Experience of Amvest Professionals

 

Mr. Oppenheimer is founder and currently Chairman, CEO and President of Amvest Financial Group, Inc. a boutique investment bank advising a wide variety of companies in mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance matters. Founded in 1976, the Kansas City, MO investment bank serves its clients throughout     the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe though its professionals and affiliates. He also serves as Director, Chairman and CEO of Amvest Capital Partners and other related affiliated companies.

 

Mr. Oppenheimer possesses over thirty years of corporate ownership and executive business   management experience from middle market companies to Fortune 500 corporations in diverse fields including  niche manufacturing, retail, distribution, financial services, business services, logistics,  supply-chain management, publishing, printing and others.

 

Mr. Oppenheimer has been involved in hundreds of business acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, valuations, turnarounds, financing assignments and consolidations for himself, affiliated companies      and Amvest clients with transaction values ranging from $2 million to over $900 million. These transactions include mergers and acquisitions and as a financial advisor in numerous assignments including financial restructurings, leveraged and management buyouts.  Earlier in his professional career, he held the position of Executive Vice President for Great Northern Trust, a $2 billion prominent    private investment firm where he played a significant role in all aspects of its investments and operations. He is the founder of three companies that became leaders in their field.

 

Mr. Oppenheimer was also previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Westar National, a portfolio management company where he held significant ownership interests in several of the   companies including two diversified holding companies and managed the diverse holdings on behalf      of the Shareholders and other diversified investment institutions.

 

Mr. Oppenheimer also serves as Co-Vice-Chairman of Skyview Capital and is a Director of Halkon Investments both private equity groups and serves on numerous corporate and advisory boards of    privately held companies. 

 

Due to Mr. Oppenheimer's extensive background in finance, management, operations, and acquisition negotiations,     he is frequently asked to be a contributor to financial and trade publications or a speaker at   industry events. He is also the author of numerous articles, newsletters and publications.

 

Mr. Oppenheimer has been awarded with the distinctive Executive of the Year award from the New York Financial Executives Association and has further been acknowledged with the prestigious "Who's Who   in the Midwest.”  And “Who’s Who in Finance”

 

Mr. Oppenheimer received his formal education from the Hartford Institute of Accounting, in Hartford Connecticut, and is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth, the Institute of Business Appraisers, Printing Industries of America and other industry/ trade organizations.

 

 coppenheimer@amvest.com

(816) 461-3312, extension 301

 

 

Jan Oppenheimer, Administrative Assistant: Jan is the wife of the President and CEO, Charles Oppenheimer.  She left retirement from the Kansas City Star newspaper after 31 years and took the assistant job as a temporary assignment.  She held jobs from Customer Service Rep., to Circulation Accounting Manager over 3 departments and reporting to the Vice President of Finance.  She created reports that are still in use today including a Compendium of her Departments financial status from day to day, with daily figures from all departments.  So her background with Finance and computer reporting is certainly an asset to our office.  

 

joppenheimer@amvest.com

(816) 461-3312, extension 302

 

 

Leonard T. Ruggiero:  As a senior corporate development and operating executive, Len has started and grown businesses, raised capital, and been instrumental in the growth and development of Amvest Financial Group. Len has been engaged in technology, the food industry, healthcare, and life science consolidations. He secured over $280 million in capital commitments from private equity groups to support executives in buyouts and consolidations.  His hands on experience coaching CEOs with strategic planning, consolidations, raising capital, and targeting acquisitions adds considerable value to Amvest’s investment banking services. Prior to Amvest, Len had extensive operating and M&A responsibilities in manufacturing, engineering services and energy industries. He holds Executive MBA and Bachelor of Science degrees in General Management and Marketing.

 

lruggiero@amvest.com

direct dial: (417) 359-8659
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 406

 

 

Dexter A. Davis has co-founded, owned and operated a number of companies over the last 25 years which were all successfully sold. In each instance, he held the office of President/CEO or Senior Vice President and was a member of the Board of Directors. During this same period, Dexter has been actively involved in the investment and merchant banking industries which included original transactions completed ranging in investment from 12 million to 330 million in order to fulfill clients' corporate strategic plans for industry consolidation, LBOs and privatization of listed companies and, in some cases, start-up transactions. Dexter has an extensive background within the investment capital markets, both debt and equity, and has also served in a financial and marketing consulting capacity for companies throughout the U.S.

 

 ddavis@amvest.com

direct dial: (417) 887-3340
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 414

 

 

 

Merritt Mamroth, M.B.A has over 22 years of experience in Financial Analysis and Marketing.  He has consulted numerous companies regarding profitability, the development of sales forces, operations and overall management issues. Merritt has successfully developed, owned and operated two companies. Initially, he developed a mortgage company with volume in excess of 50 million dollars. Most recently, he developed a Marketing and Advertising firm which built a client base extending throughout the United States.

 

mmamroth@amvest.com

direct dial: (314) 991-9994
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 418

 

 

 

 

 

 

H. Joseph Hempen started his first of many graphics firms in 1963. For thirty-five years he worked with a diverse group of CEOs to solve problems and  market services. He is interested in leadership issues pertaining to participative management to improve productivity and profits.

 

  jhempen@amvest.com

direct dial: (314) 772-8154
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 411

 

 

 

 

 

James R. Murphy has over thirty years of business experience in administration which includes turn-around situations, negotiations, sales, marketing and public relations. Jim is an experienced trainer and instructor with a specialization in safety and risk management. He is a former US Army officer and has a Missouri real estate license. In addition, Jim is experienced as an airline captain and was a flight instructor for a number of years.

 

 

jmurphy@amvest.com

direct dial: (417) 865-2887

Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 410

 

 

 

Anthony D. Jones: 15 years experience in the Information Technology (IT) industry, nine years of which was spent in Banking and Financial services. He holds a B.S. degree in Economics concentration in Statistics and Masters in Information Technology Management. Mr. Jones has 3 years as VP of Business Development and Technology Services for a leading CPA firm. In this role Mr. Jones has been involved with the acquisition and sales of small businesses while developing strategic technology solutions to improve quality of services. Mr. Jones has expertise in the area of implementing Six Sigma and quality programs to improve business processes. He brings not only his educational expertise to Amvest but also a sincerely strong desire to meet the business needs and objectives of each client.

 

ajones@amvest.com

direct dial: (704) 882-6500
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 420

 

 

Sandra B. Ramos: Has 8 years in the information technology industry (IT), and 11 years in program integrity for the U.S. Department of Higher Education. She has considerable experience in project management, system’s administration, infrastructure, project planning and development, computer systems compliance, and business systems design and analysis. Sandra has a B.S. in Business Administration and M.S. in Human Resources Management.

 

 

sramos@amvest.com

direct dial: (334) 717-9689
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 424

 

 

 

Arthur George Chkhubianishvili: Arthur George is of Georgian origin. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, he came to New York in search of the American dream. His background is diversified, blending technical and financial expertise on variety of projects, both in the U.S. and abroad.  Arthur George is experienced in advising companies on Value Based Management. His focus is to predict and prevent those circumstances when mounds of cash are being shoveled into wasteful projects with returns inferior to capital charge, or squandered away as agency costs, or as a last resort paid out as hefty dividends just for the reason of having no other use. He is convinced that the corporate capital is being misallocated all too often and that’s why the market for our services is vast. Arthur George holds his MBA in Finance and Investments from the George Washington University.

 

 

arthurgc@amvest.com

Arthur is currently out of the country and can only communicate via email.

 

 

 

Brian J. Gremp: Has over twenty years of business experience in financial management, administration, sales and marketing, business development. His industry experience includes information technology, real estate, risk management, wholesale lending and financial services as well as manufacturing and distribution. Brian has also been involved with the acquisition and sale of multiple businesses. He holds a MBA and Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance.

 

bgremp@amvest.com

direct dial:  (314) 714-4114
Corporate: (816) 461-3312, extension 426

 

 

 

Ron Brown, Investment Banker, has over 13 years of business experience in Insurance & Risk Management, Sales and Marketing and Business Development. Mr. Brown has owned and operated four companies engaged in insurance, construction management, business brokering and real estate investing. Prior to starting and operating these businesses, Ron was employed with three Fortune 500 Companies. Mr. Brown studied Business Management at Avila University in Kansas City and received his degree from Kansas City Business College. Ron is also a graduate of The Dale Carnegie Sales and Leadership Training Institute.

 

rbrown@amvest.com

direct dial:  8(16) 337-9634
Corporate: (816) 461-3312

 

 

 

 

 

Amvest Executive Advisors

 

Francis G. Homan has developed extensive merger and acquisition experience in vehicle distribution & remarketing, manufacturing, business outsourcing services, environmental services, and transportation industries over the past 17 years. He has started, developed, and sold several successful companies. He is a CPA and began his professional career as a business consultant with a large national accounting firm and then served as a financial manager within a Fortune 500 company. He has directed all aspects of numerous small and middle market acquisitions representing both buyers and sellers.