M&A Dealmaker Alaris Acquisitions Partners With Merchant Investment Management

Minority-stake investment brings powerful deal-origination engine to growing Merchant network

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alaris Acquisitions, a team of merger-and-acquisition experts led by Allen Darby that works with a select group of wealth management firms by sourcing, negotiating and closing new acquisition opportunities, announces its partnership with Merchant Investment Management, LLC. The partnership, which includes a non-controlling, minority investment from Merchant, will magnify the deal-origination services of Alaris, connecting local, regional and national independent firms with thoroughly vetted acquisition opportunities.

“Merchant has given us the resources and freedom to do our best work,” said Darby, founder of Alaris. “Our industry faces a tidal wave of M&A activity driven by succession, the race to scale, and the resources needed to give investors the best possible service. It is fast-moving, complex work, and we’re excited to bring a new model to the market for firms that are open to having partnership dialogues with our clients.”

Darby brings more than 20 years of unique experience to his role at Alaris, most notably leading a team that sourced, negotiated and closed on 30-plus acquisitions for United Capital as a buyer advisor.

“I have sat at all sides of the table, as a buyer for my own RIA, as a seller and as an advisor on over 50 total acquisitions,” he noted. “This experience helps provide us with a sharp view of the acquisition process from many perspectives.”

Alaris represents an innovative model for firms interested in pursuing a partnership with a larger RIA, the buyer advisor. Essentially, Alaris is hired by clients to find ideal fits for their unique culture and model, so it does the same work as a seller advisor, but its clients pay 100% of the Alaris fee. This saves would-be sellers hundreds of thousands of dollars in standard M&A fees charged by bankers, etc.

Merchant’s investment in Alaris provides Merchant-affiliated firms with a proven, powerful resource for inorganic growth, while preserving Alaris’ independence to work with advisors of its choosing.

“I have seen firsthand the success that the Alaris team has been able to achieve with their meticulous approach to M&A, and I’m excited to welcome them as a Merchant partner,” said Matt Brinker, managing partner of Merchant. “The hardest part of M&A is often knowing where to start, and Alaris is now poised to guide firms of all sizes toward the best opportunities to take advantage of a historic climate for deals and inorganic growth.”

“This is a durable investment in the success and growth of Alaris over the long term,” added Marc Spilker, executive chairman of Merchant. “Allen and his team will play a crucial role in helping our partner firms identify growth opportunities. Alaris’ independence and proven success at deal origination are inextricably linked. This is about giving Alaris the tools to succeed at what they do best.”

About Merchant Investment Management, LLC

Merchant is a private partnership providing growth capital, management resources, strategic opportunities and direction to independent financial services companies, particularly those focused on wealth and asset management. For additional information, please visit www.merchantim.com.

About Alaris Acquisitions

Alaris Acquisitions sources, negotiates and closes new partnership opportunities for dominant local, regional and national wealth management firms that seek to grow via acquisition. For more information, visit alarisacquisitions.com.