Seeking to Acquire Fly Fishing Related Business

May 27, 2010

AFFTA was recently contacted by Eric Lawrence, an investor seeking to acquire a fly fishing related business. AFFTA contacted the CEOs of two companies that we knew were on the market to ask permission to connect them with Eric. In both cases, permission was granted that those two CEOs have since made contact with Eric.

However, there are other companies that we at AFFTA don’t know are for sale. If you should be in that situation and wish to make direct contact with Eric, here is his letter of introduction and his contact information.

Gary,

I apologize for the blind introduction. I saw your name and background on the AFFTA website and I thought I would reach out to you directly. At a high level, I am a private investor and executive based in Denver. I have been seeking acquisition opportunities of small businesses for the past two years and have yet to find anything that has interested me enough to close a deal. I’ve recently turned my attention to the fly fishing industry and, as you might expect, it is due almost entirely to the fact that I have become completely infatuated with the sport on a personal level during the past few years. I think I’ve made the mistake during the past two years of looking for a business just to buy, rather than to trying to buy something I love. My wife deserves the credit for figuring that one out!

Nevertheless, it has been somewhat difficult for me to get my head around potential opportunities in the sector, so I’m trying to visit with professionals in the industry (other than those at my local fly shop!) to get a handle on it. Given your leadership in the industry, I thought you might have some ideas on potential businesses that might be for sale or other individuals that might be helpful in my search. My highest level of interest is on the manufacturing side. I might be interested in the retail side if it was of decent enough size and scope.

I would love to spend a bit of time with you getting your perspective on the industry (growth, size, etc.) and would like to buy you a cup of coffee if you are Inclined. My full bio is on my website (www.bluescalecapital.com) so feel free to “check me out.” Again, I’m sorry for the email contact out of the blue.

All the best,

Eric.
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J. Eric Lawrence
5425 S University Blvd
Greenwood Village, CO 80121
(303) 789-7567 (office)
(303) 506-3650 (cell)
elawrence@bluescalecapital.com