John Foster

John H. Foster is a respected business owner, entrepreneur, and business intermediary. Prior to joining Creative Business Services, John owned and operated Foster Needle Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, one of the largest employers in Manitowoc County. During his tenure with Foster Needle, John helped grow the company to become the world market leader in the manufacture and sales of felting needles. Through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, Foster Needle became the world’s largest felting needle manufacturer with manufacturing plants in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Redditch, England. John has developed and owned car wash investments as well as commercial real estate projects on Anna Maria Island, Florida. He is also an investor/member of a regional Angel Investment Corporation, which has holdings in a number of early-stage businesses throughout Wisconsin. During his tenure with Creative Business Services, John has worked with numerous banks, helping them with the disposition of bank owned/distressed properties and businesses. Having owned and managed a multimillion-dollar manufacturing company with plants and offices around the world, John provides a profound understanding of U.S. and international business, manufacturing, brand management, team building, and, of course, M&A. As a business intermediary, he has brokered nearly every imaginable type of business, including manufacturing companies, hotels, restaurants, car washes, convenience stores, and large commercial real estate projects. He has personally bought and sold many businesses in the M&A market. John provides real-world resources for business owners and banking institutions that are looking to improve and/or sell their businesses and assets.

Originally from Wisconsin, Ryan has eight years of experience in the financial planning sector where he worked for several different companies as a financial services professional. He specializes in business succession, helping clients transition in and out of businesses primarily located in the Midwest. Ryan joined the Creative Business Services / CBS-Global team to assist clients with succession planning. He began working at Creative Business Services / CBS-Global as a business intermediary and mergers and acquisitions advisor, helping clients with both physical sales and business mergers. Over the years, Ryan has assisted numerous business owners with their most important buy-side and sell-side transitions. In the past, Ryan has worked in the manufacturing industry and has considerable experience in manufacturing, transportation, and trucking. In 2018, Ryan successfully piloted a trucking deal in excess of $10 million dollars and oversaw a motorsports business merger and other consulting assignments. Always putting the client’s best interests first, Ryan is a firm believer that trust, honesty, and integrity are at the core of all relationships, and this is exactly how he approaches every client and business situation. He believes in investing the time to get to know his clients and build trust, and in the process, build a strong foundation for a profitable relationship. Listening to a client is at the heart of Ryan’s approach as it is only through listening that it is possible to understand a client’s needs and goals. In this way, Ryan gains the information necessary to best structure the deal from the client’s perspective. Ryan enjoys working collaboratively with a team of professional executives and officers as they accomplish his client’s goals. A family man, Ryan has been married for 14 years and has three children.

Are you looking to sell a business? Purchase a business? Or, grow a business through acquisition? Glen Herman comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Glen joined Creative Business Services / CBS-Global in 2020 with an emphasis on helping people realize their personal, professional, and financial goals. Glen is a graduate of the College of Business at Marquette University. He served in United States Army as an Infantry and Signal Corps officer. After his military service, Glen worked with several closely held companies and a Fortune 500 company in various sales and leadership roles. Glen’s focus on systems and processes led him to the ownership team of a plastics manufacturer. After growing the company’s sales he sold his interest to pursue other business ventures. Other business ownership experiences include ownership of a residential/light commercial general contracting firm, a marketing firm (catering to closely held family resorts), and most recently a web-based applications company focusing on the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Additionally, Glen has extensive experience and reach within the waste, metals, and recycling industries. Glen often finds himself working with metal fabrication companies, manufacturing companies, and technology companies. His understanding of processes and systems allows him to uncover value for buyers and helps him maximize the potential sale price for sellers. Glen’s approach is simple…Do good work and success will follow!

Steve started his career in the hotel-restaurant industry as the Assistant Manager of a hotel restaurant. After holding this position for two years, his father invited him to join Lapham-Hickey Steel. Steve worked for the company 46 years. During his time with Lapham-Hickey Steel, he held various management positions and retired as the Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President. Among his responsibilities, he reviewed the proposed acquisition of businesses to add to the company’s profile of locations. Steve enjoyed this aspect of the business and after retiring, decided to stay active in the manufacturing, fabrication, steel, and distribution industries. Over the years, Steve maintained a close relationship with Michael Schwantes, the Founder, and CEO of CBS-Global/Creative Business Services, a mergers and acquisitions firm headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Viewing this relationship as a natural fit for his professional expertise and industry activity, Steve welcomed the opportunity to join the M&A firm. Steve, along with seventeen other professionals, founded a community bank in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where he sat on the board of directors, and the credit, governance, and audit committees for thirteen years. This experience further provided Steve with the expertise he now utilizes as M&A Advisor. Furthermore, Steve holds numerous positions on the board of directors within the manufacturing, fabrication, steel, and distribution industry, including the Fabrication Manufacturing Association (FMA), the Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs Foundation, as well as the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Steve is on the Supplier Board of the Farm Equipment Manufacturing Association.