Profile: Jim Richards

Jim’s business experience as a seasoned operations and financial executive includes more than 30 years in industry and professional services.  He served on the Board of Directors at Amerequip Corporation, a manufacturer of tractor attachments for the OEM marketplace.  There he had a variety of operational and financial responsibilities, serving as VP Supply Management and Planning, and VP Finance.  Jim was instrumental in implementing many successful operational improvements resulting in improved cash flow and return on capital invested.  He was instrumental in the transfer of the ownership of the Company by developing business plans, projections, and financial models demonstrating the benefits of the transition.

Jim’s industrial experience also includes Bell Helicopter, IBM, and International Harvester.  For a significant portion of his career he provided consulting services to clients through the management advisory services of the CPA firms Ernst & Young and McGladrey and Pullen.  This provided Jim with experience in a wide scope of industries by serving clients ranging in size from the smallest proprietorships to major Fortune 500 companies.

Jim’s earned his BS degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University and his MBA from the Wharton School.
Jim adds value to both buyers and sellers of closely held businesses by gaining an understanding of the firms’ key success factors, identifying opportunities, performing analyses and developing creative solutions to facilitate the ownership transition process.  He enjoys helping buyers and sellers achieve their objectives by looking beyond “what is” to “what can be”.