Bill has over 46 years of diverse operational, financial, and transactional experience, both as a consultant and at all levels of management, including CEO, CFO, and COO, across consolidating and high-growth industries. Bill’s experience covers a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, metal processing, chemicals, transportation, distribution, not-for-profits, construction (commercial, residential, and industrial), environmental, medical/healthcare, and many other service industries.

Bill uses his extensive experience to help both healthy and distressed clients improve profitability, cash flow, and liquidity, ultimately increasing shareholder value.

Notable Engagements

Bill has been instrumental in more than 300 acquisitions, start-ups, divestitures, refinancing, and turnarounds, both domestically and internationally. Throughout his career, Bill has been adept at developing and implementing creative solutions to complex situations while generating short- and long-term profit improvements and increasing shareholder value.  

Debt Refinancing & Restructuring

• $20 million senior and $3 million subordinated debt refinancing 
• $26 million revolving line of credit & term facility generating $4.5 million of much needed increased liquidity 

Sell-Side M&A Advisory

• The sale of Xolox Corporation’s diverse business lines, including its Malaysian manufacturing subsidiary, in six separate simultaneous transactions 
• $150 million sale of a computer reseller to a publicly traded company  
• Completed sale of a specialty chemical manufacturer to a private equity firm through a complex and contentious §363 bankruptcy proceeding, with closing occurring within 90 days of Chapter 11 filing
• Led sales of metal stamper, heavy equipment sales/rental business, food & gift manufacturer, apparel importer, and others through Wisconsin Section 128 Receivership proceedings 

Distressed and "Storied" Transactions

• SpecialtyChem Corporation's sale to Resilience Capital Partners via §363 bankruptcy
• Capital Stampings sale to Wendorff Industries via Wisconsin Statute 128 Receivership

In addition to providing guidance and trusted advice to clients, their management teams, and Boards of Directors, Bill has also served as interim CEO, CFO, and CRO (Chief Restructuring Officer) in court-supervised and out-of-court situations. Examples of Bill's interim management roles include:

• Interim CEO of a $50 million consumer products manufacturer
• Interim CEO and CFO of a metal fabricator, decorator, and service center providing various metal shapes and container components for food and other industries
• Interim CFO of a metal stamping, treating, coating, and assembly business providing highly engineered products to the automotive industry
• Chief Restructuring Officer for a multi-state ready-mix concrete business
• Interim CEO of a metal stamping and sub-assembly business for the ATV and lawn & garden industries

Experience

Prior to joining Fort Dearborn in 1997, Bill co-founded and served as President and COO of Delivery Management, Inc. (DMI), a courier industry consolidator. Before starting DMI, Bill served as Chief Financial Officer for the Midwest operations of American Medical Response (AMR), a national ambulance and emergency response service, where he was responsible for the company’s aggressive acquisitions program and post-acquisition integration. Prior to AMR, Bill spent 19 years at Waste Management in various positions, ultimately serving as CFO of its largest domestic group with revenues exceeding $1.5 billion and operations in 13 states.