RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harris Williams & Co., a preeminent middle market investment bank focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide, announces that Jason Bass and Frank Mountcastle have joined the firm as managing directors in the firm’s Transportation & Logistics (T&L) Group, and that Jershon Jones and Jeff Burkett have joined the T&L Group as vice presidents. Joe Conner, who has been spearheading the firm’s T&L effort over the last few years, will continue in his leadership role working alongside Bass, Mountcastle, Jones and Burkett to provide the firm’s T&L clients with a full range of M&A advisory services.
“The T&L sector has long been a core focus area for our firm and a central component of our growth over time. Over the past couple of years our firm has seen a significant increase in the number of engagements in the T&L industry and we expect that success to continue,” said Chris Williams, managing director and co-founder of Harris Williams & Co. “The addition of such talented industry veterans coupled with the firm’s extensive experience across the T&L industry will create one of the most powerful middle market T&L Groups in the industry and allow us to continue to fuel our increased activity in the sector.”
“Companies in the T&L industry are focused on growing their service offerings, driving efficiencies within their operations and staying competitive in a marketplace that is increasingly global and complex. These trends are driving consolidation within the industry and attracting new investors to the space,” said Joe Conner, a director in the firm’s T&L Group. “We are excited to have Jason, Frank, Jershon and Jeff joining our efforts to serve the broader T&L industry and capitalize on the growing M&A opportunity we have in the market.”
Harris Williams & Co. has continued to see strong activity in the sector. The firm’s recent deals in the space include Walker Group Holdings’ sale to Wabash National Corporation; Graham-White Manufacturing Company, Inc.’s sale to Faiveley Transport S.A.; Touchstone Wireless Repair and Logistics, LP’s sale to Brightpoint, Inc.; Transtar Holding Company’s sale to Friedman Fleischer & Lowe; Hawk Corporation’s sale to Carlisle Companies, Inc.; Kenan Advantage Group Inc.’s sale to Goldman Sachs and Centerbridge Partners; IDQ Holdings, Inc.’s sale to Castle Harlan; and Charter Brokerage LLC’s recapitalization by Arsenal Capital Partners among others.
The expansion of the T&L Group is the latest development for the firm, which has been steadily growing its industry specialization. In 2011, the firm hired Mike Wilkins to co-head its Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group, bolstering the firm’s practice within internet and digital media and in 2010, the firm hired Jon Nemo to lead its Aerospace Defense & Government Services (ADG) Group. These senior hires further support the organic growth within the firm across all of its industry practices. This has been in tandem with the firm’s international expansion including the 2009 hire of Thierry Monjauze to lead the firm’s European advisory practice, followed by the hire of Julien Darmon in 2011 to expand the firm’s senior leadership in Europe.
Harris Williams & Co. (www.harriswilliams.com), a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:PNC), is a preeminent middle market investment bank focused on the advisory needs of clients worldwide. The firm has deep industry knowledge, global transaction expertise, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Harris Williams & Co. provides sell-side and acquisition advisory, restructuring advisory, board advisory, private placements, and capital markets advisory services.
Harris Williams & Co.'s Transportation & Logistics Group is dedicated to providing superior merger and acquisition advisory services to companies in a variety of attractive niches across the broader transportation and logistics industries. Key focus areas include third-party logistics (brokerage, freight forwarding, transportation management, port logistics and value added warehousing), surface transportation (niche trucking, rail and intermodal), airport & aviation services, marine transportation (inland barge, coastwise and international shipping), transportation infrastructure, the automotive and heavy-duty vehicle market (suppliers, distributors, service providers and retail) and transportation equipment & services. For more information on our transportation experience, please contact Jason Bass, Frank Mountcastle or Joe Conner at +1 (804) 648-0072.
Investment banking services are provided by Harris Williams LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, and Harris Williams & Co. Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Harris Williams & Co. is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC and Harris Williams & Co. Ltd conduct business.
For general release inquiries, please contact Kimberly Baker, marketing director, at +1 (804) 648-0072.