This is the team I have assembled that will be your partner in preparing you and your company for a successful exit. We will be solely focused on ensuring that your transaction is as painless and profitable as it can be. I have the utmost confidence in the Ceibass Venture Partners team and in our abilities to assist you in what will be the most important business transaction of your career.
– Tom Fochtman
Tom Fochtman has more than 40 years of experience working in the Green Industry. He founded CoCal Landscape in 1992, a Denver based commercial landscape company. At its peak, CoCal Landscape was a $33 million company, ranked #41 in the nation, and had 560 employees. Under Tom’s direction CoCal opened 3 branch offices, acquired two landscape companies for strategic growth purposes, and won more than 29 national and state awards for landscaping excellence. In 2011, he sold CoCal Landscape and founded Ceibass Venture Partners, an investment banking firm.
The team at Ceibass Venture Partners exists to help business owners in the green industry achieve their financial goals. They are a leader and a true resource for business owners in the green industry when it comes to thinking about, planning for, preparing for and executing exit strategies for the transfer or sale of their businesses. They help business owners understand the process, prepare their businesses for sale, and then get them the maximum dollar for their business.
Additionally, Tom has many lifetime achievements including: founding Next Level Network, a nationally renowned industry peer group; a Lawn & Landscape leadership award; an Ambassador and past President of the NALP Foundation; a 3-term board member of NALP and recipient of the “Bob Cannon Lifetime Achievement Award” presented by the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado.
“Tim’s expertise is in estate and succession planning. What he really does is challenges you to think about the future … what happens after we close? And what you do after you hit the proverbial ‘home run’ will be critical to how satisfied you are with the rest of your life. Tim plays a critical role in exiting a business.”
“Dennis is a brilliant tax strategist. In my opinion, the best on the planet. He will make sure your transaction is structured in the most sound and tax advantageous manner possible. Simply put, he will make sure you retain the majority of your proceeds.”
Dennis is a partner and industry leader for Colorado in the construction and real estate practice (CORE) at CliftonLarsonAllen. He has over 14 years of experience in public accounting and regularly works with clients on compliance, maximizing tax efficiency through entity selection, transaction planning, and specialty tax incentives.Dennis’ CORE industry group clients have an emphasis in the green industry, specifically general contractors, subcontractors and architectsengineers.
Dennis is a president elect of the Denver Active 2030 Children’s Foundation, a board member at the Tennyson Center for Children, a member of the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
“Whether buying or selling, you need the perspective of the commercial banking community. You need to know how bankable your transaction is. Tom provides that perspective and is a true expert at how to utilize SBA funds.”
“Rob is what I refer to as a ‘transactional attorney’ but he also is very creative in determining how a transaction should be structured. He figures out how to get a deal closed and makes sure you are covered, legally.”
“Ken possesses a unique skill set. In his prior role as a co-owner of a large landscape company, he focused on both operations and administrative process; he is also a CPA. Ken provides very strong and diverse analytical skills when evaluating a company.”
“As a partner in a private equity firm, Steve brings an investor mentality when analyzing a company and potential deal. He will let you know how ‘sound’ your company will look to an outside buyer. This is an invaluable perspective as we evaluate potential buyers of your business.”