Business Value Creation
Beyond Business Valuation...
Lack of advance planning and action can cause business owners to lose value and potentially make their companies unsaleable.
I'm Dr. Kipp Krukowski and I am a Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at Colorado State University. My practical industry experience helps students gain insight on how to create successful companies while my research helps advance understanding of entrepreneurial exits.
Having worked with many manufacturing and industrial clients, while now spending much of my time in academia, I continue to be a trusted advisor consulting business owners and companies in valuation and value creation.
More about me
Education
PhD from Oklahoma State University, Mechanical Engineering degree from Youngstown State University, and MBA from Carnegie Mellon.
Additional Professional Accreditations Received
ASA (Accredited Senior Appraiser) - American Society of Appraisers, CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) - National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, CBI (Certified Business Intermediary) - International Business Brokers Association, and CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor) - Exit Planning Institute.
Past Business Banking and Insurance Clients
Partial list of current/past lender and insurance company clients: Atlantic Coast Bank, Bank of Missouri, Bank of Montana, Bank of Oklahoma, Bank of the Panhandle, Bank of the West, BB&T, BBVA Compass, Business First Bank, Celtic Bank, Champaign Bank, Citizens Bank, City National Bank, Commonwealth Business Bank, CSB Bank, Enterprise Bank, Erie Insurance, Extraco Bank, First Bank, First Farmers, First National Bank, First National Bank of Minnesota, First Nations Bank, FirstMerit Equipment Finance, Franklin Synergy Bank, Georgia Banking Company, Great Southern Bank, Heartland Bank, Home Savings Bank, InterBank, Kish Bank, Lake Area Bank, Lorain National Bank, Mainland Bank, MidSouth Bank, Mutual of Omaha Bank, National Credit Union Administration, Nationwide Insurance, NOA Bank, NorthStar Bank, Northwest Community Bank, Northwest Savings Bank, Peoples Bank, PNC Bank, RBS Citizens, Regions Bank, Republic Bank, Security Federal Bank, ServisFirst Bank, TDBank, Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, The Citizens Bank, The Huntington National Bank, The National Bank, U.S. Bank, Union Bank, USAmeriBank, Vectra Bank, Wells Fargo, Zions, Zurich N.A. as well as others
Business Valuation and Value Creation Experience
After earning my mechanical engineering degree in the late 90s, I started my career in manufacturing holding positions in global purchasing, quality assurance, and production control/logistics. I received six sigma training and focused on value creation strategies to improve efficiencies and eliminate waste within production, utilizing value stream mapping and participating in make vs. buy studies and total cost analyses.
After taking several entrepreneurship courses at Carnegie Mellon, I decided to buy an existing company. Going through this process made me realize that the real opportunity was helping business owners prepare their companies for sale. So, in 2003, I opened up a business brokerage firm. In addition to recommending value creation strategies to improve operations prior to placing companies on the market, I helped in areas of business valuation, negotiation, deal structuring, and due diligence.
My business expanded to offices in three industrial cities. We completed over 100 successful transactions, and I earned the CBI credential from the International Business Brokers Association along with the CEPA credential from the Exit Planning Institute, and I was recognized by the Business Brokerage Press as an industry expert for selling manufacturing companies.
When the Global Financial Crisis hit, I looked for a service to add to our offerings. After acquiring the domain name EquipmentAppraisal.com, projects began pouring in from around the country, so I quickly spun out the machinery and equipment service to focus on its growth, selling the brokerage firm. A few years later, I acquired BusinessValuations.net, and expanded the appraisal and valuation offerings. I received the ASA in Machinery & Technical Specialties credential from the American Society of Appraisers and CVA credential from the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, and I provided expert witness testimony for million-dollar litigation cases related to valuation. In 2018, after client valuation projects reaching the 1000s, the opportunity presented itself to harvest, so I sold my company. To this day, the firm continues its growth, helping companies make informed decisions related to valuation.
I went back to school to receive my Ph.D. at Oklahoma State, eventually landing at Colorado State researching and teaching students about starting and building a business. I also continue to be a trusted advisor consulting companies in valuation and value creation.
After taking several entrepreneurship courses at Carnegie Mellon, I decided to buy an existing company. Going through this process made me realize that the real opportunity was helping business owners prepare their companies for sale. So, in 2003, I opened up a business brokerage firm. In addition to recommending value creation strategies to improve operations prior to placing companies on the market, I helped in areas of business valuation, negotiation, deal structuring, and due diligence.
My business expanded to offices in three industrial cities. We completed over 100 successful transactions, and I earned the CBI credential from the International Business Brokers Association along with the CEPA credential from the Exit Planning Institute, and I was recognized by the Business Brokerage Press as an industry expert for selling manufacturing companies.
When the Global Financial Crisis hit, I looked for a service to add to our offerings. After acquiring the domain name EquipmentAppraisal.com, projects began pouring in from around the country, so I quickly spun out the machinery and equipment service to focus on its growth, selling the brokerage firm. A few years later, I acquired BusinessValuations.net, and expanded the appraisal and valuation offerings. I received the ASA in Machinery & Technical Specialties credential from the American Society of Appraisers and CVA credential from the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, and I provided expert witness testimony for million-dollar litigation cases related to valuation. In 2018, after client valuation projects reaching the 1000s, the opportunity presented itself to harvest, so I sold my company. To this day, the firm continues its growth, helping companies make informed decisions related to valuation.
I went back to school to receive my Ph.D. at Oklahoma State, eventually landing at Colorado State researching and teaching students about starting and building a business. I also continue to be a trusted advisor consulting companies in valuation and value creation.
Recent peer-reviewed journal published related research:
Examining the Business Model: Value Creation Strategies for Improving Financial Viability before Selling (Krukowski, Kipp A.), The Value Examiner, (forthcoming) September/October 2024 issue.
Business Advisor and Dealmaker Testimonies: Deficiencies in privately-held small businesses leading to failed M&A transactions (Krukowski, Kipp A.), The Value Examiner, July/August 2024 issue.
From liability to asset: A receiver’s perspective on eponymy signals and market value (Arteaga-Fonseca, J., Phillips, D., Rutherford, M., & Krukowski, K.), Journal of Small Business Management, 2024, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2024.2371502
Why are you selling your business? Understanding signaling effects of seller rationale at time of entrepreneurial exit (Krukowski, Kipp A., Flink, N, & Edwards, B. D.), Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 2023, 20, e00427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2023.e00427
Selling a business after the pandemic? Crisis and information asymmetry impact on deal terms (Krukowski, Kipp A. & DeTienne, Dawn R.), Business Horizons, 2022, 65(5), 617-630, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.08.003.
A Call for Industry Specialization: An Academic Perspective on the Importance of Qualitative Research (Krukowski, Kipp A. & White, Jr., Lawrence J. 2021) – This article originally appeared in The Value Examiner, May/June 2021 issue, published by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts® (NACVA®). All Rights Reserved. To learn more, please visit www.NACVA.com/ValueExaminer.
Letters to the editor. RE: A Call for Industry Specialization: An Academic Perspective on the Importance of Qualitative Research (Krukowski, Kipp A. & White, Jr., Lawrence J. 2021) – This article originally appeared in The Value Examiner, July/August 2021 issue, published by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts® (NACVA®). All Rights Reserved. To learn more, please visit www.NACVA.com/ValueExaminer.
Winning the opportunity to pitch: Piquing startup investors’ interest by sending the right signals in executive summaries (Krukowski, Kipp A., Pollack, Jeffrey M., & Rutherford, Matthew W.), Business Horizons, 2022, ISSN 0007-6813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.03.001.
Human Capital Across the Life Cycle of Entrepreneurial Ventures (Krukowski, Kipp A., Rutherford, Matthew W., & Pollack, Jeffrey M.), Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 2021.
A Call for Industry Specialization: An Academic Perspective on the Importance of Qualitative Research (Krukowski, Kipp A. & White, Jr., Lawrence J. 2021) – This article originally appeared in The Value Examiner, May/June 2021 issue, published by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts® (NACVA®). All Rights Reserved. To learn more, please visit www.NACVA.com/ValueExaminer.
Letters to the editor. RE: A Call for Industry Specialization: An Academic Perspective on the Importance of Qualitative Research (Krukowski, Kipp A. & White, Jr., Lawrence J. 2021) – This article originally appeared in The Value Examiner, July/August 2021 issue, published by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts® (NACVA®). All Rights Reserved. To learn more, please visit www.NACVA.com/ValueExaminer.
Winning the opportunity to pitch: Piquing startup investors’ interest by sending the right signals in executive summaries (Krukowski, Kipp A., Pollack, Jeffrey M., & Rutherford, Matthew W.), Business Horizons, 2022, ISSN 0007-6813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.03.001.
Human Capital Across the Life Cycle of Entrepreneurial Ventures (Krukowski, Kipp A., Rutherford, Matthew W., & Pollack, Jeffrey M.), Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, 2021.
Additional Background Information
Education
PhD from Oklahoma State University, Mechanical Engineering degree from Youngstown State University, and MBA from Carnegie Mellon.
Additional Professional Accreditations Received
ASA (Accredited Senior Appraiser) - American Society of Appraisers, CVA (Certified Valuation Analyst) - National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, CBI (Certified Business Intermediary) - International Business Brokers Association, and CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor) - Exit Planning Institute.
Businesses Founded
Equipment Appraisal Services (EquipmentAppraisal.com), Business Valuation Specialists (BusinessValuations.net), and Confidential Business Sale, Inc.
Equipment Appraisal Services (EquipmentAppraisal.com), Business Valuation Specialists (BusinessValuations.net), and Confidential Business Sale, Inc.
Past Business Corporate and Government Clients
Provided appraisal reports for government agencies, privately-held companies, and public companies such as: Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ: XLRN), Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOG), Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B), CITGO Corporation, The Commonwealths of Kentucky & Pennsylvania, Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR), Holcim, Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI), Kohler Co., Magneti Marelli, Marvell Semiconductor (NASDAQ: MRVL), New York Power Authority, Robert Bosch LLC, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Miba AG, Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE), TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE: TEL), The Ohio Department of Transportation and many others
Provided appraisal reports for government agencies, privately-held companies, and public companies such as: Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ: XLRN), Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOG), Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B), CITGO Corporation, The Commonwealths of Kentucky & Pennsylvania, Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR), Holcim, Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI), Kohler Co., Magneti Marelli, Marvell Semiconductor (NASDAQ: MRVL), New York Power Authority, Robert Bosch LLC, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Miba AG, Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE), TE Connectivity Ltd. (NYSE: TEL), The Ohio Department of Transportation and many others
Past Business Banking and Insurance Clients
Partial list of current/past lender and insurance company clients: Atlantic Coast Bank, Bank of Missouri, Bank of Montana, Bank of Oklahoma, Bank of the Panhandle, Bank of the West, BB&T, BBVA Compass, Business First Bank, Celtic Bank, Champaign Bank, Citizens Bank, City National Bank, Commonwealth Business Bank, CSB Bank, Enterprise Bank, Erie Insurance, Extraco Bank, First Bank, First Farmers, First National Bank, First National Bank of Minnesota, First Nations Bank, FirstMerit Equipment Finance, Franklin Synergy Bank, Georgia Banking Company, Great Southern Bank, Heartland Bank, Home Savings Bank, InterBank, Kish Bank, Lake Area Bank, Lorain National Bank, Mainland Bank, MidSouth Bank, Mutual of Omaha Bank, National Credit Union Administration, Nationwide Insurance, NOA Bank, NorthStar Bank, Northwest Community Bank, Northwest Savings Bank, Peoples Bank, PNC Bank, RBS Citizens, Regions Bank, Republic Bank, Security Federal Bank, ServisFirst Bank, TDBank, Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, The Citizens Bank, The Huntington National Bank, The National Bank, U.S. Bank, Union Bank, USAmeriBank, Vectra Bank, Wells Fargo, Zions, Zurich N.A. as well as others
Partial List of Manufacturing and Distribution Companies Sold
• Metal Stamping Operation
• Beverage Manufacturer / Food Processor
• Material Handling Equipment Distributor
• Custom Wood Products Manufacturer
• Precision Machining & Grinding
• Granite Countertop Manufacturer
• Chemical Products Distributor
• Aftermarket Automotive Restyling Specialist
• Hardwood Flooring Supplies Distributor
• Chocolate Manufacturer
• Industrial Products Distributor
• Aluminum Fabricator
• Prototype Manufacturer
• Foundry & Machine Shop
• Beverage Manufacturer / Food Processor
• Material Handling Equipment Distributor
• Custom Wood Products Manufacturer
• Precision Machining & Grinding
• Granite Countertop Manufacturer
• Chemical Products Distributor
• Aftermarket Automotive Restyling Specialist
• Hardwood Flooring Supplies Distributor
• Chocolate Manufacturer
• Industrial Products Distributor
• Aluminum Fabricator
• Prototype Manufacturer
• Foundry & Machine Shop
Some Facts About Me
100
Over 100 M&A transactions
1000
Over 1000 valuation projects completed
50
Over 50 courses taught
Lets get in touch!
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