Scaling Your Business in a Challenging Business Environment: FY 2023

Mr. Larry Gardner established the consulting firm of Lawrence Gardner Associates (Troy, Michigan) in 1982. He is a former president of First Citizens Bank, Troy, and was a partner in Gardner Taylor Associates, a financial and managerial consulting firm. His prior positions also include Strategic Planning Officer at Citicorp, New York; Account Officer for Multinational Lending, Citicorp, Ecuador; and head of the National Division and representative to the Chrysler Corporation loan restructuring for City National Bank of Detroit (now PNC). He received his undergraduate Business Degree and Masters of Finance and International Business from the University of Wisconsin, is an alumnus of the University of Michigan Graduate School of Bank Management and attended the Advanced Program in Banking conducted by Harvard Business School faculty members while employed with Citicorp. He previously was an Adjunct Lecturer in management at Walsh College and on its Advisory Committee for the Master of Science Degree in Finance program. Mr. Gardner specializes in loan structuring and workouts, cash management applications, private debt placement, company valuations, due diligence and strategic planning, and has served on the Board of Directors of closely held companies. 

Gary N. Lewis is the founder and Managing Partner of Aquila Equity Partners, a private investment firm with a differentiated approach as “entrepreneurial business builders”.  Aquila partners with growth-focused management teams and operating businesses which generate between $1 million and $15 million in EBITDA.   In addition to his role with Aquila, Gary serves as Chairman / Board Member for several operating companies and as an Operating Partner for Cascade Partners, a leading middle market investment banking advisory firm.  He brings greater than 20 years of private equity investing, investment banking and operational experience to each firm, including involvement in approximately $8 billion in transaction and advisory assignments.   

Gary began his career in investment banking with Banc of America Securities in New York City.   While working in the firm’s Global Industrials and Services Group, he assisted middle market and Fortune 500 clients with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures and capital-raising transactions.  

After Banc of America Securities, Gary spent the next 8 years as a private equity investor with Michigan-based Bainbridge Ventures, and Chicago-based Winona Capital and Goense Capital Partners. During this time, he invested in and worked with growth-focused middle market companies across a variety of industries, including consumer / retail, healthcare, niche manufacturing and labor-based business services.  In addition, he previously held an operating role as a Vice President of Acquisitions and Business Development with a healthcare services company providing care for patients along the post-acute care continuum.  

In 2013, Gary moved home to his native Michigan and, prior to starting Aquila, spent several years in middle market investment banking.  During this time, he advised entrepreneurial- driven & family-owned businesses primarily operating in the consumer / retail, healthcare, business services and value-added distribution and logistics industries.     

Gary graduated from Kalamazoo College with a B.A. in economics. He also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and has studied at L’Ecole Superieure de Commerce in France. 

Outside of his professional life, Gary and his wife spend most of their time keeping up with their two active boys.  Gary is also a huge sports fan, especially rooting for teams from Detroit or Michigan. In addition, he enjoys skiing, biking, playing basketball and squash at the Detroit Athletic Club, and traveling with his family.   

Bob is the CEO and Managing Director of Greenwich Capital Group, LLC. He brings over 30 years of capital markets experience advising both public companies and family-owned private businesses.  Bob specializes in M&A, Capital Raising and Business Valuation. He has advised some of the leading private and public companies in several industries including Parker Hannifin, Prince Machine, Control-Tec, Kellogg’s, Commercial Steel, Eagle Picher, KDI Precision Products and others. Prior to joining Greenwich Capital Group, Bob was the CEO and National Managing Director of Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC where he started and built the business into a formidable 140 person U.S. investment banking business. Prior to Deloitte, Bob worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he focused on business valuation, strategic valuation and M&A advisory. 

Jason Grobbel is the President of EW Grobbel, whose mission is “To serve our customers with expertly crafted food products through continuous innovation and engaging people in a culture of respect.”  Throughout all levels of the organization, Jason has worked to instill not only a culture of respect, but a complete intolerance of disrespect.  

In his book Leading America Back to Work, Jason describes the systems and processes he developed that transformed the company from a small regional processor, established in 1883 by his Great Grandfather, to nationally distributed.  He discusses a new vision for business framework; the five pillars for success: recruitment, on-boarding, supervision, evaluation, and job re-design.  Going further, Jason identifies the key to unlocking the potential of today’s workforce through the ACE System. This drives performance focusing on three core areas: Attitude, Competency and Energy. 

Jason is a father to five children. His interests range from engineering and architecture to psychology and philosophy. His passion is helping others grow personally and professionally, while making America's greatest Corned Beef on the side. 

Since joining Monroe Holdings as the President in 1999, Garrett has been focused on growing their portfolio of companies in the global manufacturing and distribution space. One Monroe has grown from a small regional to a national manufacturing company with over 35 locations serving over 50 thousand customers across North America.  

Garrett believes in the entrepreneurial spirit and creates a culture of innovation, service, and adaptability. One Monroe operates with an agile start-up mentality while maintaining a solid family-style culture and continues to add new products and portfolio companies through the use of strategic acquisition. The broad range of product offerings, along with strategically placed locations serving diverse industries, is a critical strategy that Garrett has implemented to help face any challenges.  

As a graduate of Michigan State University, Majoring in Marketing, Garrett laid a foundation for creating and accelerating the company’s marketing strategy and brand recognition across the country. As an early pioneer in digital marketing in the manufacturing space, Garrett embraced the use of digital before it was widespread in the industry.  

“Our team has a constant drive to align our work with our values, and because of that, we have built an amazing business, but more importantly, we are a family that truly cares about each other, our partners, our customers, and our local community. I’m honored to be a part of that family, and I have the pleasure of working alongside incredible people who embrace our corporate culture always asking, 'How can we help?”