Unlocking Value in Your Ownership Transition

Founded by veteran banker John Sweeney in 2021, Slane Hill Capital Advisors is a boutique financial advisory firm specializing in capital formation and transition services aimed at closely held, entrepreneurially-driven, scalable firms operating within the North American middle market.

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About our Firm

Slane Hill Capital is a boutique middle market advisory firm specializing in capital and transition services for closely held, entrepreneurially driven and scalable firms in the U.S. and North America.

Leveraging over 25 Years of experience in M&A and corporate finance, we exclusively serve business owners who are now seeking liquidity, transition, bolt-on purchases, or even ultimate exit from their largest and most personal investment.

Specializing wholly in middle market-sized, closely-held private companies, we provide entrepreneur families with a knowledgeable guide to derive the best possible value from opportunities in the private equity capital markets.

We employ a time-tested, education-first process where we serve as your advocate in a complex and deep buyer universe.

How We Differentiate Ourselves

Most investment banks have established sell-side relationships with various private equity groups.

Such arrangements serve to benefit both parties' deal flow, but pose a threat to the interests of a first-time, closely-held seller.

Although our relationships are long-standing, Slane Hill never solicits sell-side business from the private equity community. As a result, our interests remain solely with the closely-held clients we represent.

We serve as your advocate alone, employing the “two bites at the apple” growth strategy to maximize our clients’ long term wealth potential. 

Recent Transactions

The Stevenson Co. (TraQline)

The Stevenson Company, dba “TraQline”, is a Louisville, Kentucky-based market intelligence company, known for its detailed consumer durables market data and analysis.

Initially spun out of General Electric more than 20 years ago, TraQline has enjoyed a critical position within the consumer durables space, providing its blue-chip customers with mission-critical insights not available from any other provider.

TraQline's unique position within the market, combined with promising new technological developments, made the company an attractive target for acquisition and further investment.

By integrating TraQline’s market measurement expertise, OpenBrand, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity group ParkerGale, can now provide clients with an unparalleled understanding of both the causes and impacts of market share shifts across a wider range of industries.

Vac2Go, LLC

Vac2Go is Louisville, Kentucky-based provider of mission-critical equipment to industrial, utility, and municipal customers. The Company offers rentals of the latest model trucks and equipment to a wide array of industrial and municipal customers, as well as repair and maintenance services at all its facilities. 

Our client enjoyed increasing long-term demand for its products and services, capitalizing on its best-in-class fleet and customer service to capture a greater share of the market.

One of our most competitive processes in the last decade, with bid topping out over 20% higher than expected.

Acquired by Argosy Capital, a Pennsylvania-based private equity firm, with the founder and his family maintaining a long-term stake in the business, allowing them to benefit from Argosy’s Value Acceleration Methodology (VAM™) and industry expertise.

Cleer Vision Windows, Inc.

Cleer Vision is an Elkhart, Indiana-based leading designer and vertically integrated manufacturer of tempered glass windows for the RV, coach bus and trailer markets

Our client was the last remaining independent and #2 overall window supplier in a consolidated market, and enjoyed a “protected” position against it’s publicly traded larger competitor.

Slane Hill’s resulting limited auction process was robust, with multiple strategic and financial bidders pursuing the transaction.

Acquired by AirXcel, a portfolio company of international brand manager L Catterton Partners, with a subsequent sale of the consolidated group to R.V.- industry giant, Thor Industries

Barricades Unlimited

Lubbock, Texas based Barricades Unlimited is a leading service provider of traffic control, pavement marking, guardrail installation and related equipment rentals and sales to central and west Texas, with seven offices ranging from Beaumont  to Amarillo Texas.

Operating within a consolidating niche in one of the most well funded road construction states in the country, the transaction was pursued by multiple large cap Private Equity national platforms as well as numerous Texas-based PEGs.

The resulting process brought a price considerably above market, with the young owners retaining 25% of the new structure in partnership with Austin-based Blue Sage Equity Partners.

A great example of “fit” winning out over larger bidders while still delivering top valuation for our seller

Fiberguide Industries, Inc.

Caldwell, Idaho based Fiberguide Industries was a specialty fiber-optic assembly designer and manufacturer, and a subsidiary of publicly traded multinational technology firm, Halma Industries (U.K.).

Halma was seeking to divest what had become an orphan subsidiary due to lack of geographical and operational fit, along with looming capital expense bogeys.

Fiberguide’s leading technology and personnel made its operations very attractive to several multinational and West Coast-based strategic acquirors.

Koch Industries’ Molex division provided the best “non-competitive” fit for our sellers, and have since fully integrated Fiberguide into their Phoenix, AZ based Polymicro Fiber division

Acquisition of Assault Industries by Super ATV, LLC (Buy-side Advisor)

Slane Hill serves as Super ATV’s exclusive buy side advisor as it seeks to consolidate the $6 billion off-road UTV/ATV aftermarket parts industry in the United States.

Madison, IN based Super ATV is the largest independent designer, manufacturer and distributor of off- road UTV and ATV aftermarket parts in the U.S., with one of the strongest e-commerce distribution platforms in the off-road enthusiast market, including existent Jeep & Truck platforms.

Garden Grove, CA based Assault Industries was the first closing of a number of targets with which Super ATV is currently in discussions.

Slane Hill’s experience in managing closely held private firms is invaluable to establishing the trusted relationships with which family-owned SuperATV is seeking to differentiate themselves

Acquisition of Keller Performance Products, LLC by Super ATV, LLC (Buy-side Advisor)

Hannibal, MO based Keller Performance was the performance industry leader in specialty ball-joint, tie-rod and other hard parts for off-road UTVs and ATVs.

Slane Hill helped craft the IP-heavy, asset-light buyout to best favor our client’s ability to scale Keller’s brand reputation across a number of new product categories.

Acquisition of GBoost Technology, Inc. by Super ATV, LLC (Buy-side Advisor)

Baxter, MN based GBoost Technology is the independent industry leader in high end performance belt and clutch technologies for the UTV, ATV, Snowmobile and Golf Cart industries.

Slane Hill’s experience with long term owners seeking the “exact fit” for their family-owned properties helped in negotiating a value-based agreement over a year-long development period

Some of the transactions listed were performed by principals of Slane Hill acting in their capacity as licensed investment banking agents of Burch & Company, Inc.

Our Team

John Sweeney

Managing Director

Prior to launching Slane Hill Capital, Mr. Sweeney was a Managing Director at Baird Business Owner Solutions, a lower middle market M&A services firm based  in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to Baird, Mr. Sweeney was Managing Director at Hilliard Lyons Investment Banking, also in Louisville, focusing on middle-market M&A, and private capital raising.  Mr. Sweeney had rejoined Hilliard Lyons in 2010, after four years as a Principal-owner with bCatalyst Advisors, a middle-market M&A boutique based in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Prior to moving to Louisville, Mr. Sweeney spent two years as a partner with Southern Capital Corporation, a Richmond, Virginia-based middle-market private equity firm. Mr. Sweeney also worked in the New York-based Mergers and Acquisitions Group of Morgan Stanley Investment Banking, and in the FIG-Insurance Group at CS First Boston.

Mr. Sweeney received his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, and his BA from Amherst College.

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Harrison Sweeney

Associate

A recent addition to the Slane Hill Team, Harrison has a background in market research and analysis. He previously worked as an analyst and writer for LikeFolio, a boutique financial data provider specializing in consumer insights.

Prior to Likefolio, Harrison studied Economics at the University of DePauw. He is a Louisville native.

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