Mike Rowe has over 30 years of financial leadership experience. Mr. Rowe’s experiences are primarily with mid-size to large companies in construction, industrial, business services, manufacturing and consumer products. Mr. Rowe has worked as CFO for several portfolio companies owned by Private Equity firms which lead to a successful existing transaction in each case. Mike also has years of experience in M&A, operations, ERP and system implementations, financing, budgeting / financial and cost modeling (published an article in IMA’s Strategic Finance magazine on Activity Based Costing), finance / accounting controls, procedures and reporting as well as valuations. His current clients include Cardinal Civil Contracting and National Coatings, Inc, a trusted commercial and industrial painting company serving customers with professional painting and wallcovering installations. Read the praise clients speak about him here: Client Testimonials.
In his career, Mr. Rowe has gained experience in all aspects of leading, managing and operating a business working in growth mode, bolt on acquisitions and divestures inclusive of the strategic planning role. Mike has significant experience with cost management and installing several ERP systems. Mike has raised capital both equity and debt and helped companies structure their existing debt as well as create new pools of debt financing needed for the companies he served. He has been involved in over 30 financial transactions where he served as leader for the acquisition or merger or in some cases, the selling of the business. Besides being a Certified Public Accountant licensed in North Carolina, he also has obtained his certificate in Management Accounting from the Institute of Management Accountant and his Accreditation in Business Valuations from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Prior to joining Rankin McKenzie, Mr. Rowe served as CFO for Jones & Frank, Alemite and Rauch Industries which were owned by PE firms and were sold successfully. Besides these roles, Mike served as CFO / senior leadership roles for Carolina Handling, Tietex International and Thorlo, which were ranked in the Grant Thornton’s Top 100 Privately Held companies in North Carolina and / or South Carolina.
A native of North Carolina, Mr. Rowe attended North Carolina State University, where he earned Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He also attended Appalachian State University attending part time working two years on his Master’s degree in Accounting. He is also a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants, He served on AICPA’s Business Environment & Concepts (BEC) subcommittee (AICPA Examination Committee) from 2004-2006. He served on the Journal of Cost Management editorial board from 2004-2020.
Career Timeline:
- Since 2017, working for Rankin McKenzie as a partner / fractional CFO.
- From 2012 to 2017, served as COO / CFO of ING Source as well as worked as a CFO consultant for several companies.
- From 2010 to 2012, served as CFO for Jones & Frank, a $130M distribution and service company owned and sold by BB&T Capital (now Five Points Capital).
- From 2006 to 2010, served as CFO for Carolina Handling, one of largest capital equipment distribution and service company in US serving Southeastern states before selling the company to the manufacturer, Raymond.
- From 2004 to 2006, served as CFO for Alemite, a large manufacturer which was owned by Sentinel Partners before being sold to our largest competitor.
- From 1998 to 2004, served as CFO before becoming CEO for Rauch Industries, a large Christmas consumer product company, prior to selling the company to a counter-seasonal company. The company was owned by Thomas H. Lee, a large private equity firm.
- From 1989 to 1998, Mike served as CFO for Thorlo and Tietex.
