How did COVID-19 affect manufacturing businesses, and what lessons did investors learn from the crisis? A year after the coronavirus shut down most of the United States and swept the globe, Axial’s Middle Market Review reached out to Ken Hoefling, an Operating Partner at LFM Capital and former Vice President at Caterpillar, to discuss COVID’s impact on lower middle market manufacturing, business continuity planning in times of crisis, the critical role of good data within a business, and more.

On this episode of Investors & Operators, Jordan sits down with Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director of LFM Capital based in Nashville. Together, they chat about how a life-altering tornado is the best thing that ever happened to him, effective leadership plus emotional availability and the lessons (and the baggage) of growing up in an entrepreneurial family.

Join AltVia to learn about the role of technology within private equity and venture capital firms. Our hope is to bring together the best and brightest across the industry to discuss best practices, the trends they’re seeing, and how firms are using technology to gain an edge in the market – raising funds faster, generating outsized returns, and delivering a world-class experience for LPs.

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Jessica Ginsberg, Director of Business Development for LFM Capital. LFM is a Nashville-based private equity firm founded by operators and engineers, investing in manufacturing companies in the US and Canada. Jessica manages business development and investment sourcing activities, and brings over 13 years of experience in the private equity, investment, and commercial banking sectors in a variety of roles in addition to earning a BS in Finance and Accounting from Georgetown University.

We interviewed Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director at LFM Capital, about his journey from the military into manufacturing and then finally into private equity. After his time as a Navy pilot, Steve was looking to create value in the world, not just working his way through a bureaucracy. He found this in a role as a leader in charge of Dell Computer’s manufacturing out of Tennessee. He quickly dedicated more and more of his time and energy towards this endeavor.

And then a natural disaster hit and it fundamentally shifted how he approached his work and his life.

Major market disruptions — such as the Great Recession or the current pandemic — create opportunities for companies to improve their position. Stephen Cook, executive managing director at LFM Capital, likens times such as these to short track speed skating — nobody passes on the straightaways, but there's a lot of passing that occurs on the corners.

In today’s episode, Frances Brunelle speaks with Jessica Ginsberg, Director of Business Development at LFM Capital. LFM is a private equity investment group focused on niche manufacturing and industrial service businesses.

LFM Capital’s Steve Cook on investing in manufacturing and industrial services businesses: “If you come to town in a private jet, you’ve already lost.”