Tonka Bay Equity Partners

Tonka Bay partner company Standard Locknut has announced the appointment of a new CEO, Doug Payne. Doug brings a wealth of experience and a visionary leadership style that aligns perfectly with Standard Locknut's mission and values. Doug is an accomplished manufacturing leader with experience across all areas including site leadership, 10+ years leading operations/engineering, and another 10 years leading commercial activities. Doug’s drive to build high performance cultures will be a key focus at Standard Locknut, taking the next step in execution and customer relationships. Doug has an impressive track record in Manufacturing, having served most recently as General Manager at Paragon Medical. His past includes Power Transmission experience with Rexnord Industries, where he served various roles over 11 years. His strategic insights and passion for innovation will undoubtedly drive Standard Locknut to new heights. Join us in welcoming Doug!

RIPE FOR SUCCESS! Tonka Bay Equity Partners announces the sale of Orange Tree Employment Screening to Accurate Background.  Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Orange Tree is a technology-enabled provider of employee background screening services to the middle market. During Tonka Bay's ownership, Orange Tree built out a strong leadership team, expanded its service offering, and completed 3 add-on acquisitions. #buildingbiggerbetterbusinesses #smallbusiness #privateequity #privateequityfunding #privateequityfirms

Stay ahead of the curve and join Shawn Cappello at the Association for Corporate Growth Minnesota (ACGMN) May Luncheon. Shawn will provide perspective on current trends in today's acquisition market. Secure your spot: Tuesday, May 21, 11:30am at the Minneapolis Club. #buildingbiggerbetterbusinesses #smallbusiness #privateequity #privateequityfunding #privateequityfirms

Steve Soderling looks forward to sharing real-world anecdotes and insights as a panelist at the upcoming Association for Corporate Growth Minnesota (ACGMN) Upper Midwest Capital Connection event, June 10-11 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. Register today and let us know if you're coming to town! #buildingbiggerbetterbusinesses #smallbusiness #privateequity #privateequityfunding #privateequityfirms

There's still time to watch Craig Bunker make a splash at the State of M&A 2024 Conference hosted by Cornerstone Business Services, Inc.. Event takes place this Thursday, April 25 in Green Bay, WI! 🦈🌊Craig will take the plunge as a panelist in the "Lower Middle Market Shark Tank" event at 3:00pm. What ideas will sink or swim? Hope to see you there!

Tonka Bay Equity Partners is pleased to announce its newest partner company, Image Audiovisuals, a leading audiovisual production services company. Tonka Bay has partnered with Image AV owners Dave Mueller and Diana Mueller to accelerate a national growth plan of the company. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Image AV offers a full suite of event production and equipment rental services for meeting planners and venue partners, including design, programming, and support services for live, virtual, and hybrid events. The company is actively seeking to expand their footprint in the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest.  The Muellers, who founded the business in 1988, said, “We have fostered a strong employee culture focused on our customers, and expanded our service offerings through the years to meet their needs. We feel Tonka Bay is the right partner with the right culture and resources to help us continue growing the business and serving our customers.”  Shawn Cappello, Director at Tonka Bay, stated, “We were actively searching for a partner in this industry to leverage our past special events experience, and Image AV rose to the top of the list. Image AV’s talented team and customer service focus shows through in their impressive roster of high-quality customers. We are excited to partner with Dave, Diana, and team to unlock the next stage of growth.” 

Julie Keyes recently hosted Shane Slominski on her #PoisedforExit podcast. Take a listen to learn about the partnerships, growth opportunities and success stories that private equity can provide! #buildingbiggerbetterbusinesses #smallbusiness #privateequity #privateequityfunding #privateequityfirms

Orange is the New BOLD! We are proud to announce that Tonka Bay partner company, Orange Tree Employment Screening, won the 2024 BOLD Award in the Middle Market category from Association for Corporate Growth Minnesota (ACGMN) last week. The BOLD Awards are designed to honor and recognize innovation, inspirational moves, bold visions and leaders that have made bold moves to positively grow or enhance their companies. Congratulations to the Orange Tree team on this BOLD accomplishment! Kam Kielhorn and Shane Slominski attended the event along with Orange Tree CEO Renee Ernste and her team.

We are "Fired Up" to announce our most recent add-on acquisition. Congratulations to David White and his team! Professional Credit, a Tonka Bay partner company, has closed on “Project Heat,” a group of healthcare assets from New York­­–based CCMR3. The acquisition expands Professional Credit’s market presence outside the Pacific Northwest into New York, Iowa, and Arizona as well as additional business in nine other states. “Project Heat” represents Professional Credit’s first add-on acquisition. #buildingbiggerbetterbusinesses #smallbusiness #privateequity #privateequityfunding #privateequityfirms

Craig Bunker and Zachary Huston are headed west! Don't miss the opportunity to connect personally with them at the ACG Denver 2024 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference next week. #buildingbiggerbetterbusinesses #smallbusiness #privateequity #privateequityfunding #privateequityfirms