In 2010, Harpeth Capital was introduced to Marc Massa, a 30-year veteran of the glass industry who at the time was serving in an executive sales role with the largest glass company in the United States. Mr. Massa had a longtime relationship with Keener Mallicote, the owner of Contour Industries, and the two had preliminarily discussed Mr. Massa’s interest in potentially acquiring the Company should Mr. Mallicote, then 72, have an interest in selling.

Founded in 1985, Contour specializes in the niche, high-quality fabrication – cutting, drilling, screen printing and tempering – of glass parts for various customers primarily in the appliance, solar and construction industries, and has excelled in meeting stringent industry standards for high volume glass edge and paint quality.

At the time of our introduction to Mr. Massa, Mr. Mallicote had already received formal interest from other potential buyers. However, seeing Mr. Massa as a good steward to continue the legacy of the Company, the two agreed on a price and Mr. Massa was given a short timeframe in which to raise the necessary financing.

“I was given 30 days to demonstrate I had the capital necessary to consummate the transaction. The team at Harpeth Capital was able to assemble the necessary information on the opportunity, contact a targeted group of private equity firms, arrange conference calls and on-site management visits, and ultimately helped me pick a partner with which to execute a letter of intent, all within that tight window. Being new to the acquisition process, it was comforting to have an experienced team guiding me each step of the way on a very accelerated timetable.“

-- Marc M. Massa, President and CEO, Contour Industries