Brandon Carl Richter

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (MLPFS) is the SEC-registered broker/dealer subsidiary of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., ultimately held by Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). The firm was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in New York City. In 2010, Banc of America Securities LLC merged with MLPFS and the firm uses the trade name Bank of America Merrill Lynch. MLPFS's global strategy and economics team serves institutional and individual investors using a wide range of macroeconomic disciplines. Their analysis of global issues provides clients with investment ideas, market forecasts, macro overviews and specific sector recommendations across asset classes, regions and disciplines. Their equity research team conducts fundamental analysis on companies globally and provides institutional and retail clients with industry-specific and in-depth research and analysis on numerous industries. The firm's global fixed-income and equity-linked research focuses on fixed-income and equity derivatives, fixed-income strategy, convertibles, commodities, high-yield, mortgages, municipals and global foreign exchange.

Tanknology, Inc. provides environmental compliance testing and related services. It offers compliance testing, corrosion protection, inspection and training, and specialty services. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1927, the firm is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). GS&Co. provides services to help hedge funds manage risk, monitor portfolios, maintain liquidity and build their businesses. They offer clients access to global equity and derivatives markets, as well as foreign exchange, commodities, European Lefts, rates and credit across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The firm proactively monitors capital markets, searching for pockets of liquidity and news that may require changes to those strategies. Integration with the Goldman Sachs network gives clients access to the firm's sectored block trades and their insights into price discovery. Their electronic trading program provides clients with tools to manage their trades from pre-trade analytics to post-trade analysis.

Gray Matter Systems LLC provides technology consulting solutions to the oil and gas, manufacturing, water and wastewater, food and beverage and power generation industries. The company was founded by James Gillespie and Carson Drake in 1991 and is headquartered in Warrendale, PA.

Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners LLC (HRCP) is a private equity firm founded in 1984. The firm is headquartered in Stanford, Connecticut.

Sani-Matic, Inc. designs and manufactures sanitary process cleaning equipment. Its offers clean-in-place systems, immersion parts washers, cabinet washers, tunnel washers, tactical solutions, boosted pressure systems, reps or distributors, and case studies. The firm's sanitary components includes strainers, spray balls, tanker sprays, accessories and tanks. The company was founded in 1943 and is headquartered in Madison, WI.

Sound Seal, Inc. manufactures commercial and architectural acoustic noise control products. Its business divisions include The Architectural Division which handles interiors, The Industrial Division which deals with outdoor and in-plant noise control, and the Impacta Flooring Division which deals with floor underlayment. The company was founded by Richard T. Mulcahy and Barry A. Lyons in 1978 and is headquartered in Agawam, MA.

W-Technology, Inc. provides tools for use with directional drilling equipment. Its products include wet connectors, rotatable connectors, running gear, centralizers and handling tools. The company was founded by Alan Carmichael and Harold Kreutzer in 1992 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

CEW Group, Inc. engages in the wholesale of furniture such as beds, sofas and other related products. The company is headquartered in Stamford, CT.