Rich Blake

1 week ago | themiddlemarket.com | Rich Blake

What’s driving this trend? A confluence of two factors: first and foremost, President Trump’s heavy-handed tariff policy has rocked global supply chains; meanwhile, AI technology keeps proliferating and has come to be viewed as essential to mitigating disruptions. This past spring, as America’s public stock markets shuddered amidst trade war fears, particularly with respect to China, a noteworthy take-private deal reached the finish line.

Mar 24, 2025 | themiddlemarket.com | Rich Blake

But this fast-moving trend extends to a variety of subsectors, such as liquid cooling systems as well as electrical services (high voltage and low) and myriad forms of energy transmission/storage equipment. Data center fever has captivated the to-do lists of dealmakers of all stripes, from the most enormous buyout kingpins to mom-and-pop HVAC roll-up specialists. Is this a quintessential gold rush – or is there a longer-term upside opportunity to be found in those HVAC foothills?

Feb 17, 2025 | themiddlemarket.com | Rich Blake

Surging demand for energy and Biden-era tax breaks helped juice solar and wind in recent years. And while Donald Trump‘s return to the White House might seem likely to dampen the viability of certain types of clean energy projects, industry members insist that reports of the green sector’s demise are exaggerated. Skyrocketing demand for reliable power suggests all segments of energy — big, niche, clean, fossil — will be utilized to maintain supply, which positions providers as acquisition targets.

Feb 5, 2025 | portfolio.bisanet.org | Rich Blake |Steve Randall

At the Federal Reserve, the central bank's top banking regulator, Michael Barr, a champion of stricter rules, has said he plans to step down. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has already changed guard, bidding adieu to Chair Gary Gensler, known for his aggressiveness in terms of enforcement and rulemaking policies. Paul Atkins, a Republican and past commissioner, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to replace Gensler.

Feb 4, 2025 | portfolio.bisanet.org | Glenn Koch |Rich Blake |Jack Pitcher

A coalition of broker-dealers and industry trade groups is asking lawmakers to extend an expiring tax break for owners and shareholders of pass-through businesses and to expand its scope to include independent financial advisors. Section 199A of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows a deduction of as much as 20% of qualified business income for owners of some types of small businesses.