Ingram’s September 2022

John Cosentino VICE PRESIDENT, COSENTINO FOOD STORES

Fred Coulson FOUNDER/MANAGING PARTNER, FIVE ELMS CAPITAL The formula is simple: Deploy anywhere from $5 million to $75 million in capital investments to companies with reve nues between $2 million and $20 million, operating primarily in the B2B software world. Fred Coulson and his team at Five Elms have wielded that strategy into a global player in venture capital.

You probably know the names—Price Chopper, Apple Market, Sun Fresh, and, of course, Cosentino’s Market, but those are just the flags. If you want to know the folks behind those grocery brands …well, you’re going to need a big notebook. The family tree that sprang from a single fruit stand in 1948 has grown to encompass a score of Cosentino family members at virtually every level of a grocery chain with 30 regional stores and with John Cosentino assuming a leading executive role.

COLLEGE: Marketing & Communications, Missouri State University CIVIC COMMITMENT, PART I: When civic leaders let it be known that Downtown residential growth was a non-starter without a full-service grocery, the Cosentino family stepped up and committed to the current location at 13th and Main. In the years since that facility’s 2009 debut, Downtown residential growth has exploded. CIVIC COMMITMENT, PART II: As an organization, Cosention’s focuses on supporting groups whose primary mission is feeding the hungry in the communities where it operates. And in the grocery business, that means food—the stores combine to donate more than $1 million worth of food each year to Harvesters-The Community Food Network, and other local food pantries.

COLLEGE: B.S., Business Administration, University of Kansas DOUBLE DUTY: In addition to serving as managing partner at Five Elms, Coulson is chairman of Spring Venture Group, a digital insurance platform in the senior healthcare market and one of the fastest in recent years to go from launch to 1,000 employees. RATIONAL APPROACH: Five Elms states that, while it loves those billion-dollar darlings as much as any other investor might, it won’t adopt a “unicorn or bust” strategy: “We don’t push companies to grow at all costs or raise mega-rounds of capital—that mindset increases founder dilution and re duces the landscape of exit scenarios where everyone wins. We like managers to have both significant equity stakes and significant option value as to what outcomes can be a win.” THE ROAD BACK TO KC: Coulson previously served as a senior investment professional with TH Lee Putnam Ventures, following an investment-banking stint with Morgan Stanley in New York.

Kevin Crutchfield PRESIDENT/CEO, COMPASS MINERALS

Dave Cummings FOUNDER, TRADEBOT SYSTEMS

Mild winters have taken a bite out of Compass Minerals’ revenues the past few years, but Kevin Crutchfield is taking the Mission-based firm in new directions that will reduce reliance on road-treatment products. The company is investing roughly $10million to develop a sustainable lithium resource on Utah’s Great Salt Lake, with a goal of producing a commercial, battery-grade lithiumproduct by 2025. Great timing, too: Kansas recently won the incentives sweepstakes for Panasonic’s $4 billion battery plant.

Dave Cummings had the opportunity early in his career to learn from one of Kansas City’s legendary entrepreneurs—the late, great Neal Patterson, co-founder of Cerner Corp. Fair to say the lessons took: Cummings helped shake up the stodgy world of equities transactions by founding the high-frequency trading platform Tradebot Systems in 1999, then did it again with BATS Global Markets, which became the na tion’s second-largest exchange before a $3.2 billion acquisition in 2017.

COLLEGE: B.S., Mining Engineering, Virginia Tech Crutchfield was inducted into the Virginia Tech College of Engineering’s Academy of Engineering Excellence. THE ROAD TO COMPASS: Right out of Blacksburg, Va., Crutchfield went to work for Pittson Coal and became its VP of operations. He was the CEO of Contura Energy when Compass came calling in 2019. SONG: “Dreams by FleetwoodMac is a favorite. I’ma fan of theirmusic—such talent with great harmonies. Perfect to listen to when relaxing with a fine whiskey and great company, better if it’s outside by a fire.” BOARD BARON: It would be hard to find someone with deeper ties, past and present, to more corporate or industry boards that most people have never heard of but which are vitally important to mineral production in this country. Among them: The National Mining Association, the Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp., Electro Mechanical Corp., Virginia Tech’s Department of Mining and Minerals Engineer ing, the Coal Industry Advisory Board International Energy Agency, and Rice Energy.

COLLEGE: B.S., Computer and Electrical Engineering, Purdue University SMALL START: Cummings founded Tradebot with just $10,000 and some space in a spare bedroom. CAREER GUIDANCE: “If you want to start your own business someday,” Cummings once told us, “work for a successful entrepreneur early in your career. The experience will be worth far more than your paycheck.” ALTRUIST AT HEART: “Whatever the rules are, we will compete,” Cummings said in a Traders Magazine interview. “But ultimately, I want what’s good for the markets. If the markets instill public confidence, that’s the best long-term thing. I don’t want to ask for a bad market structure to benefit myself.” TOP-SHELF ADVICE: Cummings is also an author; his Make the Trade , published in 2016, highlights his entrepreneurial experiences, which were not always uplifting, and the lessons learned along the way.

Wiley Curran PARTNER, CPC MANAGEMENT

Dennis Curtin REGIONAL OWNER, RE/MAX MID-STATES & DIXIE REGION Dennis Curtin has set an example how to operate smart in real estate. He is able to report that, over the past year, “We had a 97% renewal rate for our franchisees which was significant in these challenging times.” His professional advice to KC? “The city planners and review departments have to prioritize affordable housing and relieve the bot tleneck currently at City Hall in getting permits approved. This will continue to attract new and younger talent to the city.”

Having a vision is one thing. Clarity is another. Wiley Curran brings both to the task at CPC Management, and it starts with the mis sion statement: “Our mission is to buy, build and hold great busi nesses for the long term.” No corporate mission speak there. The companies CPC has acquired and employs more than 3,000 people across the U.S. The company launched last year with a goal of investing $400 million and now pursues controlling investments that start at $50 million and run past $100 million.

COLLEGE: B.S., Business Administration and Marketing, Rockhurst College ON RETAINING TALENT: “We started our annual reviews six months in advance to get ahead of the curve. Average increases have been 8-10%.” ON COVID CHALLENGES: “We still take the threat of Covid seriously but have not implemented anything new for the last six months.” KC CHIEFS PREDICTION: “12-4. The Chiefs have made some good moves in the off-season, plus I think the team has learned to be more of a team than just Mahomes and Kelce. Those two are great, but it takes a bit more to go all the way.”

COLLEGE: B.A., Finance, Miami of Ohio; MBA/Accounting, Cox School of Business, Southern Meth odist University BEFORE CPC: Curran led the asset consolidation of the Curran family umbrella of businesses. As president of Curran Companies, he led investments in more than a dozen businesses from diverse sectors—aerospace, manufacturing, industrial field services, and professional sports. EARLY IMPACT: Ingram’s has recognized Curran in its 20 in Their Twenties awards (2013) and 40 Under Forty (2021). BOARD BARON: Curran keeps a full calendar with his day job and additional commitments with the boards of Airshare, Brado, Clore Automotive, Heartland Fasteners, Pearce Services, Precision Aerospace, and Studentreasures.

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I n g r a m ’ s

September 2022

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