A community for the growth and prosperity of private companies

The Center for Private Company Excellence is a community—live and virtual—created by Kreischer Miller exclusively for privately-held companies.

We recognize that private companies are different. You face unique challenges in building your business and you have a distinct point of view. For instance:

  • You think and plan for the long term, as opposed to the quarterly profit.
  • You make more prudent and conservative decisions because your own capital can be at risk.
  • Access to capital is limited and expensive, which can require significant reinvestment of your capital in order for the company to stay on solid financial footing.
  • You may be facing challenges from global competitors who are often much larger.
  • Shareholders often have their wealth concentrated in their stock.
  • Family-owned businesses have an additional layer of complexity in managing family dynamics, ownership, and compensation.
  • Taxation is burdensome on income as well as the value created in the company.
  • You may be facing significant succession and transfer issues as ownership and leadership are transferred to the next generation.

The Center for Private Company Excellence provides a forum for business owners to interact and network with peers as well as gain access to knowledgeable experts who provide valuable information, tools, and resources to help you navigate these challenges and build your business.

Guidance, tools, and support exclusively for private companies

As a private company owner, it can be difficult to find resources that address your specific needs. So much of the business world and mainstream media are focused on the issues affecting large public companies. But for private companies, while the standard business goal to grow your business profitably exists, individual goals of improving your life and having more control are often just as critical.

The mission of Kreischer Miller’s Center for Private Company Excellence is to provide advice and guidance to private companies, helping to improve both their companies and lives. Throughout our more than 45 year history, we’ve worked with hundreds of private companies, enabling us to create a community in which private companies can network and learn from each other.

Our vision is to provide members of the Center the tools, guidance, and support they need to grow their businesses and enrich their lives.

CPCE Hubs: Resources for Each Stage of Your Private Company’s Lifecycle

All businesses go through a lifecycle. But private companies and family businesses face unique challenges and decisions at each stage. From organizing the business, to managing it to maximize profitability and growth, to determining an exit strategy, while efficiently managing taxes throughout, you are faced with a multitude of decisions. We provide you with tools, resources, and support from peers to help you make more informed decisions at each stage in your company’s lifecycle.

Governance & Leadership
Family Business Structure
Business Strategy
Growth & Performance
Finance & Valuation
Tax Strategy
Succession
Transfer & Exit

Governance & Leadership

  • Setting up an advisory board
  • Setting up a fiduciary board
  • Private board structure and governance
  • Private board member compensation
  • Getting the most from your board
  • The role of compensation committees in private boards
Governance & Leadership Insights

Family Business Structure

  • Family business governance structures
  • Preparing the next generation for leadership
  • Family compensation and ownership
  • Valuation of family businesses
  • Buy-sell agreements
  • Compensating and retaining non-family executives
  • Preparing the current generation for retirement or exit
  • Structuring and financing family transfers
  • Estate planning structures
Family Business Structure Insights

Business Strategy

  • Strategy
  • Market position
  • Long-range planning
  • Business segment review
  • Pricing
  • Growth strategies and planning
  • Financing and planning for growth
  • Acquisition strategies
Business Strategy Insights

Growth & Performance

  • Benchmarks, key performance indicators, and dashboards
  • Business process excellence
  • Maximizing returns on people and technology
  • Waste reduction and time management
  • Change management strategies
  • Effective risk management
Growth & Performance Insights

Finance & Valuation

  • Business value creation
  • Leverage analysis
  • Financial ratios and benchmarking
  • Business valuation
  • Financing options and structures
  • Financing growth
  • Debt financing
  • Equity financing
Finance & Valuation Insights

Tax Strategy

  • Income tax management
  • Retirement strategy
  • Estate tax strategy
  • Gifting strategies
  • Financial planning
Tax Strategy Insights

Succession

  • Family succession
  • Management succession
  • Buy-sell agreements
  • Executive talent
  • Compensation plans
  • Crisis planning
  • Phantom stock
  • Stock appreciation rights
Succession Insights

Transfer & Exit

  • Business transfer spectrum
  • Private capital markets
  • Liquidity planning
  • Valuation
  • Exit strategy
  • Transfer structures
  • Outside sales to third parties
  • Inside sales to family or employees
  • Leveraged recaps
  • ESOPs
Transfer & Exit Insights

Governance & Leadership

  • Setting up an advisory board
  • Setting up a fiduciary board
  • Private board structure and governance
  • Private board member compensation
  • Getting the most from your board
  • The role of compensation committees in private boards
Governance & Leadership Insights

Family Business Structure

  • Family business governance structures
  • Preparing the next generation for leadership
  • Family compensation and ownership
  • Valuation of family businesses
  • Buy-sell agreements
  • Compensating and retaining non-family executives
  • Preparing the current generation for retirement or exit
  • Structuring and financing family transfers
  • Estate planning structures
Family Business Structure Insights

Business Strategy

  • Strategy
  • Market position
  • Long-range planning
  • Business segment review
  • Pricing
  • Growth strategies and planning
  • Financing and planning for growth
  • Acquisition strategies
Business Strategy Insights

Growth & Performance

  • Benchmarks, key performance indicators, and dashboards
  • Business process excellence
  • Maximizing returns on people and technology
  • Waste reduction and time management
  • Change management strategies
  • Effective risk management
Growth & Performance Insights

Finance & Valuation

  • Business value creation
  • Leverage analysis
  • Financial ratios and benchmarking
  • Business valuation
  • Financing options and structures
  • Financing growth
  • Debt financing
  • Equity financing
Finance & Valuation Insights

Tax Strategy

  • Income tax management
  • Retirement strategy
  • Estate tax strategy
  • Gifting strategies
  • Financial planning
Tax Strategy Insights

Succession

  • Family succession
  • Management succession
  • Buy-sell agreements
  • Executive talent
  • Compensation plans
  • Crisis planning
  • Phantom stock
  • Stock appreciation rights
Succession Insights

Transfer & Exit

  • Business transfer spectrum
  • Private capital markets
  • Liquidity planning
  • Valuation
  • Exit strategy
  • Transfer structures
  • Outside sales to third parties
  • Inside sales to family or employees
  • Leveraged recaps
  • ESOPs
Transfer & Exit Insights

Center for Private Company Excellence Specialists

Mario O. Vicari, CPA

Brian D. Kitchen, CPA, MT

Christopher F. Meshginpoosh, CPA, CGMA

Mark G. Metzler, CPA, CGMA, CEPA

Brian J. Sharkey, CPA, CVA, CEPA

Richard Snyder, CPA, CGMA

Steven E. Staugaitis, CPA, CVA

Thomas C. Yankanich, CPA

Related Insights

Related Events

Become a Member

Join your peers and experienced advisors as we delve into the challenges and opportunities that are unique to private companies. When you become a member, you’ll be added to our mailing list to be notified of upcoming events, new tools and resources, and weekly blog posts.
Become a Member
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