About Us
JD Merit Is All About Getting Our Clients The Big Win They Deserve.
Whether we are maximizing liquidity or negotiating M&A, for more than twenty years the dealmakers at JD Merit have set the bar for professional excellence and integrity. Our team of seasoned investment bankers and skilled professionals deliver an entrepreneurial spirit and finely honed set of instincts which ensure our clients’ success at the negotiating table.
At JD Merit we won’t put the deal down until it’s done. Personal service with a global reach driven by tenacity, experience, and talent.
With JD Merit, your future is our focus.
Awards
WINNER – M&A CEO EXCELLENCE AWARD, CEO OF THE YEAR (USA) TO J. CRAIG DICKENS – 2020
WINNER – APEX LINEN PRIVATE EQUITY DEAL OF THE YEAR – 2019
FINALIST – M&A ADVISOR’S EMERGING LEADER AWARDED TO NICK DEVANEY – 2019
FINALIST – M&A ADVISOR’S EMERGING LEADER AWARDED TO JEFF SASAKURA – 2019
FINALIST – BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT BANKING FIRM OF THE YEAR – 2019
WINNER — M&A ADVISOR’S EMERGING LEADER AWARDED TO NICK DEVANEY — 2019
FINALIST — CORPORATE STRATEGIC DEAL OF THE YEAR – 2019
FINALIST FOR BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT BANKING FIRM OF THE YEAR — 2018
WINNER — INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEAL OF THE YEAR – 2018
FINALIST — INDUSTRIALS DEAL OF THE YEAR – 2018
FINALIST — 6 M&A ADVISOR AWARDS — 2015
WINNER — BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT BANK OF THE YEAR – 2015
FINALIST – M&A ADVISOR DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD IN THREE CATEGORIES FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR — 2011
WINNER — DEAL OF THE DECADE BY M&A ADVISOR — 2002-2011
WINNER — CONSUMER & RETAIL PRODUCTS DEAL OF THE YEAR IN 2011
WINNER — LOWER MIDDLE MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR AND CONSUMER & RETAIL PRODUCTS DEAL OF THE YEAR 2010
WINNER – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEAL OF THE YEAR 2009
WINNER — STRATEGIC/CORPORATE DEAL OF THE YEAR — 2008
FINALIST — THREE DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORIES — 2008
FINALIST — CROSS BORDER DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD — 2005
WINNER – CONSUMER MANUFACTURING DEAL MAKER OF THE YEAR AWARD
WHO’S WHO IN BANKING AND FINANCE RECIPIENT – CEO JOE DURNFORD — 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
WINNER – AI INVESTMENT BANKING FIRM OF THE YEAR – 2018
WINNER – AI INVESTMENT BANKING FIRM OF THE YEAR 2017
TOP 200 INVESTMENT BANKS IN THE UNITED STATES PER EQUITY RESEARCH COMPANY
"Unlike many investment banks I've worked with during my career, JD Merit was overly attentive at all stages of our transaction, which really made a difference to achieving a great outcome."
Dave Carr
Interim CFO
"We were thrilled with the outcome that JD Merit delivered for our family through the sale of the business and many of the owned terminals. We were able to unlock significant shareholder liquidity, while simultaneously positioning the employees of the company for continued success within a growing platform.”
Howard Perea
Co-Owner of RAC Transport, Inc.
"We hired you over other investment bankers because of your responsiveness to our questions, aggressive approach to winning, persistence in following up and the many creative ideas your team presented. We see you as really adding value, beyond just running a process."
D. Roberts
EVP Project Yellowstone
“Through broad auction, JD Merit got us another 75% above the offers that originally came in. We still have a piece of the company and I’m still able to run it. I feel good that our key employees are going to be secure in the future. So I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Mike Olson
JDM M&A Client
"I am the sole owner of a middle market camping gear wholesaler and I operated without a board for twelve years. In 2017 I realized it was time for the company to get some outside help. Since joining the board, Craig and the outstanding people in his firm have provided invaluable assistance in stabilizing and growing the company. They’ve helped with both short-term challenges and long-term planning. Craig’s background running multiple businesses like mine and his vast network of contacts have brought value to my company and to me personally. If you want help taking your business to the next level, I highly recommend Craig and JD Merit."
Keith Jackson
Owner of Industrial Revolution, Inc.
"As a business/transactional attorney, I have had the opportunity to work with many investment bankers in the M&A arena. Craig and his team at JD Merit are, without question, the best in the local middle market space. He is very knowledgeable at his craft. Craig stands out as an excellent communicator: he makes the clients feel comfortable; he is able to both listen to and provide thoughtful advice for legal counsel; and, most importantly, he is able to negotiate a great deal. Quite refreshingly, Craig puts the needs of the client above closing a deal – something very rare in the M&A world. I give my highest possible recommendation to Craig and his team."
Carl Peterson via LinkedIn
Managing Partner at Eisenhower Carlson PLLC
"Collectively, Phillip Cooper and the team at JD Merit have worked with Apex Linen for over six years and have provided the company with professionalism and valuable counsel on multiple transactions. They listened to our needs, and as business operators themselves, they understood the opportunities open to us and the challenges we faced to grow. They fought hard for us at every step of the way. We would absolutely look to them for our future investment banking needs."
Gary Goeldner
CFO, Apex Linen Service, LLC
"I am excited to see the next level of growth and success for the Noorda team, partnering with Flynn to better serve our clients and employees just made sense. I greatly appreciated JD Merit’s expertise and guidance throughout this process and appreciated even more their attention to the intangible things that were important to me and my company, beyond just getting a deal done."
Chris Noorda
President, Noorda BEC
"I enjoyed working together, you [JDM] gave an enormous contribution in such a complex but successful transaction - I would be happy if there will be the chance to make a reference for your great job in the future!"
Marco Allegretti
Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company