Testimonials

Loren Smith possesses a blend of street smarts and business intuition together with a track record of accomplishments that uniquely qualify him to advise the emerging company that has achieved early successes but has yet to fully exploit its opportunities and core competencies. I have found him to be a trusted adviser and an individual of unquestionable integrity who never fails to deliver results.

I commend Loren Smith for his ability to understand the perspective of both the buyer and seller. Through his keen insight and industry knowledge, Loren was able to move my organization and the seller towards an agreement. Without Loren guiding the discussions I doubt that we would have been able to reach a deal; especially a deal that worked so well for all parties.

My first introduction to Loren Smith was at a conference where Loren was a guest speaker on the subject of growing and financing a manufacturing company. I was so impressed that I contracted him to be a business advisor to our company. With Loren's capable advice and participation I was able to execute several key operational and strategic decisions that have led to improved profits and refinement of our strategic plans. Loren continues to be a valuable asset to our company during challenging economic times.

I initially worked with Loren at Texas Instruments as we both began our careers in the mid-1960's. He cut his teeth in a competitive, mini-GE environment that has served him well as he moved into entrepreneurial business leadership. Our paths separated for some years and then reconnected during the 1980's when, as Monona Wire's CEO, he became a valued customer of appliance wiring material for my employer at that time. Loren exhibits discipline and a keen understanding of people in everything that he does. I recall his readiness to personally visit my wire manufacturing facility and his efforts to establish a supply relationship that included but went well beyond beneficial pricing and capacity allocation considerations. He's a leader who understands the basics and who has the ability to wring profits from businesses that, in other hands, would be mired in losses. I respect and endorse his management abilities.

Selling my manufacturing company, when the credit markets were 'frozen' and my company's revenue was down substantially, was not easy. Blue Valley's tenacity, and ability to communicate my company's positive attributes, got it done. They were able to find a buyer for my business who will take it to the next level, while treating my employees and my customers with the respect and consideration that's consistent with my values. Happily, I decided to stay, working for our new owner in a sales management capacity.

Smith helped us find badly needed senior debt to finance our growth, he helped us upgrade our outside accounting, and he was always available via phone or e-mail on a wide variety of issues.

We retained Loren M Smith's firm, Blue Valley Capital, to source and evaluate potential North American acquisition targets for our company, CTE Tech, headquartered in Taiwan. We made this decision as a result of a study we commissioned to identify our options to pursue the acquisition of Wire Harness Manufactures in the U.S. and Mexico. Smith did exactly what he said he would, on schedule, and on budget. He was exceptionally responsive, professional, and knowledgeable.

Loren Smith has been a great help to our business, not only as one of the early founding members of the Wire Harness Manufacturers' Association but also as a consultant, both formal and informal, to our business. Loren's depth of knowledge of our industry and hard-earned experience as the CEO of Monona Wire Corporation (which he grew to an $80 million business) is testament to his practical real world experience. I would recommend Loren to anyone in our industry and other mid-market businesses for advice on what it takes to grow in today's competitive environment.

Loren Smith brings very strong and valuable credentials to his clients by leveraging his experiences in building businesses ground up, integrating & transitioning acquisitions as both seller and buyer, and in developing strategic direction for his clients. I had the opportunity to work for Loren 30 years ago, and his influence continues on as a mentor for me. In that initial relationship I participated in taking over a struggling company, lacking strategic customers or best practices and transforming Monona Wire into a world leader in harness assembly with clients such as Caterpillar and John Deere. Later I observed the process Loren took his company in preparation for a strategic divestiture and integration into a larger organization...accomplished successfully for both seller and buyer...a rare "win/win" combination. In summary, Loren brings a unique combination of management leadership combined with consultative skills that will bring value to his clients. A difference between Loren and many other consultants is that he has personally and professionally experienced the challenges and opportunities the are now confronting his clients.

Loren Smith was a featured speaker at our 2008 annual Wire Harness Manufacturers Association Conference. His topic was "A Wire Harness Manufacturer's Memoir: From Start-Up to $85 Million, Surviving the Landmines Along the Way". Loren gave an excellent presentation which demonstrated his insight and experience. A comment from one of the attendees, that typified his reception, conveyed that Loren was the "real deal"; he is one of the real success stories in our industry.