We clearly made the right decision in selecting Greif & Co.―they demonstrated a unique combination of deal-making skill, industry expertise, tireless effort, dogged determination and trustworthiness. My objectives were achieved to my complete satisfaction.

“It was like watching a chess master at work.  Greif & Co. generated a price that was way higher than would otherwise have been the case.  They exerted Herculean efforts on our behalf.  Integrity, honesty, professionalism, passion, compassion and kindness—those are the qualities I value, and they are clearly evident in Greif & Co.’s investment bankers.  I can’t thank them enough for all they have done for us.  I will honor and cherish my relationship with Greif & Co.”

Outstanding job. We tapped into your experience, tenacity and professionalism and wouldn’t have gotten the deal done without you. When we were prepared to cave on points time and time again, you kept us on track and said, ‘Nope, we should get this point—we’re going to hang tough’ and we got them! We would not have done this if it wasn’t a screaming deal and we hit on all cylinders. Terrific job! Thanks!

Among the investment banking community, you have a reputation of aggressiveness and focus. We also saw sensitivity and perspective. The transaction would not have been the success it was without your contribution and leadership. Greif & Co. has some of the sharpest minds from a finance standpoint that I’ve come across. They’re very creative in terms of structuring deals, and always get top price.

You were able to bring us a strategic buyer who was able to grasp the company’s full potential and thus able to pay a price that reflected far more than a mere market multiple of cash flow. Once we agreed on price, however, completing the transaction was no easy task. Greif & Co. was with us in every step of the negotiations, and I do not think the deal could have been completed without your dogged determination and negotiating skill.

Greif & Co. really knows how to work a deal and get top dollar. They know the M&A market and know their business. Greif & Co.’s my hero―they get prices that tower above the rest of the pack. We would definitely use them again for another transaction.

Greif & Co. did a masterful job negotiating our deal. Thank you for the formidable transaction you put together.

Greif & Co. is the best. They never cease to amaze me with what they can accomplish for their clients. Their support is fabulous. They believe in their clients. I’m not the least bit surprised by what they can do.

You did a masterful job. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the guys I would want in my foxhole. The buyer considered the price awful high and was very pushy, but you were real aggressive in response. They obviously didn’t know what the heck they were up against. Greif & Co. came in well prepared and shook things up, really got their attention. I would have bought tickets to see this―it was delightful to watch from the sidelines. It’s only with time that you appreciate how well it was done.

“I think you have very high ethics and look out for your client’s best interest. A lot of banks will ‘pitch’ to get business using a senior level banker, and then ‘bait and switch’ to a low level banker to get the transaction done. You never did that―you stayed involved every step of the way. Thanks again for a job well done.”

You’re the only investment banker I know who will take a deal to the edge to get the very best result for the client.  Most other investment bankers won’t go within 50 miles of the edge.

“This was not an easy transaction. I appreciate the leadership Greif & Co. provided to get us through to a successful closing. You guys were both ‘owl’ and ‘bulldog’ on this deal, and that’s a good thing―it took both to make it happen. You were terrific on all fronts―it was a first class job.”

Greif & Co.’s investment bankers are smart, professional, considerate and service-oriented. They do a superb job of bringing the parties together and demonstrate their high integrity by avoiding any last-minute renegotiations. I really admire their work ethic. Good bankers/people are hard to come by so we are glad we found Greif & Co.  I think you’re the best banker in the middle market and I’m willing to pay a premium for it.

It was a tough deal, but you were there when it counted. You said, “Trust in Greif” and you came through for us. It was just amazing what you guys did. There aren’t many people who could have kept this deal alive―you deserve a lot of credit for persevering through a difficult market. This wasn’t about the money for you―that made this result all the more awesome. We were right to choose Greif & Co. We figured you would fight for this deal and it turned out just that way. The amount of attention and work you put into it was incredible. It was a win, win, win! You guys were terrific. You crushed this deal and I’m super impressed.

I just wanted to express my appreciation for the truly fine job you did in putting together the sale of my company. When I first met you, you told me I wouldn’t regret having hired you, and you were right—I didn’t! You did an outstanding job of getting me top dollar for Ball, achieving both my price objectives and your own even higher preliminary estimates. Based on my more than 50 years of experience in sales, I must say that you’re a salesman’s salesman, and the best negotiator I have ever seen. You are definitely dedicated when it comes to looking out for your client’s best interests.

Perhaps most impressive, though, were the astute negotiating skills of the Greif team in the final throes of the transaction. I am totally convinced that we were able to get a far better than anticipated outcome because the Greif team was aggressive and daring in the ‘poker’ game finale. This demonstrated not only a high level of experience in the art of the deal, but also the savvy to use this experience to the fullest. The Greif team provided the consistent, steady leadership of the process that is so necessary to a successful deal. I can unequivocally recommend Greif & Co. to anyone looking to sell their company, and wanting to work with the best!

“Awesome job, guys. You did an absolutely stellar job. You got us a miraculous price―you walk on water and accomplished the impossible!”

What you did was above and beyond the call of duty. It was outstanding. You are the most relentless, tenacious and effective investment banker selling businesses I know. You don’t suffer fools gladly. You get deals done. I appreciate your professionalism and superior performance on behalf of our client. I recommended you not just because of your considerable capability but also because I trust you to put the client first.

Greif & Co. is the kind of firm that you want to have sell your company, but not the kind of firm you want to have to buy one from. They do that good of a job for their clients. If there’s value to be had, they’re going to get it. You’ll get far better value and service from Greif & Co. than other investment banks.

Greif & Co.’s execution of the C.R. Laurence transaction was pure perfection.

I thank God and I thank Greif.  This was divine intervention.  Greif & Co. made all the difference in the world.  They did a magnificent job negotiating this deal.  They are virtuosos.  They’re on my hero list.

“There’s a concern among middle-market clients that the New York firms will bait and switch and have these transactions run by junior people. Greif & Co. is able to win beauty contests with the bulge-bracket firms by selling and delivering service. The work they do is nothing short of fantastic–they are to be congratulated.”

“You demonstrated a tremendous amount of patience on this deal. It’s difficult to get buyers to pay top dollar for a cyclical business but you did it. Congratulations—you did a great job! It’s a fantastic marriage and a fabulous deal. My vision is that someday soon, thanks to this merger, Energy Labs will be the leader in the custom HVAC industry.”

“When I needed help engineering a management buyout of Bristol Farms, Greif & Co. had six private equity firms in my office in a week and three of them ultimately were willing to write the check.  I don’t know how they handle the ups and downs and the wild swings in the deal business―they must have stout hearts. I can honestly say that I do not believe that we could have had a more successful result. I also do not believe that this result would have been possible without Greif & Co. driving the process.”

“I will be forever grateful for your brilliance in crafting our deal as we maxed it out and that set me up for life.”

“We admire and appreciate your tenacity, intelligence and integrity. We’d love to do another deal with you. We’re open for business with Greif & Co.”

“Let me put it this way: four of the major national firms told us we couldn’t do the financing to acquire Pinkerton’s. Greif went out there and found the money. You just outperformed them.”

“You’re a man of your word and get deals done. I can’t say that about most investment bankers. You have a great reputation.”

You did a great job―your perseverance was unbelievable! Mighty fine work, Greif & Co. You’re superstars!

We paid a rich price for this.  It’s 13 times EBITDA. We like to sell businesses for that; we don’t like to buy businesses for that.

“Greif & Co. is the best I have ever seen at selling companies. They are truly exceptional–you can’t get any better. My past experience with them is that they not only get the value you seek for your business, but additional value also that you may not have even realized existed.

“They are honorable, committed and focused individuals–they go right at creating value for their clients. I highly recommend their services.”

It was an extraordinary outcome.  Greif & Co. went above and beyond the call of duty and far exceeded our expectations.

“The guys at Greif & Co. do good work–they’re nice, smart, hardworking guys. They did a beautiful job for us, saved my backside, and put together a great outcome for everyone.”

“Rose Hills Mortuary and Cemetery is a long-time Latham & Watkins client (50+ years). Needless to say, everyone was delighted (and amazed) with the results you achieved.”

“Now that ‘the dust has settled,’ I wanted to personally thank you for all of your work in the sale of our company. Your untiring efforts were an inspiration to all. The professionalism you displayed and your dogged pursuit of details certainly helped all involved parties to be on the same page in achieving their desired goal. Whether it was 7 am or 10 pm, you always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

“Thanks for making my future look much brighter and for making the rest of my life a very comfortable existence. May you continue to have the considerable success you demonstrated in this transaction.”

“I continue to sing Greif & Co.’s praises… Thank you for absolutely everything.”

“In today’s business environment, such ‘hands on’ companies as Greif & Co. have great promise, because they really care and put their clients’ interests ‘first and foremost.’”

“I feel grateful that we were introduced.  You were the perfect person for us.  I was impressed how hard and late everyone on Greif & Co.’s team worked.  You were always available to us and willing to do whatever it took to get everything done.”

“I have worked with many people in investment banking, and the deal makers at Greif & Co. are by far the best I’ve met. They are very knowledgeable and have extensive experience in a variety of industries.”

“I want to thank you for a job well done. It’s a crazy process, but a very rewarding one! Greif & Co. made the process considerably easier than it would have been if directed by less-skilled hands. I definitely appreciated your continued involvement and assistance post-closing. My references for Greif & Co. will be glowing whenever I am asked.”

“You are a good carpenter. You hammer appropriately.”

“I wanted to congratulate you on a deal you recently closed in the Midwest. Several firms have mentioned to me that your firm did a great job and completed the sale when another “major” [bulge bracket] firm had failed.”

“Please accept my thanks for a job well done in your representation of Rose Hills Company in the recently completed sale to the Loewen/Blackstone Partnership. Without Greif & Co.’s help, we would not have achieved the great price that we did. Also, we would not have received the significant deposit that gave urgency and necessity to the buyer to close.

“This recent service completes the service cycle in an outstanding way since you were the ones who arranged the financing and facilitated the closing of our original purchase of the company in 1990.”

“You guys are our heroes.  They should build a statue to you!  Great job–really an accomplishment.  Amazing.  We wouldn’t have gotten there without your guidance and leadership.”

“Greif & Co.’s ability and experience in providing strategic advice clearly sets it apart from most middle-market investment banks.”

“When STØR first met with you I was impressed with your direct approach to many of the issues we faced and the speed with which you evaluated them. I knew at that time this was going to be a challenging task and felt comfortable with you as partners.

“From inception, in the preparation of confidential information documents on our company, you moved quickly and carefully maintained a close liaison with management. You developed an outstanding portfolio of companies and investment entities for private placement, strategic partnership or merger/acquisition opportunities. Once an interest was voiced, you showed great skill in negotiating the details of an agreement and assisting in the management of the entire process. We were never set aside or pushed down the line to someone less familiar with the transaction.

“Overall, your negotiating skills, dedication to customer service and ability to bring a transaction to closure made this effort a successful one. I am convinced this may not have been the case if we had chosen another investment banker.

“I look forward to a continuing relationship and know if the need arises in the future I will call upon you.”

“Your name often comes up in the conversation when Julia and I are doing a little reminiscing. We’ve had a very pleasant and enjoyable retirement over the past few years–thanks in no small measure to your efforts in hammering out a terrific deal for me when I sold my company.”

“The people at Greif & Co. are miracle workers. They achieved a fabulous result–truly unbelievable. It was great, fantastic. Thanks so much.”

“You’re the miracle guys who think out of the box. You make magic.”

“Congratulations on another superb negotiation and maximization of an opportunity. Thank you so much for all you did for my friends the Kriegers, in taking their business and consummating such a tough deal with an aggressive barracuda. They were so lucky to have you on their side of the table!

“Again, I compliment you on the great job you did with Adrianne and Jeff’s company Transcriptions Ltd. I’m pleased that it worked out so well.”

“The acquisition of C.R. Laurence Co. by CRH plc was a grand slam home run for the seller.”

“Thank you very much for a great job. It was a pleasure to work with you and to have you on our team.”

“You’re absolutely great. You pulled this one out of the fire. It’s a great deal. You brought it home. It was awesome. Vertiv is absolutely the best buyer for Energy Labs and all of its stakeholders—employees, suppliers and customers. I know it took a lot of hard work and perseverance. Thank you so much.”

“This was the perfect way for us to complete our first acquisition as Vertiv. Thank you for sticking with us and teaching me a few things along the way. You’re the embodiment of the Code of the West. The spirit of the law with the good guys winning in the end. I’m glad that, with your help, we got it over the finish line. Many thanks.”

“Greif & Co. will take good care of you. They are very capable and obtain great values for their clients.”

“You’re a persistent cuss. It takes someone to be on it all the time to get complex, tough deals done and you did.”

“I feel I received the best counsel from you. You’re always on it. You never put things on the back burner.”

“Nobody could have gotten the Dacor deal done but you.”

“Greif & Co. did a great job, a helluva job. We couldn’t have done it without you. Brilliant strategists.”

“Greif & Co. enjoys a well-deserved reputation for being the most innovative and hard-working advocate for its clients’ best interests.”

“When Greif & Co.’s on your team, it’s a good thing. When they’re not on your team, it’s not a good thing.”

“You’re the preeminent investment banker in southern California. You’re the best.”

Greif & Co. is undoubtedly beating the crowd with its high level of activity. Their years of experience in the M&A field has helped numerous companies affect a fair transaction.

A most impressive performance. That was extraordinary.

Greif & Co. was a life saver. I know how difficult it was. They did yeoman’s work.

The estate did fabulously well.  Greif & Co. delivered an amazing result―beyond amazing. You got them a lot of money. The timing couldn’t have been better and the price was unscathed by the economy.  It was perfect.

I thought it was an excellent price―well negotiated. I was very impressed. I didn’t think it would go for nearly that high a price.

Congratulations on what looks like a very good sale of Bumble Bee Seafoods. From all appearances, it looks like you got your client a great price and found a great buyer with great synergies. In other words, congratulations on a great negotiating job!

Many thanks to you for your intelligent, professional and prompt handling of a matter of serious concern to me.  Dick Riordan has, once again, made the perfect call.  After 50 years of friendship, I would expect this treatment at least once a decade.

Greif & Co. is one of this country’s preeminent M&A investment banks. The firm is considered the leader in this region. During 1998 alone, they successfully completed in excess of $1 billion in transactions. These have included some of the most high profile companies in California as well as the United States.

Greif & Co. really delivered for my client and, for that, I am especially grateful.

I have to congratulate you on your success with DTN. It gives evidence to the unique value that a strategically placed investment banking firm such as yours delivers to the market. I am sure your success will continue.

I personally want to thank Greif & Co. for remaining focused and committed to our transaction and seeing it through to completion. I don’t believe the deal would have closed without your assisting us in this endeavor. After having worked with a number of investment banks on other assignments, I would gladly look forward to an opportunity to engage the Greif team in another matter.

I want to thank Greif & Co. for the wonderful job they did in finding a partner for us in Fantastic Foods. I find it hard to believe that anyone else could have done a better job. From the moment we agreed to seek out a deal, they went to work to create a superb memorandum that told the story of the opportunity. Greif & Co. paid attention to every detail and worked within my wishes to only contact the highest quality prospects and to weed out the “tire kickers.” They were one-pointed in serving their client’s interests, even at the expense of affecting their relationship with various buyers. The pros at Greif & Co. were there day and night, negotiating on our behalf right to the end. Even my attorneys commented that they had never seen an investment banker who remained so involved during the legal phase. I really enjoyed working with the Greif & Co. team. Their skills, knowledge and the good experiences of people like myself will ensure Greif & Co.’s continued success. In short, with pleasure and confidence I will wholeheartedly recommend Greif & Co.’s services to my friends and colleagues.

Greif & Co. played a key role in bringing this transaction to a successful conclusion, and we never would have gotten there without your efforts. It is never easy, but almost always worthwhile. I’m pleased to say that to date it has been a very successful rollout. Obviously, we have a long way to go, but I am optimistic that all the effort on both sides to make this work smoothly will ultimately win out.

“Universal Music Group clearly caved at the end and I must give Greif & Co. credit for that. They stayed strong.”

Congratulations on the successful funding of the Gary’s Tux Shops transaction. It was a pleasure to work with Greif & Co. Every meeting was replete with insight and valuable content. Equally important is that the client has said to me on more than one occasion how pleased they were with Greif & Co.  You will be on the top of my list when the next opportunity surfaces.

Greif & Co. did a great job. Yours was a masterful performance keeping the deal on track, pushing the buyer along and closing the deal, especially since this was a particularly hairy assignment—the company had a lot of issues. I would hire you again if I had to do it all over.

“By retaining Greif & Co., we had someone experienced in the process that could generate the maximum amount of interest in the shortest possible time. In fact, Greif & Co. delivered on its promise by generating over 60 interested parties and multiple bids. They skillfully created a competitive situation which led to a very attractive offer that was acceptable to the partners. The process took less than six months from Greif & Co.’s retention through the closing of the sale.  I felt Greif & Co.’s work in developing the story on the company and the numbers to support the story was admirable. The entire marketing process which Greif & Co. oversaw went well. I am quite certain that we would not have reached the successful conclusion in the time frame mentioned without Greif & Co.’s assistance.”

Upon reflecting on the whole transaction, I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned from the experience and how much I personally enjoyed working with the Greif & Co. team. Thank you again for guiding us through this crucially important process.

I have the utmost respect and gratitude for your tenacity on this deal. Thank you for not giving up on us. This was not going to happen―you pulled it out from nothing. You have mastered the art of deal making. Having worked on deals with many investment banking firms, I know very few who have the deft skills required to connect equally with seasoned Fortune 100 senior management teams as well as young entrepreneurs embarking on their first transaction. This takes strong, discerning leadership―something few investment firms consistently deliver. We experienced this amazing care equally from our initial, very small financing rounds to our final successful sale of the company to Sunny Delight Beverages Company. Greif & Co. went above and beyond our expectations. It was a miracle, absolutely a miracle.

“I want to thank Greif & Co. for the exceptional professional effort that each member of the team contributed over the last 24 hours. I know that it comes with the territory, etc., etc., but I don’t want you to think that I take it for granted. I will give ‘the powers that be’ the details of the great job that you did. Thank you very much.”

“This is a homerun―it’s a great deal!”

“The result you produced was a HUGE win for us. We’re very, very grateful for your participation. You were terrific.”

“Many thanks to Greif & Co. for their extraordinary dedication to the long and profitable financing and sale of Boone.  They showed me the money!”

“Greif & Co. did a fabulous job.  They were great!”

“Another great job―well done.  You did a heckuva job for management.”

“Your performance on our behalf in arranging the successful divestiture of our Rose Exterminator subsidiary was nothing short of exemplary.

“From start to finish, the entire transaction was a textbook example of investment banking efficiency at its best: First, you told us the sale would take approximately six months to complete. We hired you in June and the transaction closed by October. Second, you said you would take care of everything from soup to nuts and you did, preparing a highly professional offering memorandum, identifying and bringing in qualified buyers, negotiating a great deal and keeping close tabs on the transaction throughout the legalese to make sure it stayed on track and closed.

“And last but certainly not least, we told you what our price expectations were for Rose, you told us you thought you could get us substantially more, and then you beat your own aggressive target, much to our delight.

“In short, you did a great job and we appreciate it. But I guess you know that already since we subsequently hired you to assist us in putting together another deal [ABM’s divestiture of its Internacional de Elevadores SA de CV subsidiary to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation].”

“There’s a great deal of hand-holding that goes on in selling a company, and it was important to me to have the kind of close contact that I got with Greif & Co.”

“There is no question in my mind that had Greif & Co. not quarterbacked the transaction, it would have never turned out with such positive results.

“I am very impressed with the level of skill and professionalism that the Greif & Co. team demonstrated and with their ability to become a real estate industry expert in the short time we worked together.”

“Anything you sell, I’d rather be on the selling end than the buying side. The guys at Greif & Co. seem to get the highest possible prices!”

“I just wanted to take a minute to express my gratitude to you for completing the sale of Lazy Acres Market to Bristol Farms. There is no doubt in my mind that without Greif & Co. this transaction would have fallen by the wayside.

“I do know there were many times when the deal was on-again, off-again. Without your commitment, perseverance and ability to communicate our value to Bristol Farms, I doubt very much if this transaction would have been completed.

“In my humble opinion, Greif & Co. is truly a miracle worker. You did a tremendous job!”

“We missed it by a bit. Awesome deal!”