Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1473479
58 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2022 ey also distribute components and semi- conductor equipment. I started with connec- tors, followed by RF/microwave components, then I got into corporate investments and PCB equipment. I've been in M&A since 1996. Beaulieu: You have completed several company sales in the past. Please share some of your recent examples of your successes. Kastner: e most recent was Royal Circuits and Advanced Assembly to Summit Intercon- nect. Overall, I have been involved in more than 20 deals in the PCB and EMS sectors. Beaulieu: Tom, if someone wants to sell a busi- ness and they want to hire you, what does that look like? Feature Interview by Dan Beaulieu D. B. MANAGEMENT GROUP Tom Kastner of GP Ventures is a busy man these days. He's been involved in several M&A deals, including a recent acquisition by Sum- mit Interconnect. Tom spent some time with Dan Beaulieu, who oen consults with PCB and PCBA companies, about what it looks like when a company is thinking of buying or selling—and how a consultant like Tom helps negotiate the best deal. Dan Beaulieu: Tom, thanks for talking with me. I know you are very busy with your focus on PCB and PCBA-related companies. How did you get involved in this area of your business? Tom Kastner: I started in the industry with Hakuto, a Japanese company which makes cut-sheet laminators for PCB manufacturing. A Primer on M&A