Cronus Partners, an independent investment banking firm providing financial advisory and investment banking services to middle-market companies, is pleased to announce the expansion of its presence in the environmental services sector with the addition of three senior industry professionals to our Advisory Board: James J. Hattler; Michael Persico; and Mark Spano.

“We are thrilled to welcome these talented professionals to the Cronus family. Each one of brings a wealth of talent and experience to our already strong coverage of the environmental sector. This expansion is a reflection of our success in the sector and will increase the scope and reach of our services, enabling us to better serve our clients and solidifying our position as one of the leading financial advisors to the environmental sector,” commented Jeffrey Rubin, Managing Partner of Cronus.

Jim Hattler has been involved in the environmental services industry since 1974 and is a seasoned business executive with experience in financial analysis, M&A, strategic planning, sales, marketing, and IT, having served in various senior level positions throughout his career with both large and small corporate organizations. Currently, he is President and Chief Executive Officer of Nickel City Ventures, Inc. (Nickel City), a company he founded in 2000 to aid clients seeking to leverage his diverse environmental services background and access to a network of private capital contacts that specialize in the environmental funding sector. Nickel City’s mission is to provide strategic direction for companies operating in the hazardous and industrial service sectors seeking to boost corporate performance. Previously, Mr. Hattler had a successful 26-year career with Laidlaw Environmental Services/Safety-Kleen Services. During this time, he was the point person for a growth-through-acquisition development strategy; over a 12-year period he evaluated nearly 150 potential target companies and technologies for acquisition potential, leading to the successful completion of 35 acquisitions and/or divestitures valued from less than $1 million to more than $2 billion in purchase price.

Mike Persico is a Managing Member of Minerva Advisors, continuing his participation as a Board Director or Senior Advisor to remediation, transportation, and disposal businesses. These environmental services businesses include wastewater treatment facilities, nation-wide oil spill response organizations, hazardous and non-hazardous transfer stations, soil roasters, and environmental consulting. He has been a key advisor in the acquisition or expansion of a variety of permitted facilities and numerous real estate transactions concerning permitted and/or environmentally impaired properties. Mr. Persico was previously President and a Member of the Board of Directors of both Clean Venture and Cycle Chem, Inc. He provided the direction, planning, sales, and marketing for the companies which collectively provide the environmental contracting, transporting, treatment, and disposal of hazardous and petroleum products. The companies have more than $100 million in sales and 350 employees at eight offices, a soil roaster, and three licensed hazardous waste transfer, storage, and disposal facilities. Previously, Mr. Persico was a Facility Environmental Specialist at AT&T/Bell Laboratories, Project Manager at Cecos International, and a chemist at Peabody Coastal Services.

Mark Spano was the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of PM Recovery Inc., a metal trading and physical brokerage firm headquartered in New York, with regional offices in Texas, Oregon, South Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Austria. The company was sold in 2016. He was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PM Kalco, a specialty metals and alloys manufacturer and worldwide supplier to the investment casting, aerospace, dental, and medical industries; Chairman of PM Metals and Carbides, a metals recycling company; Director of IPMR-International Precious Metal Refiners, an American-Emerati partnership in Abu Dhabi to refine gold and silver mining feed; and Chairman of Duratherm Inc., a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility in San Leandro TX, processing oil and residual refinery secondary materials and metal catalysts for the oil refinery industry. Mr. Spano is currently on the Board of Directors of the WGA-World Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Foundation. He also has served as a member of the Regional Advisory Board of HSBC and a member of the Provident Bank Business Leaders Council.

Please contact a member of the Environmental Services Group to discuss your business needs:
John Quirk, Partner jquirk@cronuspartners.com 203.774.9643
Ken Leung, Managing Director kleung@cronuspartners.com 203.774.9645
Paul Nowak, Managing Director pnowak@cronuspartners.com 203.774.9644

About Cronus Partners

Advising on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, sales, and private placement financings, Cronus Partners is an independent investment banking firm that provides financial advisory and other investment banking services. Winner of the New York Association for Corporate Growth’s Boutique Investment Bank of the Year Award, the firm has significant experience in advising both publicly and private companies that can benefit from middle-market transactions.

For further information, please contact:

Cronus Partners LLC
Director, Marketing and Business Development
203.774.9642
ContactUs@CronusPartners.com