Managing General Partner: Tom Schuster
Tom is a trained Mergers and Acquisitions Specialist and an experienced Corporate Turnaround Consultant. With a great team, built Timesavers, Inc. (a Minnesota manufacturer) into a world leader in wide belt sanding technology through internal growth and acquisitions. Mr. Schuster moved to Milwaukee in 1988 with the leveraged buy-out (10.5 to 1) of AC Supply, Inc. (a regional industrial distributor). Under his leadership, AC Supply made seven acquisitions, grew to $55 million in sales, and successfully sold it to a Fortune 500 in 2001. As a turnaround consultant, Mr. Schuster successfully worked on multiple fee based engagements. At the same time, Schuster grew AG Belt, Inc. (a recession proof agricultural aftermarket manufacturer spun out of AC Supply) to $7 million in sales – with an 18% pre-tax profit margin – through internal growth and international sales. AG Belt was successfully sold in a brokered auction to strategic buyers in March, 2010. Mr. Schuster holds a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College, took courses for an MBA from Univ. of Minnesota’s Carlson School, and is member of the Wisconsin Presidents \ Organization (WPO), Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).
General Partner: John Torinus Jr.
John is Chairman of Serigraph Inc., a manufacturer of decorated components with more than 1,500 employees in Wisconsin, Mexico, China and India. He served as its CEO for 20 years after leading a leveraged buyout of the company in 1987. Prior to Serigraph, Mr. Torinus served as a manager, editor and columnist for several newspapers and served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a principal in several startup ventures, including Kondex Corp. in Lomira, Wis., a world leading manufacturer of cutting blades. Mr. Torinus co-founded BizStarts Milwaukee and the Successful Entrepreneur Investors LLC angel network in Southeastern Wisconsin. He has served on boards for numerous for-profit and non-profit companies. Mr. Torinus holds a BS in Industrial Administration from Yale University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Stockholm.
General Partner: Jackie Darr
Jackie is Founder and CEO of Darr Advisors LLC, a business advisory and human capital consulting firm. Jackie conducts private investment due diligence on behalf of WSAF. She has advised family offices and businesses across all growth phases from early stage alternative managers to middle market firms seeking growth and revenue diversification, in the areas of talent, business development and marketing. Jackie is also COO at Racon Capital Partners, an alternative investment fund focused on global macro strategies for institutional investors. Prior to Racon, Jackie led the Business Development function and served as Chief Administration Officer with oversight of Investor Relations, Human Capital and Corporate Operations at Stark Investments, a global multi-asset alternative investment manager. Prior to joining Stark in 2006, Jackie held management positions with Novo Recruiting and Strong Investments, and, previously, ran her own recruiting and human capital consulting firm. Jackie Darr holds a Bachelor of Arts from Lake Forest College (1997).