Steve Speak joins FocalPoint

“This marks another key addition to FocalPoint’s growing advanced materials focus,” according to Mike Del Pero, Vice President for FocalPoint’s Plastics, Composites and Advanced Materials industry vertical. “Steve’s experience as the head of Cytec Industries’ high technology, growth focused advanced materials unit serving the global aerospace and industrial markets adds an extremely valuable element of operational and technical expertise to our team. His experience will be a huge benefit for our present and future clients in need of M&A, capital markets or financial restructuring financial advisory services and demonstrates FocalPoint’s commitment to serving the Composites and Advanced Materials industry.”

The rate at which companies in the Advanced Materials segment are seeking investment capital in order to fund exciting new growth opportunities continues to accelerate. In addition, the market landscape is highly fragmented and there is a dramatic gap between the handful of large suppliers and the literally thousands of small niche processors and manufacturers. Combined, these two dynamics lead us to expect increasing levels of industry consolidation in order to strategically align the composites industry for continued growth moving forward. This creates a significant opportunity for the many small specialized players in the industry to combine forces, leverage internal synergies, and capitalize on each other’s unique capabilities to deliver considerable value into new end-markets that they may not have previously had access to. On the M&A front there is a growing appetite on the part of strategic buyers aggressively in search of acquisition targets that will give them a competitive position in the market or a differentiated technical capability. This is particularly evident in the aerospace market where you have a number of the Tier I and II suppliers competing for assets that will give them a leg up when it comes to bidding new contracts for next generation programs in both the commercial and defense arenas.

“I am very excited to join the FocalPoint team as it provides the ideal platform to serve one of the most exciting industries of our time,” commented Steve Speak. “FocalPoint is committed to helping companies that operate in this sector capitalize on the opportunities that exists in these technologies. The value creation opportunities for shareholders and management teams are tremendous.”

About FocalPoint
Founded in 2002, FocalPoint specializes in mergers and acquisitions, private placements (both debt and equity), and financial restructurings/work-outs. The firm’s primary focus is on middle-market companies and it has a deep level of banking and operating expertise in a number of select specialized industry verticals such as Plastics, Composites and Advanced Materials.

About Steve Speak 
Steve Speak joins FocalPoint with 30 years of experience in the Aerospace and Advanced Materials Industry. His experience includes global sales & marketing management, technology leadership, directing R&D activities, and manufacturing/operations management. His successful track record includes leading all aspects of various global, technology intensive businesses and orchestrating significant corporate growth at the organic level as well as overseeing strategic growth through M&A transactions and JV activity. Most recently Steve served as President of Cytec’s Engineered Materials Division where he was responsible for managing 1,700 employees operating in 10 manufacturing and R&D centers around the globe where he delivered double digit revenue and profit growth over a seven year period. He also served as a Corporate Officer and member of the Cytec Executive Committee responsible for strategy and business results of Cytec Industries. In addition to his work with FocalPoint, Steve has an active Executive Coaching and Consulting practice.

Please contactMichael Del Pero(310) 405-7005 for further information on FocalPoint’s Plastics, Composites & Advanced Materials Industry Group.