Broke records
Harris Williams completed 87 transactions in 2018, the most in firm history, up more than 22 percent from two years prior, according to the firm, earning it Mergers & Acquisitions' 2018 M&A Mid-Market Award for Investment Bank of the Year. The year’s aggregate sell-side transaction value of more than $31 billion topped the year prior by more than 28 percent and exceeded 2016’s total aggregate transaction value by more than 50 percent. The Richmond, Virginia, firm experienced strong momentum with strategic and financial buyers located across the U.S., Europe and Asia; more than 20 percent of the firm’s clients were privately-held companies. Harris Williams completed the most buy-side transactions in firm history, a 56 percent increase from 2017. The firm hired 97 full-time employees in 2018 for a total of 315 employees at the end of the year and welcomed the largest analyst and associate classes in firm history.
See the full list of Mergers & Acquisitions' 2018 M&A Mid-Market Awards.
Identified differentiators
The firm embarked on an initiative to identify differentiating strengths and priorities for the future, including conducting external research among former and potential clients. Through the process, Harris Williams affirmed long-held assumptions and identified priorities for future strategies. Since its founding in 1991, Harris Williams says it “has been devoted to execution excellence, fostering longstanding relationships, and acting as a thoughtful partner to clients. The firm’s unique approach ensures that our clients benefit from our collective expertise, acting as one firm to provide guidance that is specifically tailored to achieve the right results, the right way.” The firm launched a new graphic identity, including a new logo. “With a renewed sense of Harris Williams’ differentiators, the firm has entered 2019 with a path filled with growth and a pledge to upholding the characteristics that make the firm exceptional.”
Embraced diversity
Over the last several years, Harris Williams has dedicated resources to increase diversity at the firm, including an annual women’s leadership summit, which brings together undergraduate and MBA students for a day of panels, breakout sessions and networking. Harris Williams’ 2018 analyst and associate class saw a shift in the female/male makeup, and the firm currently has the highest percentage of analyst and associate women in its history. In 2018, the firm held its first veterans’ summit. The firm says it is proud to have all five branches of the U.S. Armed forces represented in the employee base. In 2018, Harris Williams joined Consortium, the nation’s largest diversity network that brings together students in top-tier MBA programs and corporate partners.
Completed deals
· Advised Jet Parts, a provider of parts and repair services to the commercial aerospace industry, on recapitalization by Vance Street Capital.
· Advised SRS Distribution, a distributor of roofing supplies and related materials, on sale to Leonard Green & Partners.
· Advised SlimFast, a brand of weight management and meal replacement products, on sale to Glanbia, a global nutrition company based in Kilkenny, Ireland.
· Advised Premise Health, a provider of on-site health clinics, on sale to Omers Private Equity in Toronto.
