Under Kip's leadership Porter, White & Company brings to small and medium sized businesses the skills and quality in deal execution enjoyed by major corporations from much larger investment banking firms. Where other regional firms may act as finders or brokers, Porter, White & Company seeks to satisfy the client's objectives by applying a full range of banking skills, including thorough analyses of the economic, financial, tax, accounting, technical and legal aspects of proposed transactions. We also raise the debt or equity capital required to close the deal.

Closely Held and Family-Owned Companies: Because many of the firm's clients are closely held or family-owned enterprises, Kip frequently has to take into account non-financial objectives of the client. The firm takes pride in pursuing the client's objectives and in recommending against a transaction if that is in the best interest of the client.

Transactions completed by Kip include companies in the manufacturing, computer technology, biotechnology, health care and environmental industries.

National Tube Holding Company, Inc. was formed to bring together a talented and experienced business manager and National Copper and Smelting Company, Inc., a company known to Porter, White & Company to be available for sale. Kip negotiated the terms of purchase, organized a group of equity partners, arranged for financing and closed the transaction. Two subsequent acquistions have added value to the original company which promises to be a highly successful investment for the original equity investors.

In the case of Associated Doctors Insurance Company, Porter, White & Company was hired by the majority stockholder to find a buyer while the company itself retained a prominent regional investment banking firm with substantial insurance company experience. By paying attention to the client's objectives and conducting a focused search, Kip found the buyer who closed on the deal when the other investment banking firm failed to perform.

Competitive Purchase: When Diversified Products, Inc., a prominent Alabama company, was placed on the market by its international conglomerate owner, Kip identified an Alabama businessman, organized and directed his offer, prevailed in an auction contest and arranged all of the financing for the acquisition.

Sequa Corporation retained Porter, White & Company to assist with the divestiture of National Seating Company. The firm assisted management in forming an ESOP and negotiating a purchase with nominal initial equity, a subordinate purchase money note from Sequa, and mezzanine and secured financing from a financial institution. The transaction involved complex inter-creditor agreements, avoidance of fraudulent conveyance issues, valuation issues, accommodation of significant product liability litigation, and structuring around loan covenants in outstanding industrial development bond issues.

Southern BioSystems, Inc. (SBS), a biomaterial manufacturing and controlled release formulation development company, was created with Porter, White's assistance. This company purchased a biodegradable polymer manufacturing operation from a leading pharmaceutical company and subsequently has developed its own proprietary patented biodegradable materials and control- release formulations. Porter, White arranged the initial and two subsequent investments including investments by industry strategic partners. Subsequently, Kip represented SBS in separating its licensing and intellectual property interest from Southern Research Institute in order for both to pursue independent and potentially competitive roles in this very large market. He continues to assist SBS with strategic planning, valuation services and capital planning.

Other significant transactions have included the sale of nursing homes, the consolidations of cardio-thoracic surgery practices, the sale of a computer components manufacturer, the merger of substance abuse treatment centers, the merger of environmental equipment companies, and the sale to a major industry player of a regional provider of information systems to office-based physicians.

Kip is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in economics.