David Braun
Author's posts
Hershey, Campbell Acquire Healthy Snack Brands to Follow Customer Demand
Customers are one of the strongest forces affecting your business today and in the future. Your company’s long-term success depends on their sustained demand for your products and services for years to come. Two recent acquisitions demonstrate the strong pull of customer demand in shaping company success. In the past week both Hershey and Campbell …
What Keeps You Up at Night? 5 Tips for Family-Owned Businesses
All business leaders face the stresses of leading an organization; but owners of privately-held, family-owned businesses are in a unique position. Not only do they need to balance the rigors of running a company, defending market share, and dealing with regulatory issues, they must also simultaneously deal with family dynamics. Imagine having the dynamics of …
Mars Makes Minority Investment in Healthy Snack Maker Kind
Sugar is not so sweet anymore. Blamed for making people sick and causing obesity, consumers are turning to healthier options and governments are trying to curb sugar consumption. Faced with these market dynamics, Mars recently announced it has made a minority investment in Kind Snacks. Kind’s products are made without artificial ingredients and include bars, …
Lessons for the Middle Market from the AT&T – Time Warner Deal
396 days. One year and one month. That is how long it’s been since AT&T first announced it would acquire Time Warner for $85 billion on October 22, 2016. As the AT&T – Time Warner deal languishes in the courts, I am again reminded of the advantages that privately held middle market companies have when …
Why Acquire? 8 Common Reasons to Buy
Acquisition can be an exciting tool for growing your company, but before pursuing a deal, it is important to ask, “What outcome do you hope to achieve from M&A that you would not realize otherwise?” There are a variety of reasons to acquire and although each company’s situation is different, most deals fall under one …
Helping Clients Implement Their Dreams
Back in 1995 I started Capstone with one reason in mind: to help companies grow. Company growth is my passion and I’m always excited to be a part of clients’ growth stories and see them achieve their dreams. Company growth is about more than helping an organization become larger. Successful companies have very real and …
Department Stores Go Out of Style: Lord & Taylor Building to Sell to WeWork
Hudson’s Bay, the parent company of Lord & Taylor, announced it would sell the iconic fifth avenue store to co-working startup WeWork and Rhone Capital LLC for $850 million. The price is a 30 percent premium over the value of the real estate when it was last appraised in 2016. Lord & Taylor will rent …
The Inside Scoop on Mergers & Acquisitions – David Braun on the High Level Wisdom Podcast
I recently the opportunity to speak about my experience as a CEO and company founder on the High Level Wisdom Podcast with Chris Williams. During our conversation, we discussed how companies can grow through strategic mergers and acquisitions and as well as tips for success for leaders. Listen to my interview on the High Level …
