Continue Reading

Safety First Culture Across HBM

Across HBM, safety is a core value. As a diversified portfolio of industrial manufacturing operations, we believe the key to keeping employees safe is building a workplace culture where safety comes first. Our operating companies put a significant focus on creating an authentic safety culture where every employee goes home to their loved ones unharmed. […]

Continue Reading

HBM Welcomes Emily Godefroid

HBM is thrilled to welcome, Emily Godefroid, as our new Manager, Office Administration. Will you tell us a little more about your professional background?  I joined Washington University in 2012 as a Coordinator in the Facility Services Department.  Before joining Wash U, I worked with American Burglary and Fire as an Account Executive and with […]

Continue Reading

HBM welcomes Dane Mechler to Corporate Development Team

HBM recently welcomed Dane Mechler to the Corporate Development team. We recently spent some time with Dane learning more about his background, his role at HBM and a bit more about him personally. Will you tell us a little more about your professional background? Before HBM, I worked at American Tire Distributors (ATD) as a […]

Continue Reading

HBM welcomes Echo Jia to Corporate Development Team

We recently welcomed Echo Jia to HBM’s Corporate Development team. We had the opportunity to spend some time learning more from Echo. In her role as a Manager, Corporate Development she will be responsible for driving evaluation and execution of mergers & acquisitions for the holding company and partnering to drive bolt-on growth opportunities within […]

Continue Reading

Finance Conference brings learning, networking, and some fun!

Last month, HBM brought together our enterprise-wide finance teams for two days of learning, networking and fun. This year the team met in St. Louis, MO where they focused on the following: • Operating Company Business & Strategy Overviews • Lessons learned throughout Pandemic (Remote Work, Supply Chain, and Labor) • Best Practice sharing on […]

Continue Reading

Taking the time to make small gestures can make a big difference!

Earlier this year, HBM announced the successful acquisition of Charlotte, NC-based HarperLove into our portfolio of companies. When looking at businesses to bring into the HBM portfolio, culture is an important factor in our evaluation criteria. We were able to observe HarperLove’s “people-focused” culture first-hand throughout the acquisition process and it continues to shine during […]

Continue Reading

Schafer Industries welcomes Director of HR, Barb Shklar

Recently, Schafer Industries welcomed Barb Shklar to lead the HR team. A key member of the Schafer leadership team, Barb leads strategic and day-to-day efforts related to employee relations, recruitment, and all HR aspects of the business as it continues to grow. This appointment came at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and provided an […]

Continue Reading

A note of gratitude from Andy Fincher, President & CEO

Thank You to Employees Across the HBM Portfolio A favorite quote I learned early in my first job out of college is “The strength of a company lies in its people.” Watching our team respond to the uncertainty created by this COVID-19 pandemic affirms for me that we have some of the best people working […]

Continue Reading

Aerofil to produce hand sanitizer to help fight COVID-19

With supplies of hand sanitizer running low across the globe in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aerofil worked closely with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gain temporary approval status and begin the production of hand sanitizer. Aerofil will produce hand sanitizer for health care personnel and for consumers. The team has worked around […]

Continue Reading

Aerofil Technology invests for the future

One of the main reasons HBM acquired Aerofil Technology in 2017 was for their lean manufacturing practices and for the opportunity to grow the business. Aerofil recognized an opportunity to automate operations and to provide a higher quality product for the Beauty & Personal care industry. These automation opportunities arose in response to unskilled labor […]

Continue Reading

HBM employees spend an afternoon at the St. Louis Area Foodbank

At HBM, and across our operating companies, we are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work. Last week, HBM employees spent their time volunteering at the St. Louis Area Foodbank. The team packed over 750 boxes that will be delivered to over 500 local agencies – including seniors who need supplemental food […]

Continue Reading

Elliot Adams joins HBM as Infrastructure Engineer

Recently, we had the opportunity to spend some time learning more from Elliot Adams, HBM’s new Infrastructure Engineer. In this newly created role, he will be responsible for the strategic and tactical direction of HBM’s IT Infrastructure and security environment. Can you tell us a little more about your professional background? I have over 15 […]

Continue Reading

HBM Leaders participate in panel discussions at the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference

The Smart Business Dealmakers Conference featured an all-star lineup of entrepreneurs, investors, and advisers for a day of dynamic discussions and one-on-one networking. HBM’s SVP & CFO, Don Roberts, and Andy Fulford, VP of Corporate Development and Strategy helped kick-off the St. Louis Smart Business Dealmakers Conference on February 13th. At the CEO Dealmakers Roundtable, […]

Continue Reading

HBM attends the St. Louis-ACG Capital Connection

Last month, Corporate Development Associates Brad Naert and Kevin Sheehan attended the Association for Corporate Growth’s (ACG) Capital Conference in Clayton, MO. The event brought middle-market dealmakers from across the country to the Mid-West for professional relationship building and deal-sourcing opportunities. Having recently acquired HarperLove, a Charlotte-based leading provider of specialty adhesives, performance additives and […]

Continue Reading

HBM Continues to Invest in People

Talent Development is a strategic priority for HBM. We offer internships, focused leadership development and host enterprise-wide Talent Summits where we bring our high-performance employees together to challenge them to “Elevate” their expectations for company results and for individual performance. In 2020, we will continue to invest in opportunities for our leaders to learn and […]

Continue Reading

HBM gets in the holiday spirit by giving back & celebrating as a team.

Whether you’re buying gifts for a family in need or volunteering at your favorite charity, giving back during the holiday season is always impactful. At HBM, we have the opportunity to partner each year with The United Way to support their 100 Neediest Cases campaign. This campaign has helped thousands of families and individuals celebrate […]

Continue Reading

“Stop Acting Your Age!”

When was the last time someone told you that? Mothers all over the world have been telling their children the exact opposite. At our recent Talent Summit, keynote speaker Matt Havens encouraged attendees to do just that by taking themselves out of their own generational biases to learn from co-workers of all ages in the […]

Continue Reading

CEO Panel: The path to leadership and lessons learned along the way

At our recent Talent Summit, the CEOs of HBM’s portfolio companies participated in a panel to discuss their unique professional journeys. Many factors have shaped their paths to success, and the panel was an interactive way to learn more about each CEO’s background, leadership style and management approach. The panel was asked a wide variety […]

Continue Reading

Nathan Matt Joins HBM as Corporate Controller

Recently, we had the opportunity to spend some time learning about Nathan Matt, HBM’s new Corporate Controller. In this role he is responsible for HBM’s accounting, treasury/investment and budgeting functions, as well as the monthly consolidation and financial reporting process. He will also provide support for due diligence efforts related to acquisitions. Can you tell […]

Continue Reading

Elevate: HBM Talent Summit

At HBM, our commitment to talent development is an important part of our culture and our business strategy. Across our organizations we aim to recruit, hire, retain and develop high level talent, and our goal is to continually provide opportunities for our team members to grow. We recently held our second Talent Summit at the […]

Continue Reading

Talent Development Pays Off at HBM

HBM is committed to recognizing and rewarding top talent, both at the hiring stage and along the entire career development journey. When people perform, there are opportunities to grow within our organization. We are pleased to announce two recent promotions at HBM. Justin Lammert has been promoted to Senior Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis. Justin […]

Continue Reading

HBM Welcomes Doug Bolen to Lead Information Technology

Information Technology at HBM provides strategic-level support to our portfolio companies so the management teams have more freedom to focus on growth initiatives within their businesses. Recently, we welcomed Doug Bolen as HBM’s new Senior Director of Information Technology. In this role, he will work across the enterprise to find synergies and provide support for […]

Continue Reading

Annual Finance Summit brings learning, networking, and axe-throwing

Last week, HBM brought together our enterprise-wide finance teams for three days of learning, networking, and fun. This year the team met in Nashville, TN and focused on the following objectives: Mississippi Lime’s New Acquisition Supply Chain Challenges Portfolio Company Market Outlook Financial Planning & Analysis Acquisition Valuation Techniques During the finance summit, attendees had […]

Continue Reading

Isaac Tipton to join Tru-Flex as a Production Leader

For the past year, Isaac Tipton has been a valued member of the Corporate Development team at HBM. In that time, he has led the valuation and analysis of more than a dozen acquisition targets, developed M&A roadmaps, and built new financial tools. He also has played a lead role on several deal opportunities and […]

Continue Reading

HBM celebrates college scholarship recipients at annual luncheon

The Harry B. Mathews Scholarship Program supports the college-ready children of our portfolio companies’ employees. This program and our ongoing investment in education has been a time-honored tradition for more than 20 years. On July 26th, we honored this year’s scholarship awardees with an annual luncheon, which was also attended by the students’ parents and […]

Continue Reading

Pricing Summit highlights enterprise-wide best practices and common challenges

HBM’s commercial and finance teams came together in St. Louis for a Pricing Summit earlier this week. The Pricing Summit brought together our CEOs and our commercial and financial talent across the portfolio to accomplish several key objectives: Share best practices across our companies around common challenges and opportunities to optimize pricing for long-term success […]

Continue Reading

HBM Welcomes New Additions to the Human Resources Team

  At HBM, we believe that people, above all else, define our success and ability to grow. That’s why we put talent development at the center of everything we do. And so far, we think it’s working! We know it takes hard work to maintain a culture that empowers individuals at every level of the […]

Continue Reading

Helping Families Feel at Home at the Ronald McDonald House

Learn about HBM Holdings and you’ll quickly find that giving back is not just an option – it’s one of our core values. Across our portfolio, we’re committed to supporting and actively engaging with the communities in which we live and work. Our employees display this spirit of community every day, and in myriad ways. […]

Continue Reading

HBM Grows Its Finance Team with the Addition of Kate MacDonald

For many, “tax” conjures up a looming date on the spring calendar, or maybe even a few lines from a Beatles song. At HBM, tax is a vitally important function – and it’s also an area where we have a very real ability to support and add value to our portfolio businesses. That’s why we’re […]

Continue Reading

Immersion Means Opportunity for HBM Associate

At HBM, our Associates tackle big and often ambiguous challenges. Even when the route is unclear, the best project outcomes happen when our Associates spend time on-site getting to know a business inside-out, when they collaborate across functions, and when they bring the right mix of creativity and rigor to problem-solving. That’s exactly what HBM […]

Continue Reading

2019 Featured Career Opportunities

HBM and our portfolio of companies are hiring! If you or someone you know is in the market to join our growing portfolio and wants to be part of a great team of people, please apply, refer someone you know, or share with your professional network today.   HBM Holdings Tax Manager (St. Louis, MO) […]

Continue Reading

The Cloud Forecast — Discussing What’s Next for Enterprise IT

Michael Chill, HBM’s VP of Information Technology, led a discussion about the cloud’s current and future role in organizations — along with best practices to help IT executives leverage the cloud’s competitive advantage. As organizations navigate a shifting business landscape, technology plays an increasingly critical role — and that includes the cloud’s ongoing evolution. At […]

Continue Reading

HBM Family Rings Out 2018 with Burger Battle Royale

Over the summer, our own HBM IT pros from across the portfolio gathered to meet and – more importantly – crown the Best Burger Grillers. That was a nice test run, but we knew it was only a start. For this year’s HBM holiday party, we went back to the folks at Weber Grill and […]

Continue Reading

HBM Team Gives Holiday Support to Greater St. Louis’s Neediest

Giving back to the community is important to us individually and as a company, particularly at the holidays, when giving and gratitude are in the air. We were honored again this year to participate in supporting one of the 100 Neediest Cases identified by United Way of Greater St. Louis. Led by the Human Resources […]

Continue Reading

HBM Implements ADP Vantage for Enhanced Payroll and Employee Services

Thanks to the hard work that included many members of the HBM and Mississippi Lime Company (“MLC”) Human Resources and Technology groups, HBM is pleased to announce that we are live with the new ADP Vantage payroll and employee service tool. The ADP Vantage system allows for the management of core Human Resources data that […]

Continue Reading

Ladies Who Lunch…and Lead: HBM Attends the Regional Business Council United Way Women’s Leadership Giving Annual Luncheon

As a member company of the Regional Business Council (RBC) for United Way, HBM was proud to participate in the annual Women’s Leadership Giving (WLG) Annual Luncheon in St. Louis. Over 200 women attended the event, including representatives from HBM, Mississippi Lime Company and Aerofil Technology, and together, they enjoyed a delicious spread and inspiring company. […]

Continue Reading

HBM Pedals Hard to Pave the Way for a World Without Cancer

Finishing a strenuous cycling event requires a couple key factors: hard work, dedication and a belief that reaching the finish line is possible. HBM Holdings believes those same factors apply in working to find a cure for cancer, which is why we participate in the annual Pedal the Cause event in St. Louis, Missouri with […]

Continue Reading

HBM Holds Their Own in the 2018 BizDash 5K Race

HBM Holdings recently took their office to the streets of Downtown St. Louis in the 2018 BizDash 5K hosted by World Wide Technology. The event, which took place on Thursday, September 27, is billed as the St. Louis’ “biggest office party” and the primary item on the meeting agenda… Beating the competitors to the finish […]

Continue Reading

A Secret Talent for Candy-Making and a Passion for Manufacturing: Q & A with Isaac Tipton, HBM’s Associate, Corporate Development

We sat down with Isaac Tipton, a new Associate, Corporate Development with HBM to learn more about his background, what drives him in his new role and what he believes the future will hold for the manufacturing industry.   Please tell us a little about your professional background. IT: After studying mechanical engineering at Purdue […]

Continue Reading

Our Summer Associate, Brad Naert, Shares His Experience at HBM

We sat down with Brad Naert to discuss the project he worked on this summer as a Summer Associate and his overall experience as an HBM employee. Read on to discover the most important skill he gained from our program — and what he enjoyed most about HBM’s culture. Can you summarize your summer project? […]

Continue Reading

Our Summer Associate, Kevin Sheehan, Shares His Experience at HBM

We sat down with Kevin Sheehan to discuss the project he worked on this summer as a Summer Associate and his overall experience as a HBM employee. Read on to discover the most important skill he gained from our program — and why his role at HBM was so rewarding. Can you summarize your summer […]

Continue Reading

A Day in the Life of a Summer Associate: Q&A with Michael Hull

We sat down with Michael Hull to discuss the project he worked on this summer as a Summer Associate and his overall experience as an HBM employee. Read on to discover the scope of his project and why his experience at HBM exceeded his expectations.   Can you summarize your summer project? What were your […]

Continue Reading

Recruiting Season is Upon Us: Top 5 Qualities HBM Seeks in MBA Candidates

During on-campus visits, we help students understand the value of our patient capital approach that supports our portfolio companies’ long-term business goals — as well as our overarching strategic priority to developing talent within HBM and its enterprise. As we talk with students and learn what makes them stand out, we’ve found there are specific […]

Continue Reading

HBM Celebrates College Scholarship Awards for Children of Employees Across the Portfolio

Long-term vision designed to achieve true potential: That describes HBM’s strategy for capital deployment, but it also summarizes the philosophy behind our ongoing investment in education. One example is HBM’s scholarship program, which supports the college-ready children of our portfolio companies’ employees. On June 29th, we honored this year’s scholarship awardees with an annual luncheon, […]

Continue Reading

An Evening of Inspiration: HBM Proudly Sponsors College Bound St. Louis’ Cap & Gown Ball

College Bound is a St. Louis based non-profit with an inspiring mission:  Empower promising students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve bachelor’s degrees and fulfilling careers. On June 9th, the organization celebrated those students — and received an outpouring of contributions — at its annual Cap & Gown Ball. The event, which is supported by […]

Continue Reading

The Power of Small Parts and 3D Printing: Andrew Fulford Talks Manufacturing on Middle Market Growth Podcast

Andrew Fulford, HBM’s vice president of corporate development, was recently interviewed for Middle Market Growth Conversations, a podcast about trends affecting midsize companies and the influencers behind their success. Discover some highlights from that discussion — including which manufacturing subsectors represent investment opportunities, how HBM helps its portfolio companies close the skills gap, and why […]

Continue Reading

Meet HBM’s Summer Associates Class of 2018

MBA students have plenty of options for how to spend the summer — so why would they choose to be at HBM? We explored that with HBM’s current Summer Associates, who shared the reasons behind their decision.   Each year, HBM recruits talented students from select MBA programs for a fast-paced, 10-week program that begins […]

Continue Reading

Portfolio Company Spotlight: Q&A with Ed Freesmeier, VP of Sales and Marketing for Aerofil Technology, Inc.

Aerofil Technology, Inc., a contract manufacturer that provides aerosol formulation and packaging capabilities, has recently named Ed Freesmeier VP of Sales and Marketing.  Learn what characteristics Ed believes sets Aerofil apart and why he is excited to be a member of the HBM portfolio company family.   Please walk us through your professional background. What […]

Continue Reading

Talent Summit Underscores Leadership Development as Strategic Priority

As part of HBM’s commitment to add value to our portfolio companies, we continually seek ways to invest in leadership development. Last year, we created a two-day training program called Leadership in Action that helped hone the skills of leaders from across our family of companies. This year, we built on that success by hosting […]

Continue Reading

Sneak Peek: Photography From Inaugural Talent Summit

We recently hosted leaders from across our portfolio companies for our inaugural Talent Summit in St. Louis on May 23rd. For an action-packed one day event, participants disconnected from the world to network with other leaders across the HBM portfolio and discover tools to become even more effective leaders. Activities ranged from CEO panels to […]

Continue Reading

From Recruiting to Supply Chains: Mike Chill Shares Tech’s Benefits with the St. Louis Business Journal

Mike Chill, HBM’s VP of Information Technology, recently shared some insights with the St. Louis Business Journal. Discover highlights from that discussion — including how HBM uses technology as a recruiting tool.   When using technology effectively, privately-held companies have an advantage. HBM’s tech initiatives align with the firm’s business objectives, which are set annually. […]

Continue Reading

Portfolio Company Spotlight: Q&A with Daniel Wright, CEO of Aerofil Technology, Inc.

Aerofil Technology, Inc., a contract manufacturer that provides aerosol formulation and packaging capabilities, has recently appointed Daniel Wright as Chief Executive Officer. Learn why Daniel is excited about the future prospects for Aerofil.   Discuss your career journey and how HBM’s focus on talent development aided you in your recent career move. DW: I spent […]

Continue Reading

The Talent Crunch: How to Find and Keep the Best Workers in a Tight Labor Market

Increasingly, firms recognize that the best investment for revenue growth is human capital. That’s true at HBM Holdings, where we view talent as a primary differentiator. Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Amy Fields shared her perspective on that topic recently at Intergrowth 2018  — discover her insights for effectively recruiting, developing, and retaining […]

Continue Reading

HBM Proudly Supports U.S. Veterans in More Ways than One

Mike DeCola, HBM’s CEO and President, receives the Order of the Bear Award for outstanding contributions to the Olin Veterans Association. We are passionate about hiring veterans and have aligned ourselves with Olin Veterans Association (OVA). The OVA was established to assist veteran students transition successfully into the business world. The program offers veterans an […]

Continue Reading

Wellness Works: Putting Healthy Living into Practice at HBM

Two years ago, HBM Holdings, Tru-Flex and Mississippi Lime embarked on a healthy lifestyle journey to encourage employees to participate in healthy activities. Although the theme and core objectives of the “Wellness Works” program are consistent across companies, Shelly Cattoor, Senior Manager Total Rewards, partners with the human resources teams at each of HBM’s portfolio […]

Continue Reading

JB Cromwell Joins HBM as an Associate in its Corporate Development Team

HBM welcomes Joseph B. Cromwell (aka, “JB”) as an Associate and a member of the firm’s Accelerated Development Program. JB will work with Andrew Fulford, VP of Corporate Development, and the Associates team on both internal consulting projects and strategic projects focused on adding value to HBM’s portfolio companies.    Please introduce yourself and walk us […]

Continue Reading

Our Accelerated Development Program in Action

We sat down with Pat Hardin, Business Manager Standard Calcium Products at Mississippi Lime Company (“MLC”), to discuss how HBM’s Accelerated Development program prepared him for his new role at MLC. Please introduce yourself and walk us through your current role at MLC. PH:  My career path is somewhat atypical of a traditional HBM Associate.  […]

Continue Reading

How Lean Manufacturing Helped Aerofil Forge a Continuous Improvement Path

For more than a decade, one of HBM’s portfolio companies — Aerofil Technology — has used a process-improvement method called Lean Manufacturing. In this Q&A, Joe Sonderman, Senior Vice President of Operations at Aerofil Technology Inc., explains how Lean Manufacturing has helped the company and its customers, and also shares critical steps for effective adoption. […]

Continue Reading

Collaboration: The Cornerstone of How We Operate

Once a year, HR Leaders from across our enterprise convene for an annual summit to collaborate and develop a sense of community.  This year, the team convened in Austin, Texas. When HBM invests in a company, we provide more than capital.  We look to partner with our portfolio companies for the long-term, providing support and […]

Continue Reading

Lessons in Sustaining Family Businesses with Independent Directors

Mike DeCola, HBM’s CEO and President, moderated a panel discussion at the 3rd annual Olin Family Business Symposium on the role of independent directors in family businesses.  In February, Washington University in St. Louis hosted their third annual Family Business Symposium.  The purpose of the symposium was to bring together students, faculty, and family business […]

Continue Reading

How Investment Firms are Finding Value in a Competitive Market

Ryan Supple, HBM’s Director of Deal Origination, along with three investment professionals, discuss investing in private markets at a recent alumni event hosted by the Chicago Booth Alumni Club of New York City. The heightened competition for investments has resulted in investment firms pursuing outside-the-box methods for both sourcing opportunities and deal structuring. Investors across […]

Continue Reading

HBM is Expanding its Information Technology Team

At HBM, there is a direct alignment of technology initiatives to our portfolio businesses strategic objectives. We view technology as an integral component, creating operational efficiencies through the implementation of common applications that streamline our business processes with the ultimate purpose of benefiting our customers, our portfolio companies and HBM. As we continue on our […]

Continue Reading

Q&A with Jason Huck, Mississippi Lime’s new Director of Information Technology

In December 2017, Mississippi Lime, one of HBM’s portfolio companies, welcomed Jason Huck as the new Director of Information Technology. Jason will report to Michael Chill, HBM’s VP of Information Technology. About Mississippi Lime: For over a century, Mississippi Lime Company (MLC) has been providing the nation with high-calcium lime products, utilizing one of the highest […]

Continue Reading

IT Professionals Navigating the Waters of Evolving Workplace Networks

Michael Chill, HBM’s VP of Information Technology, along with two other IT leaders from St. Louis, discuss the mobile and connected workforce of the future. Michael Chill recently participated in the Fourth Annual St. Louis CIO/CISO/Chief Data Officer Summit.  Mike was joined on the panel by Mike Gibbons, CISO at Edward Jones. The discussion focused […]

Continue Reading

How HBM Successfully Integrates Itself into new Portfolio Acquisitions

A Q&A with Alex Aubel, HBM’s Corporate Controller and integration manager for Schafer Industries, who sat down with us to discuss his role at HBM and his responsibilities as the integration lead for Schafer Industries. CC: Please introduce yourself and your role at HBM. AA:  I joined HBM in 2016 as the Corporate Controller and […]

Continue Reading

Lending a Hand This Holiday Season

HBM is once again proud to support a St. Louis family identified by the United Way of Greater St. Louis as one of the 100 Neediest Cases.  A tradition since the early 1900s, the program identifies local families enduring extreme hardship, connecting them with resources and helping hands during the holiday season. This year we […]

Continue Reading

HBM’s Acquisition of Aerofil Highlights Importance of Talent Development and Long-Term Commitment

Aerofil Technology, Inc., a leading contract manufacturer that fills aerosol and liquid containers for industry-leading brands, was acquired by HBM Holdings on September 29, 2017.  Although the acquisition was recent, Aerofil has quickly benefitted from the financial and talent-based support HBM provides to its portfolio companies. When HBM acquires a company, we look to hold […]

Continue Reading

Q&A with Gregory Sherman, Delavau’s new Vice President of Operations

Earlier this month, Delavau, one of HBM’s portfolio companies, welcomed Gregory Sherman as Vice President of Operations.  Gregory will be a member of Delavau’s leadership team, reporting to John Burrows, CEO. About Delavau: For over 150 years, Delavau has been relied upon as a premier supplier of food, pharmaceutical, and nutritional technologies to major nutraceutical, […]

Continue Reading

The Alignment of IT and Leadership

Michael Chill, HBM’s VP of Information Technology, will be posting a blog on a periodic basis to highlight the enterprise-wide initiatives the firm is currently undertaking. The Changing Role of Technology A recent McKinsey & Company article, IT’s Future Value Proposition, discussed the future role of IT, and its ability to play a greater role […]

Continue Reading

Our Giving Tuesday Suggestions

A large component of our corporate culture is philanthropy, more specifically supporting our local community.  We are fortunate to have employees who share our philanthropic beliefs. This year, we are proud to have supported several non-profit organizations including the United Way of Greater St. Louis, World Pediatric Project, College Bound and Pedal the Cause. These […]

Continue Reading

Proud to Support our Community

At HBM, we believe that the holidays provide an opportunity for us to give back to the communities in which we operate. The United Way of Greater St. Louis is an organization that we are proud to support.  For the past two years, Mississippi Lime, HBM and its employees have raised nearly $100,000 each year […]

Continue Reading

Developing Talent from Within

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – Tom Peters, American author on business management practices HBM built its culture on a foundation of continuous learning. To support the goal of lifelong learning, the company has created several programs to develop talent and leadership both within HBM Holdings and in the portfolio companies.  This […]

Continue Reading

Q&A with Ryan Supple

We sat down with Ryan Supple, Director of Deal Origination for HBM, to reflect on the company’s business development efforts and the recent acquisition of Schafer Industries and Aerofil Technology CC: The current middle market deal landscape is extremely competitive.  How does HBM differentiate itself? RS:  At a high level, our deal activity experienced a […]

Continue Reading

Recruiting and Retaining Portfolio Company Talent

Senior female HR leaders within the financial services sector share their insight and best tactics for recruiting and retaining talent at their firms and portfolio companies Amy Fields, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for HBM, participated in a panel discussion at the 5th Annual Kayo Women’s Conference held in Washington, DC, to discuss […]

Continue Reading

Four Key Reasons Why the HBM and Aerofil Technology Partnership Is a Perfect Match

HBM’s business development hard work has paid off in the third quarter of 2017.  The second acquisition in just 60 days, the Aerofil Technologies acquisition is a testament to our desire to aggressively build our portfolio and deploy capital in acquiring specialty manufacturers in sectors such as transportation, industrial equipment, energy, chemicals, and minerals. Bob […]

Continue Reading

We Ride to Find a Cure for Cancer

Mississippi Lime and HBM Holdings employees have been longtime supporters of the annual Pedal the Cause charity event, whose mission is to provide funding for cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. This year, over 3,000 riders raised $2.8 million during the September 23rd and 24th cycling event. Our […]

Continue Reading

Tru-Flex’s Sacoma Expands Its Plant Operations

Our investment philosophy is differentiated from the typical private equity model in that we invest for the long-term.  We partner with our portfolio companies, providing them with the resources to execute on their strategic plans.  The Tru-Flex December 2015 acquisition of Sacoma International, a leading designer and manufacturer of metal stamped and assembled parts, tubes, […]

Continue Reading

Shelly Cattoor Joins HBM’s Talent Development Team

We are pleased to announce that Shelly Cattoor joined HBM on September 5th as Senior Manager, Total Rewards reporting to Amy Fields, Vice President, and Chief Human Resources Officer.  Shelly will be an enterprise-wide resource responsible for carrying out the strategic and tactical efforts related to compensation, benefits and HR systems within HBM and across […]

Continue Reading

Day in the Life of a HBM Summer Associate – Q&A with Taylor Perry

We discussed Taylor Perry’s experience at HBM this summer, touching on his project work, HBM’s culture and life as a St. Louis resident CC: Can you share with us the project you worked on this summer and how it impacted HBM and/or the portfolio company? TP: This summer, I was assigned a technical project for […]

Continue Reading

Portfolio Company Spotlight: The 80-Year History of Schafer Industries

On August 1, 2017, HBM Holdings completed the platform acquisition of Schafer Industries, a leading producer of high-precision, custom-engineered gears and machined parts as well as assembled axles, transaxles, transmissions, brake assemblies and other components for a wide variety of industries. Founded in 1934 – right in the middle of the Great Depression – Schafer […]

Continue Reading

Charles Mullenger joins HBM as a Corporate Development Associate

HBM welcomes Charles Mullenger as an Associate and a member of the firm’s Accelerated Development Program. Charles will work with Daniel Wright, VP of Corporate Development, and the Associates team on internal consulting projects and strategic projects focused on adding value to HBM’s portfolio companies.     CC: Can you share your educational background and work experience? […]

Continue Reading

Our Summer Associate, Sarah Salky, Shares Her Experience at HBM

We sat down with Sarah Salky to discuss the project she worked on this summer as a Summer Associate and her overall experience as a HBM employee. CC: Can you share with us the project you worked on this summer and what your general role and responsibilities were? SS: This summer I was lucky enough […]

Continue Reading

DeCola on Why St. Louis was Selected to Host the 100th PGA Championship

Mike DeCola is the 2018 PGA Championship General Chairman and has played a central role in the planning of this historic event. He was recently interviewed by the St. Louis Business Journal. In 2018, St. Louis will host the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club. It is an event city leaders and the local […]

Continue Reading

IT Solutions as an Enterprise Level Service

Michael Chill, HBM’s VP of Information Technology, will be posting a blog on a periodic basis to highlight the enterprise-wide initiatives the firm is currently undertaking. A key component of our philosophy regarding technology is how key solutions in one business can migrate, adapt and become a solution for another.  We encourage strategies and solutions […]

Continue Reading

Behind-the-Scene Factors That Helped Shape the Schafer Acquisition

We have been so pleased with the attention we have received from our  successful acquisition of Schafer Industries, a leading producer of high-precision, custom-engineered gears and machined parts as well as assembled axles, transaxles, transmissions, brake assemblies and other components for a wide variety of industries. As with any decision of this magnitude, the transaction […]

Continue Reading

Our Summer Associate, Latif Alam, Shares His Experience at HBM

We sat down with Latif Alam to discuss the project he worked on this summer as a Summer Associate, his overall experience as a HBM employee and a St. Louis resident. CC: Can you share with us the project you worked on this summer and how it impacted HBM and/or the portfolio company? LA: This […]

Continue Reading

Our Fall 2017 Recruiting Schedule

Fall is one of our most favorite times of year when we have the opportunity to meet future HBM team members. This August, we kick-off our on-campus visits at Indiana University Kelley School of Business. There, we’ll have the opportunity to speak with first and second year MBA students during a networking night and roundtable […]

Continue Reading

The Top 5 Reasons Why We Love St. Louis

HBM takes great pride in our city of St. Louis and we would love to share with you our Top Five reasons why we are proud to call this city our home! Some of us are natives of Missouri and others are transplants Regardless, we all are proud to call St. Louis our home for […]

Continue Reading

HBM Holdings Featured in Middle Market Growth’s Summer Issue

In the summer issue of Middle Market Growth magazine, HBM Holdings and Tru-Flex discuss how HBM’s patient capital approach to investing has helped Tru-Flex execute on their long-term business strategy. We are pleased to share The Patient Investor article which is featured in the summer edition of Middle Market Growth magazine.  The piece outlines how […]

Continue Reading

HBM Expands Its Corporate Development Team: Q&A with Nik Ljoljic, Associate

HBM welcomes Nik Ljoljic as an Associate and a member of the firm’s Accelerated Development Program. Nik will work with Daniel Wright, VP of Corporate Development, and the Associates team on internal consulting projects and strategic projects focused on adding value to HBM’s portfolio companies.     CC: Can you share your educational background and work experience? […]

Continue Reading

A Little Effort Goes a Long Way

“Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.” – Henry Ford This month, the team at one of our portfolio companies, Delavau, rallied together to organize a food drive for the St. Vincent De Paul Society in Pennsylvania. The St. Vincent De Paul Society is one of the oldest and […]

Continue Reading

Special Webinar Discussion with Middle Market Growth featuring Mike DeCola and Gregg Notestine

HBM was recently interviewed by Middle Market Growth magazine in a special webinar entitled “Manufacturing Through a Private Equity Lense” which featured HBM’s CEO Mike DeCola, as well as the CEO of HBM’s portfolio company Tru-Flex, Gregg Notestine. The discussions centered around Tru-Flex’s focus in the automotive aftermarket and how HBM’s long-term capital approach to […]

Continue Reading

M&A Strategy Discussion for Family Owned Investment Companies

Mike DeCola, HBM’s CEO, along with two other leaders from St. Louis-based family owned investment companies discuss the unique nature of competing for investment opportunities in the middle market. Mike DeCola recently participated in the Second Annual Olin Family Business Symposium.  Mike was joined on the panel by Kyle Chapman of Forsyth Capital and Michael […]

Continue Reading

The Ins and Outs of Deal Sourcing: Ryan Supple Participates on a Panel Discussion Hosted by Olin Finance Club

Seasoned business development professionals from St. Louis based investment management firms shared their expertise on deal sourcing and the current state of the deal origination space. Ryan Supple, Director of Deal Origination for HBM, participated on a panel discussion at Washington University Olin Business School to discuss the ins and outs of deal sourcing. The […]

Continue Reading

Meet HBM’s Summer Associates Class of 2017

We spent some time with HBM’s Summer Associates to get to know them a little better and hear what was the determining factor for them choosing to come to St. Louis Each year, HBM recruits talented students from select MBA programs to join us as Summer Associates this May. The program is unique, as Summer […]

Continue Reading

Leadership is a Series of Actions

HBM’s Investment in the People of its Portfolio Companies:  Leadership in Action Talent development throughout our portfolio companies is a strategic priority for us. We don’t believe in simply motivating those in leadership roles; we help our portfolio companies directly by crafting and offering programs and strategies to create fully functioning, high performing teams that […]

Continue Reading

Our Long-Term Capital Approach

We are pleased to share our latest whitepaper, Our Long-Term Capital Approach.  In it, we have real-world examples of capital being deployed to make aggressive investments to capture the true potential of our businesses. Our operating model is fundamentally differentiated from the traditional private equity approach.  We believe it is what helps us compete most […]

Continue Reading

How We Put Technology at the Core of Business Strategy

HBM recently welcomed Michael Chill, VP of Information Technology.  A newly established enterprise-wide position, Michael’s role supports the management teams of HBM’s portfolio companies and plays a key role in the due diligence process. HBM is unique to have an IT Leadership role at the holding company level.  What were the factors that lead to […]

Continue Reading

Philanthropy: Mississippi Lime Raises Funds to Fight Cancer

Connecting with our community and providing assistance where needed, is the foundation for who we are individually and as a company. Mississippi Lime employees are passionate about fighting cancer.  This past year, they participated in the “Ride To Survive” fundraiser in St. Genevieve and “Pedal The Cause” in St. Louis.  Each charitable organization raises funds […]

Continue Reading

Portfolio Company Series – Conversation with John Burrows, CEO of Delavau

We sat down with John Burrows to hear his views on how HBM’s long-term, patient capital strategy has impacted the strategy and vision of Delavau. About Delavau: For over 150 years, Delavau has been relied upon as a premier supplier of food, pharmaceutical, and nutritional technologies to major nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and food brands. Please introduce […]

Continue Reading

Preparing Tomorrow’s CEO: Our Associate Development Program

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” ~ Harvey S. Firestone We value our Associate Development program and use it as a platform to build our future pipeline of leaders.  We believe leadership is the art of helping people achieve things they didn’t think was possible, and in the process, […]

Continue Reading

HBM’s Corporate Development Next Phase: Q&A with Daniel Wright, VP

HBM recently welcomed Daniel Wright as a VP of Corporate Development.  In his role, Daniel seeks to utilize his experience running a global business to add value to HBM and its portfolio companies, as well as further develop HBM’s Associates Program to position them for a successful career. What were the critical factors underpinning your […]

Continue Reading

HBM End of Year Reflection

The start of a new year always brings with it fresh perspective and clarity of purpose.  However, the exercise of looking forward cannot be completed effectively without taking stock of the past year’s wins and losses. Overall, our experience in deal activity in 2016 has been somewhat contrary to broad middle-market sluggishness:  Our year-over-year deal […]

Continue Reading

HBM Participates In Panel Discussion Sponsored by Emory University

There were various schools of thought on each of the topics discussed, but one thing that all panel participants agreed upon is that private equity competition continues to expand and touches on all factors relevant in the sector.  Late last year,  Ryan Supple, Manager of Deal Origination for HBM, participated on a panel discussion at […]

Continue Reading

A Team Effort This Holiday Season

Furniture building is not a core competency of ours, but nevertheless, we were proud of our handiwork to benefit a United Way family here in St. Louis this holiday season. “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more” – Grinch. This holiday season, we decided to adopt a family […]

Continue Reading

A Day In The Life Of A Corporate Development Associate At HBM Holdings

Meet Adam Silver, a Corporate Development associate at HBM.  Adam joined HBM as a Summer Intern while attending the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.  Learn why Adam chose to accept a full-time position at HBM after graduation. Embarking on a career in can be both exciting and terrifying.  It helps to be able […]

Continue Reading

EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Weekend Extravaganza

Mike DeCola – and by extension HBM Holdings – was named a finalist and winner of the Central Midwest Region at this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Mike DeCola, CEO, and Don Roberts, SVP Corporate Development, both attended the national EY award ceremony in California late November.  Both Mike and Don reported that […]

Continue Reading

A Day In The Life of An Associate at HBM Holdings

Meet Dan Soucy, a current Associate at HBM. Dan joined HBM as a Summer Associate while attending Washington University in St. Louis.  Read on to learn why Dan chose to accept a full-time position at HBM after graduation. No matter what your chosen career path, the process of graduating university and accepting an offer from […]

Continue Reading

Let’s Give Thanks

HBM Holdings and its employees proudly support the United Way The United Way of Greater St. Louis holds a special place in our hearts for many reasons. The following story that the United Way shares on its website exemplifies the reason why 100% of our company employees support this charitable organization:  A young child named […]

Continue Reading

Celebrating our New Headquarters – HBM’s Fall Fête

On November 10th, we welcomed our local business colleagues and friends to our new corporate headquarters in the Clayton section of St. Louis for an evening of good conversation, casual music and delicious food.  Many local firms were in attendance including JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, E&Y, Fifth Third Bank, RubinBrown LLP, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Moneta Group and […]

Continue Reading

Enter your information to get receive the latest HBM Holdings announcements.