Craig Custer Joins FOCUS’ Washington, DC Office as a Managing Director

By Kahla CooperPublished On: May 11, 2009

Washington, D.C. (May 11, 2009) – FOCUS LLC, a national middle market investment banking firm providing merger, acquisition, divestiture and corporate finance services, is pleased to announce that Craig C. Custer has joined the Washington, D.C. office as a managing director.

“Craig has more than 20 years of investment banking experience, where he has advised management teams and their boards on transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, the issuance of public and private equity, and both high grade and high yield debt financing. He will be a tremendous asset to our team,” said Doug Rodgers, CEO and managing partner of FOCUS.

Mr. Custer has led transactions for clients ranging from small entrepreneurial firms to Fortune 500 companies. These clients have included closely held and family-run companies, private equity groups, publicly traded corporations, and comprise both domestic and foreign firms. He has handled assignments across a range of industries, including government, aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, technology/digital media, industrial and business services, and distribution.

Prior to joining FOCUS, Mr. Custer served as managing director at Harris Williams & Co. There he helped manage Cobblestone Advisors, a sixteen person specialty group focused on merger & acquisition transactions valued in the $10-75 million range. Prior to Harris Williams/Cobblestone, Mr. Custer co-founded Custer Williams & Co., a private investment bank also specializing in lower middle market merger and acquisition transactions. His additional experience includes ten years at NationsBanc Capital Markets (now Banc of America Securities) where he served as director of middle market investment banking for the Mid-Atlantic region and establishing the Communications and Technology group at BB&T Capital Markets. Mr. Custer began his career in the M&A Group at Blyth Eastman Paine Webber (now UBS Securities) in New York.

Mr. Custer earned his B.S. degree in Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, and received his M.B.A. from the University’s Darden Graduate School of Business.

About FOCUS LLC

FOCUS LLC provides a range of middle market investment banking services with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and corporate finance. FOCUS is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. FOCUS specializes in business units with transactions or revenues in the $5-300 million range, serving entrepreneurs, corporate owners and various types of investors across a broad range of industries, throughout the U.S. and worldwide. FOCUS bankers are seasoned operating and financial executives with extensive transaction experience. Securities transactions conducted by Wm. H. Murphy & Co., Inc. registered Broker Dealer member FINRA/SIPC. For more information on FOCUS, visit www.focusbankers.com.

Kahla Cooper is the Director of Marketing at FOCUS. In this role, Ms. Cooper designs and implements the overall marketing strategy. Ms. Cooper works with each industry team leader to define programs in order to promote and brand FOCUS’ suite of capabilities.