M & A; Firm R.C. Fuller Joins Seattle’s Trident
By RAJIV VYAS
Newport Beach-based mergers and acquisitions firm R.C. Fuller Co. has joined with Seattle’s Trident Capital Partners to form The Fuller Trident Group.
Under the deal, R.C. Fuller founder Richard Fuller keeps his ownership of the Newport Beach office.
Fuller Trident Group and Michael Rubel, founder and chief executive of Trident Capital, will own the bulk of the combined firm’s other operations.
Rubel said he needs to “work on the deal flow” before mounting a planned expansion of the combined firm.
“We have talked to a couple of guys about joining our Newport Beach office,” he said. “We plan to open a San Diego office after the first of quarter. For now, we are working on some projects in Ontario, Chino and in Orange County.”
Trident is the bigger of the two investment banks, which both cater to small and midsize companies with yearly revenue of $10 million to $50 million.
Fuller leads the combined firm’s name because Trident Capital LP, a Palo Alto-based venture firm, objected to starting the new name with Trident.
The combined firm has eight principals and five support workers.
Four of the principles, including Rubel, come from Trident’s Seattle office. Two come from Trident’s Portland, Ore., office, while Fuller had two bankers, including Fuller himself.
Rubel said he is working to integrate the bankers.
“We have developed a team concept and my role is to act as a finder of deals,” he said.
Trident Fuller is looking to do deals for West Coast companies with a focus on Orange County, Rubel said.
“We will use his (Fuller’s) contact list to generate additional business here,” he said.
Fuller is in his 80s and started his firm in 1979.
“Dick is ready to retire, but he didn’t want to,” Rubel said. “So this deal worked out for both of us.”
Rubel, who turns 60 this year, said he is dating a Newport Beach woman and plans to split his time between here and Seattle.
