On this episode of the Deal Team Six podcast, our host, Tammie Miller is joined by Mary Lisle Landhuis, President of Lisle Corporation—a fifth-generation, family-owned business with a 120+ year history. Mary shares her unexpected path to leadership, how the company balances innovation with tradition, and the lessons she's learned managing a business with more than 75 shareholders.

• [1:05] Mary talks about her background
• [5:40] Mary's transition to company President
• [9:42] Mary discusses working with other family members in the business
• [13:01] Mary talks about the Lisle decision-making process and how to use an Executive Team to create strategy
• [17:06] Tammie asks Mary about "family rules" and "dos and don'ts" governing the management of the family business
• [18:07] Mary discusses the various tools she uses to communicate with family shareholders
• [22:47] Mary discusses how the family shares poor company performance
• [23:4] Mary discusses her ability to "turn off" her family business mindset
• [27:11] Tammie and Mary discuss the ability to find good talent in a small town
• [29:10] Mary talks about her outlook for the remainder of 2025
• [30:56] Mary talks about what roles and resources she has relied on most heavily to prepare herself for her current role as president
• [34:51] Mary gives suggestions for other family-owned businesses

Your hosts, Tammie Miller and Tim Oleszczuk, welcome you to another Deal Team Six podcast. Today, they address the difficulties an entrepreneur endures when it comes to funding and starting a business, and how incredibly attractive it can be when a large corporation or big competitor offers up capital. Let's listen to the different possible scenarios!

• [2:06] What is a Strategic Buyer? It is another company or potential acquirer in your industry, it can be a competitor, or someone doing something similar to your business.
• [3:05] What happens if a larger business is interested in yours? If your company is struggling with capital and resources, it may seem like a great opportunity for a larger player to be part of your company.
• [4:22] Why do big companies care about investing in smaller companies? Sometimes a bigger company shows interest in a smaller one due to its technology. An acquisition of a small company can be quicker than dealing with large company bureaucracy and red tape.
• [7:11] What ways can a bigger company invest in your company that do not necessarily look like an investment? A specific customer arrangement could be one way (some companies can ask for exclusivity in a particular market or ask for the best pricing offered). Some companies can take a lot of your company's manufacturing capacity, which in the long-term could really be a growth constraint.
• [11:45] Tammie and Tim address the Right of First Refusal.
• [14:50] How do you make it work with a large customer investment?
• [17:05] If you are thinking about selling a part of your business to raise capital today, it can be very difficult to sell your business later when you are trying to exit. Make sure you structure those relationships correctly.

Tammie Miller and Tim Oleszczuk, your hosts, welcome you to another episode of the Deal Team Six podcast. Today they talk about management presentations, those situations when you are starting to bring back prospective buyers, and they are getting to the next layer of a sale process. This is an excellent opportunity for them to listen to specific aspects of the company. During management presentations, the sellers get to know the potential buyers, which is a great time to ask questions. Tammie and Tim are disclosing the questions discussed in today's episode in a blog post titled "Questions You Should Ask the PE Firm During Management Presentations." Check out the blog at www.tkomiller.com/blog

[2:09] First Question - How often do you visit your portfolio companies?

[9:03] Second Question - How big is your fund? Where are you in its life cycle?

[13:22] Third Question - What are some things that a private equity group might offer to a portfolio company other than cash?

[16:48] Fourth Question - Are acquisitions part of the growth strategy?

[21:02] Fifth Question - Can I call the current or former CEOs of your other portfolio companies?

[22:58] Sixth Question - How do you typically finance your transactions?

[24:21] Seventh Question - Which tools do you have to compensate managers?

[26:15] Last Question - Do you charge a management fee?