Regulars / Q&A | 41L&L: Tell us about your career to date.John Wynne: Post college, I spent seven-and-a-half years working within the media and communication investment banking units at Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley in New York. There I spent time capital-raising both on the debt and equity side, as well as working on M&A engagements.I got an MBA along the way and eventually got the entrepreneurial bug at about the same time I had gotten engaged, so I started thinking about what’s next. I ultimately decided to leave New York and pursue my own opportunity. And decided to move back to where I grew up, Virginia Beach, Virginia, thinking I could network better here than I could in New York.Back in Virginia, I treated my search like Fortis Soultions Group has evolved from a pressure-sensitive label company in 2010 a job. I was setting up meetings every day to add shrink, folding carton, fexible packaging and label applicators to its portfolio– breakfast, lunch, dinner meetings and everything in between. Initially, I started out by meeting with the professionals, accountants, bankers and lawyers across “There’s really no playbook with the way we’ve town that would have access to some of been scaling, fguring things out on the fy and the companies, which ultimately led to some introductions into various companies adjusting in the air. But we’ve got a great team and industries.I didn’t start out by saying that I have to and we’re working collaboratively”fnd my way into the printing industry per se. There were certain business characteristics that I was seeking but that could have been We also diversifed from what was want to have any preconceived notions; applicable to a lot of different industries. primarily a single end-market focus, food, you just want to be a good partner and I eventually came across a company into a more diversifed portfolio focused on understand how you would want to be here in Virginia, a label converter that was food, which is about 50 percent of our base treated if you were on the other side. in the process of being sold to York, now and is very stable. But we’ve augmented that For example, if someone is bringing Multicolor, and I became intrigued with base with markets like health and beauty, something up, they’re not bringing it up to custom manufacturing. I liked the brands nutraceutical, household chemical, ad chem, be diffcult. They’re bringing it up because it’s they were working with and thought that and others. a pain point for them, and they want to work was an industry I could really wrap my arms And then, like I said, we added people. through it.around and was very fortunate that just 30 We’ve added a ton of talent along the way, Ultimately, it’s about being patient and minutes away was a company by the name which, frankly, has allowed us to offer more understanding that and giving validity to of Labels Unlimited. comprehensive solutions to our customers. whatever the topic may be. Having good I made an inbound to the owner and spent More value adds than we could previously, bedside mannerisms and how you treat and time going lunch with him, and as he got to and that’s been one of the core tenants of interact with people are just as important as know me and my approach to the business our acquisition strategy: making sure we the technical aspects of delegation.end and how I would treat the employees, can fnd some additive intellectual capital he said that I should come down and take a along the way that can not only work L&L: Do you envision the stream look under the hood. within their legacy facility but add value of acquisitions continuing at its He invited me in to take a look and see across all our locations. current pace?if there’s something here, telling everyone JW: I do. We see M&A as one of our key I was a consultant, which ultimately led L&L: Has your background in investment growth drivers. Through M&A, we’ve been to me acquiring the initial business in banking had any benefts for your M&A able to enhance our product lines, core October 2010. strategy? competencies and geographic presence to JW: My experience in New York provided a offer more value for our customers, and so, L&L: How has Fortis Solutions Group foundation for the technical analysis that’s ultimately, we’re going to continue to pursue changed since your start at the company associated with M&A, and it was incredibly additional opportunities.in 2010? helpful to work on both the buy and sell side You have to be in your customer’s JW: We’ve grown signifcantly since 2010. to understand the perspectives on both ends: backyard to service them really well, and From one site here in Virginia Beach with like what’s the ultimate intent, for example. so we continue to pursue other companies. one product line, which was pressure- Both parties want to do a deal, but they There are certainly still some gaps because at sensitive labels, to now selling fve core may want to get there a little bit differently, the end of the day if you get a one-day ship product lines – pressure-sensitive, fexible and so it kind of becomes more of a social, time right to customers, they certainly value packaging, shrink, folding carton, and label interpersonal interaction, where it’s best that a lot more than one week. We all live in applicators – in 17 other locations, including just to be a good listener. To be empathetic an Amazon world, and that extends to our one of our latest in Montreal. and understand their perspectives. You don’t business as well.Jul - Sep 2022