TEAM
Investment Team
Neal Jain is a Partner and the CEO of Lometa Capital Partners, responsible for overseeing all facets of the firm’s investment activities. Prior to founding Lometa, Neal was a Principal and founding team member of Sky Island Capital where he helped lead the buyout of Material Sciences Corporation.
Prior to Sky Island, Neal was a Vice President at Insight Equity, an operationally intensive middle market private equity firm with approximately $1.4 billion under management. While at Insight, Neal was responsible for the execution of several platform and add-on acquisitions as well as working directly with portfolio company senior management teams. He also held interim senior management roles at two portfolio companies including the Chief Financial Officer of Precision Holdings and the Vice President of Strategy of Material Sciences Corporation.
Before joining Insight, Neal was an Analyst in the M&A group at Lazard Frères & Co., a financial advisory and asset management firm. While at Lazard, Neal advised clients in the upstream, midstream, oilfield services, and transportation sectors on mergers, acquisitions, and capital structures.
Neal received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He also graduated magna cum laude from Rice University with a BA in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Statistics.
Vince Smith is a Partner at Lometa Capital Partners. He is responsible for overseeing all facets of the firm’s investment activities and sits on the Investment Committee. Prior to joining Lometa, Vince was a Principal and founding team member of Sky Island Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on control investments in North American manufacturing companies with more than $250 million under management. While at Sky Island, Vince led the acquisitions of Aluma-Fold-Pacific, Polished Metals Limited, and Pride Metal Polishing, in addition to his work on Sky Island’s majority buyout of Material Sciences Corporation.
Prior to joining Sky Island, Vince worked at Insight Equity, an operationally intensive middle market private equity firm with approximately $1.4 billion under management. Before Insight, Vince started his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Industrials group of Lazard.
Vince received his Master of Accountancy degree from the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri. He also graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri with a BS in Business Management with an emphasis in Accountancy and a BA in Economics. Additionally, Vince is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Missouri.
Advisory Committee
Dave Smith
President & CEO
ASPEQ HEATING GROUP
Dave Smith, President & CEO of ASPEQ Heating Group
Dave is currently the CEO of ASPEQ Heating Group, a portfolio company of Industrial Growth Partners, a manufacturing focused PE firm with >$2B of AUM since its 1997 inception. Prior to IGP’s 2019 purchase, Dave steered ASPEQ to a top quartile outcome for Bunker Hill Capital despite coming onboard in a turnaround capacity two years into BHC’s ownership. Before being recruited to head ASPEQ, Dave became a Divisional VP and BU Manger for Ametek’s (NYSE:AME) Thermal Process Management Business Unit through AME’s acquisition of O’Brien Corp. In this role, he executed numerous add on acquisitions, plant consolidations / expansions, and international expansions and had total P&L responsibility for ~$140M revenue/~$40M EBITDA, 380 employees, and five plants. As President & CEO of O'Brien Corp., another IGP portfolio company, Dave completed an add on acquisition, led an expansion into China, and doubled sales from 2008 to 2011. Prior to becoming CEO of O’Brien Corp., Dave worked as President for its founding family, a Director for MEMC Electronic Materials Corp., and as a Naval Flight Officer. In addition to his work at ASPEQ, Dave serves or has served on the Board of National Gym Supply (2023- Present), D&S Car Wash Supply (2022-Present), Anova Furnishings (2020-Present), Chemline (2019-Present), Southern Petroleum Labs: IGP (2015-2021), Integrated Global Services: IGP (2014-2019), Essex Industries (2013-2017), and Boone Center (2012-2013). Dave has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Industrial Technology from Purdue University.
Steve Beck
Co-Founder & Managing Director
HENNEPIN PARTNERS
Steve Beck, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Hennepin Partners
Steve has nearly 25 years of investment banking experience, completing over 100 transactions across a variety of industries with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $6 billion. In 2018, Steve co-founded Hennepin Partners when Craig-Hallum’s M&A Group combined with Quetico Partners (all former colleagues and friends from Lazard Middle Market). Steve was a Managing Director and a Co-Head of Industrials at Lazard Middle Market before departing to co-found the Craig-Hallum M&A Group, where he was Co-Head of M&A. Steve graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Economics.
Jim Killeen
VP of Sales & Marketing
ASPEQ HEATING GROUP
Jim Killeen, VP of Sales & Marketing of ASPEQ Heating Group
Jim is currently the Vice President of Sales at ASPEQ Heating Group, a current IGP, and a former Bunker Hill Capital portfolio company. A St. Louis native, Jim was recruited to ASPEQ by Dave Smith in 2017. The two worked together at O’Brien Corporation, which was subsequently acquired by Industrial Growth Partners and then by publicly held Ametek Corporation. Jim has spent his 30-plus year career in sales, managing large sales organizations, including go-to-market strategy. Jim started his career with National Starch & Chemical (Unilever) in 1985 and served in that role until 1995 when he joined O’Brien Corporation. In addition to his work at ASPEQ, Jim serves on the Board of Directors of D&S Car Wash Supply. Jim has a B.S. in Marketing / Management from Christian Brothers University.
Shawn Rowan
Former VP of Sales & Marketing
O'BRIEN CORPORATION
Shawn Rowan, Former VP of Sales & Marketing of O’Brien Corporation
Shawn was the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at O'Brien Corporation and subsequently at O’Brien Ametek from 1992 to 2017. Over that time, sales grew from $2M to ~$140M. Shawn led and contributed to multiple efforts that drove this growth: multiple acquisitions, new private labeling agreements, geographic market expansion, and the development of multiple marketing “paths-to-market.” Prior to Ametek’s 2012 purchase, O'Brien was acquired by Industrial Growth Partners, and in three years, Shawn led efforts that more than doubled the business. Before O’Brien, Shawn worked for National Starch & Chemical (Unilever company). Shawn has B.A. in Honors and a B.A. in English from Villanova University, and an M.B.A. from Lindenwood University.
Jon Jansky
FORMER CEO & President
D&S CAR WASH EQUIPMENT CO.
Jon Jansky, CEO & President of D&S Carwash Equipment Company
Jon was CEO & President of D&S Car Wash Equipment Company up until its 2021 sale to Lometa Capital Partners. Jon started with D&S as the CEO and a minority investor in 2004 but acquired a majority ownership position in 2006. Jon brought professionalization and growth to D&S and radically improved the business’s strategic positioning over his 18-year ownership. Prior to D&S, Jon was the Chief Operations Officer of MEMC Electronic Materials (formerly NYSE: WFR), a multi-billion-dollar producer of polysilicon wafers for the semiconductor and solar markets. In this role, Jon oversaw manufacturing at ten plants and was responsible for 10,000 employees around the globe. Before becoming COO, Jon held various other management positions within the company (formerly part of Monsanto Company) back to 1974. Over Jon’s time at MEMC, he served the company through its carve-out from Monsanto, its initial public offering in 1995, and a balance sheet restructuring culminating in Texas Pacific Group’s 2001 private equity buyout. Jon currently serves on the Boards of D&S Car Wash Supply and Truck and Fleet Wash of St. Louis. Jon has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Joe Swinbank
Co-founder & owner
SPRINT COMPANIES
Joe Swinbank, Co-Founder & Owner of Spring Companies
Joe is the co-founder and owner of The Sprint Companies, Inc., a Houston-based sand and gravel company, and is Partner of Sprint Ft. Bend County Landfill, Sprint Sand & Clay, Sprint Waste Services, and Sprint Transports. Joe has acquired and operated a variety of service-oriented businesses across a wide range of industries. From waste services to sand mining and real estate ventures, the experience he gained from each business helped strategically grow the Sprint Companies to over $150M of annual revenue and employ more than 750 workers. Joe remains active in the direction and strategy of the Sprint family of companies, including Sprint Sand & Clay, Sprint Stabilized Materials, Sprint Transport, and an array of investment and real estate development activities. He also serves as a Director of Community Bank. Joe earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University in 1974 and is an active member of the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students.
Carlos Nodarse
CEO
APPLIED BUSINESS SOFTWARE
Carlos Nodarse, CEO of Applied Business Software
Carlos is the CEO of Applied Business Software, where he started as a software developer in 1981. He has built an in-depth knowledge of the mortgage industry, mortgage funds, and real estate lending, in addition to his technical software prowess, making him a great resource for technology and/or mortgage industry opportunities. Carlos graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from The College of Science and Engineering at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
Peter Barbaresi
Former President & CEO
YOGASIX
Peter Barbaresi, Former President & CEO of YogaSix
Peter is a versatile turnaround and growth-oriented CEO with experience leading small and mid-cap B2C and B2B products and services companies. He is currently a business management advisor to several companies in health, wellness, and fitness, as well as multi-unit and franchised concepts. He has served as President/CEO of several fitness and consumer products businesses and presently serves as a Board Member and Advisor to multiple companies. He has particular strength in helping to lead companies and their ownership toward sale/exit and/or recapitalization. He is a graduate of Williams College and played both hockey and lacrosse.