Growth Traction Optimization
Advisory for mid-market automotive & manufacturing companies — led by operators who've run them through growth, turnaround, and sale.
Built inside Chrysler · Rivian · KPMG · Cerberus · Textron · Apollo
Brands & capital partners our team has served across their careers
The Problem We Solve
"Most mid-market manufacturers were built to run — not to scale, to weather a downturn, or to sell."
Founders ready to step back, with no strategy to make the business transferable or saleable.
No clean order-to-cash, weak systems, and value locked in the owner's head — buyers walk.
Margin erosion, an unbalanced capital structure, and underperforming segments.
Tariffs, volume instability, and a changing manufacturing base that demands new strategy.
What We Do
Whether you're scaling, fixing, or selling — our work is organized around three outcomes.
Find the next stage of revenue and value — and build the plan to reach it.
Define, fund, and execute growth aligned to your competencies and open capacity.
Localization, partnerships, and tariff strategy for international firms entering the U.S.
Technology and product roadmaps that keep you competitive — and saleable.
Turn strategy into measurable performance on the floor and in the field.
Remove the bottlenecks and inefficiencies constraining throughput, quality, and margin.
3rd-party inspection, root-cause, and 8D remediation across automotive and aerospace.
Accountability frameworks and matched KPIs that drive high-impact results.
Realize value — through a transaction, a turnaround, or a clean transition.
Buy-, sell-, and restructuring-side advisory with rigorous valuation opinions.
Stabilize liquidity, capital structure, and underperforming business segments.
Make an owner-led business scalable, transferable, and ready to sell.
How We Work
We work alongside owners, lenders, and investors to understand the business at every level, then generate insightful, executable solutions and stay through implementation.
Disciplined examination of the fundamentals that underpin success and create opportunity.
Deep functional and industry expertise, matched specifically to your situation.
Perspective earned at the board and operating level — not theory.
We treat your business as our own and deliver measurable, lasting impact.
The Partners
Managing Partner
40+ years of senior automotive leadership across GM, Chrysler/DaimlerChrysler, Cerberus, KPMG, Rivian, and PureForge. Led full-vehicle programs and global powertrain contracts — and brought the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler to life.
Chairman & CEO, PureForge · CPO, Rivian · MD, KPMG · VP Procurement, Chrysler · MBA, Michigan Ross
Managing Partner
40+ years in leadership and restructuring. Former CEO of New Venture Gear — a $1.8B driveline supplier he led to four record-profit years — and President & COO of Textron Automotive. Senior advisor to Apollo and Wynnchurch.
MD, Conway MacKenzie · CEO, New Venture Gear · VP/COO, Textron Automotive · CFO, Acustar · MBA, Wayne State
Managing Director
A sales and marketing executive who drives rapid revenue growth and strategic partnerships. As CRO at PureForge he built the go-to-market engine; at James Group he generated $17M in annual sales and multiple new-business awards.
CRO, PureForge · VP Sales, Weber Automotive · Global Director, Faurecia · PwC · MBA, Duke
Senior Manager — Process Improvement
Nearly two decades blending technical depth with executive leadership. VP and owner-operator of PMD Automotive and Woodward Speed Shop; formerly VP of Production at PureForge, where he secured ISO 9001:2015 certification.
VP, PMD Automotive / Woodward Speed Shop · VP Production, PureForge · Lead Engine Builder, Prefix/Arrow
Get In Touch
Planning for growth, preparing for a transition, or stabilizing a challenged operation — we'd welcome the conversation.