At Ascend, we think outside the transaction to the people behind it.
Be it clients, employees, or prospects, our team believes in humanizing investment banking and the engagement process. We place a high value on operating with integrity, maintaining good relationships, and simply doing the right thing…all while driving value with a sophisticated, data-driven approach.
The Ascend Way
Putting People First
Humanizing investment banking and the engagement process
Simplifying Complexity
Achieving simplicity amid complexity with a sophisticated approach
Flexing for the Journey
Pivoting to provide the type of advisory needed at a moment’s notice
Committing to Singular Attention
Promising expertise grounded in best practices but tailored to a client’s unique needs
Partnering with Authenticity & Respect
Creating an environment where ideas to come to life, people thrive, and success flourishes
Providing “In The Trenches” Experience
Unleashing value with institutional knowledge and expertise
The Ascend team’s deep understanding of our investment strategy allowed them to identify this unique, proprietary opportunity, further underscoring how valuable their partnership is in our ongoing expansion.
Our preferred sale transaction structure was highly complex and we needed a trusted advisor who acutely understood the market and could navigate our unique requirements. The Ascend team delivered on everything we asked, innovatively presenting Intelligenz’s growth potential to a diverse set of buyers to create significant interest and drive multiple offers to achieve an optimal outcome for all parties involved.
After conducting extensive independent market research and thoughtfully analyzing the data, Ascend identified GovBuilt as an ideal partner due to its compatible tech stack, experienced management team, and complimentary product offering that would allow us to better serve both companies’ customers. Ascend’s strategic thinking and attentive guidance throughout this process not only provided us a new perspective on the partner we needed but helped us successfully bring that vision to life.
While I am confident in providing highly technical mission-critical solutions in challenging situations, I sought an M&A advisor to guide us on the technicalities of finding and closing a transformative strategic acquisition. Ascend’s precise approach, discipline, and rigor perfectly fit what I sought in an advisor. The team found the right partner and managed every aspect of the process on my behalf with minimal disruption to the business. Our partnership with Ardent is transformational in every way, and we are thankful to Ascend for their role in making it happen. The Ascend team completed the deal on an efficient timeline despite the regulatory challenges ever present in transactions between government contractors. I look forward to working with Ascend on future acquisitions as we continue to strategically accelerate our growth and impact.
Simply put, we couldn’t have done this without Ascend. The team’s guidance and expertise were indispensable to us at every step of the journey, and their disciplined approach helped keep everyone on track throughout the process. The intentional way they strategically positioned our business ensured we found the right partner.
Ascend’s expertise in buy-side advisory has been evident from the start and was underscored as we worked on this first acquisition together. The team brings not only the analytical and programmatic rigor necessary for an efficient and effective strategy but also a focus on relationship building and the ability to think outside the transaction to the people behind it. Axcelinno was a valued relationship of ours before we even discussed a possible transaction. Ascend understood the complexities on both sides, helping us navigate the process and ultimately achieve the best outcome for all.
The combination of Ascend’s understanding of our investment strategy, expertise in our sector, and ability to articulate our value proposition is incredibly powerful. The Ascend team continues to represent us well, finding the right strategic opportunities that fit our mandate and culture. They have been instrumental in our corporate development strategy and helping position us for strong growth ahead.
John Wissel
Chief Corporate Development Officer
at
Fidelity BSG
DJ and the Ascend team spent endless hours with our family prior to launching a transaction to understand our collective and individual objectives. They were knowledgeable and responsive, helping us not just maximize value but find a partner we could feel truly good about taking on our family’s legacy and providing our employees, customers, and products new opportunities to flourish and thrive.
The Ascend team impressed me early on with their eagerness to negotiate the deal terms most important to us and create transparency through a data-driven approach. My appreciation only grew as they navigated us through the complexities of the transaction, ensuring we were well-represented throughout the process.
I will forever be thankful to the team at Ascend. Their guidance was invaluable to us as they simplified complex situations and fiercely focused on what meant the most to us—ensuring our employees were taken care of. Our relationship went beyond the transaction to building trusting relationships and friendships that will stand the test of time.
Going through the M&A process requires trust and someone that walks alongside you to help navigate the complexities. Working with Ascend made the experience less overwhelming as they provided guidance on all of the areas that I didn't have any clue about, while pushing our team to keep up the pace to the very end.
Ascend demonstrated extraordinary patience and persistence in helping us find the right partner for Capital Seaboard. The Ascend team advised us through negotiations with numerous interested buyers that had varying deal structures, never pushing us to settle until we found the perfect partner that met our team’s objectives. They were fully committed, providing valuable strategic guidance through a major shift in the company’s focus and through a global pandemic that heavily impacted our industry. Without the support and integrity Ascend provided, we would not have received the maximum value and fit we ultimately were able to achieve.
Ascend was an incredibly valuable partner to our team throughout the sale process. They are a relationship-focused team and never lost sight of the bigger picture. Their extensive insight and knowledge around positioning and buyers, and their disciplined approach to negotiations helped us achieve a great outcome for everyone.
We wanted to be confident that we were doing the right thing for our business, our clients, and most importantly, our people. Ascend’s people-first philosophy was the perfect fit for us. They not only understood how to position us in the market to ensure an exceptional outcome, but also that the number one priority was finding a partner who respected and valued our team.
Ascend has advised Fidelity BSG on four key transactions including System Contractors, Smart Building Technologies, Metro Mechanical, and most recently, AIR Technologies. The strong partnership and strategic alignment we’ve created over the past year has allowed Ascend to work as a true extension of the Fidelity BSG team. They have been excellent colleagues and instrumental in achieving our strategic and operational objectives.
As we pursue opportunities for growth, we are committed to fostering and protecting the core values we’ve worked to establish over the lifetime of our business. The Ascend team not only ran highly efficient, transparent, and effective processes, they also respected our desire to find partners that had cultural alignment and overlapping missions. We feel fortunate to work with such a thorough and talented team of advisors that understand the intricacies of the HVAC/mechanical space.
Join us in Creating a New Paradigm in M&A that Puts People First
We are always looking for passionate people who like to roll up their sleeves and solve complex problems as a part of a hard-working, leave your egos at the door, forward-thinking team.
