The Association of Corporate Growth (ACG) chapters in the south central region of the U.S. broker deals between middle market companies in a variety of industries, including energy, manufacturing and software.
Two of the area's chapters, ACG Kentucky and ACG Tennessee, will come together in Louisville, Ky., for the 5th Annual ACG MidSouth Capital Connection, which will bring dealmakers from both states together for networking on June 13 and June 14.
Other south central chapters include ACG Central Texas, ACG Dallas/Fort Worth, ACG Houston and ACG Louisiana, which will host ACG InterGrowth in 2016.
DALLAS/ FORT WORTH
ACG.org/Dallas
Year Founded: 1973
Number of Members: 632
Annual Dues: $350
Approval Required for Membership: No
President: Robert Kibby, Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC
ACG's Dallas/Fort Worth chapter, which started in Dallas, brings together dealmakers from two very different cities to try to facilitate even more deal flow. "We think our big growth opportunities are going to be coming out of Fort Worth," says chapter president Robert Kibby. The area - home to American Airlines and Texas Instruments, as well as large private equity firm TPG Capital, RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) and Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) - is open for business. "It's very welcoming, so it's not like we've got the 'good ol' boys club' here. We thrive and survive, at least in the middle market, on the basis of merit," Kibby says.
CENTRAL TEXAS
ACG.org/CentralTexas
Year Founded: 1996
Number of Members: 200+
Annual Dues: $300
Approval Required for Membership: No
President: Paul Gautier, Riverstone Wealth
ACG Central Texas brings together two big cities into one chapter. "Austin has heart; San Antonio has soul," says chapter president Paul Gautier of Riverstone Wealth. The two cities are separated by a 90-minute drive on the Interstate 35 corridor. Companies that call Austin home include Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL), Keller Williams, National Instruments and Whole Foods Market Inc. (Nasdaq: WFM), while Rackspace Hosting Inc. (Nasdaq: RAX), Valera, USAA and Clear Channel are all located in the Alamo City.
HOUSTON
ACG.org/Houston
Year Founded: 1975
Number of Members: 470
Annual Dues: $300
Approval Required for Membership: No
President: Philip Ugalde, Bank of Texas
"Because Houston is arguably the energy capital of the U.S., and maybe the world, we focus a lot of our programming on energy-related topics," says Cassandra Mott, president-elect of ACG Houston. The fourth-largest city in the country boasts ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Halliburton and ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) as residents. ACG Houston hosts an annual "energy uncorked" wine tasting event, where energy-focused dealmakers gather, Mott says. Besides energy companies, Houston also hosts businesses in the health care, manufacturing and software industries.
LOUISIANA
ACG.org/Louisiana
Year Founded: 2005
Number of Members: 115
Annual Dues: $420
Approval Required for Membership: No
President: Dorothy Clyne
The Bayou State's ACG chapter was founded in 2005, just before Hurricane Katrina hit. "It has taken us a while to build the chapter back up again," says chapter founder Les Alexander, "but the chapter is starting to hit its stride." ACG Louisiana has even been selected to host ACG InterGrowth 2016. Louisiana is home to several seafood-production companies, including P&J Oyster Co., as well as telecommunications giant CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL).
KENTUCKY
ACG.org/Kentucky
Year Founded: 2008
Number of Members: 86
Annual Dues: $420
Approval Required for Membership: No
President: Bill Probus, Crow Horwath
ACG Kentucky shares its home town, Louisville, with the Kentucky Derby, Papa John's International Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) Humana, Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) and 2013 NCAA men's basketball winners, the Louisville Cardinals. "The geographic location of ACG Kentucky makes it unique as it is at the center of a large segment of the Midwest between Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Nashville," says Xiao Yin, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Kentucky/Southern Indiana, which provides administration support to the chapter. The area is also known for a thriving bourbon industry. Louisville will host the 5th Annual ACG MidSouth Capital Connection at the Downtown Marriot in June, which ACG Kentucky is hosting in partnership with ACG Tennessee.
TENNESSEE
ACG.org/Tennessee
Year Founded: 2004
Number of Members: 102
Annual Dues: $325
Approval Required for Membership: No
President: Chris Rowe, Four Bridges Capital
ACG Tennessee's members head to meetings in both Nashville and Memphis. Dealmakers in the Volunteer State are surrounded by the zinc, aluminum and energy industries, as well as a healthy dose of country music. Companies headquartered in the area include, Red Kap, a company that manufactures work-related clothing and outerwear, and Singer Corp., which manufactures sewing machines. ACG Tennessee is partnering with ACG Kentucky to host the 5th Annual ACG MidSouth Capital Connection at the Downtown Marriot in Louisville, Ky., on June 13 to June 14.