Steve Cumbow

Managing Director

Steve Cumbow is a Managing Director with NHB Advisors, Inc. in its Florida satellite office.  He has 25 years experience in finance, information systems and general management, and has held top management roles at private equity portfolio companies, public companies and private equity firms.  He has successfully turned around and exited troubled businesses via both private sales and public offerings, and has also taken companies through bankruptcy proceedings.

Mr. Cumbow has strong operational and financial experience in manufacturing and distribution environments with companies ranging in sales from $200Mil to $7Bil.  He has also worked in public accounting, and in a broad range of industries, including private equity, high technology, consumer products, food distribution, transportation and logistics, construction and franchising.  He has a demonstrated ability to quickly assess and diagnose problems, and identify and implement creative solutions.    

At American Capital, Steve focused on troubled portfolio companies.  He directed the activities of portfolio company management to improve cash performance, restructured balance sheets and increased enterprise value.  Steve was brought in as the CFO (and later became President) of Spring Air Mattress Company to improve its operations and curtail losses.  He reduced cash utilization by cutting overhead, reengineering products to reduce material costs, and repositioning products into value price points.  Mr. Cumbow was also the crisis CFO at NewStarcom, a severely distressed $250Mil electrical contractor, where he crafted an out-of-court workout plan and acted as the key liaison with creditors.  He successfully negotiated the sale of one of three operating companies.   

Working with William Blair Capital and Primus Capital, Steve Cumbow assumed the position of CFO and CIO of their portfolio company Coverall North America in 2005 ($300Mil in sales).  He led Coverall out of financial crisis, doubling equity value and successfully positioning the company to be acquired by Allied Capital for $60Mil two years later. 

Mr. Cumbow also executed successful turnarounds working with two portfolio companies of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, SIRVA ($2Bil in sales) and Alliant Foodservice ($7 billion in sales), through a combination of aggressive cost cutting and margin improvement strategies, leading to successful exits including an IPO and a strategic sale.     

Previously, Steve Cumbow served as a controller at Hewlett Packard/Compaq Computer Corporation in the U.S. and Europe.  He was also a Senior Manager in Arthur Andersen’s Litigation Services and Economic Consulting practice.

Steve Cumbow received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Kansas, and an M.B.A. from Loyola College.  He has served on the Board of the United Way, and has been active in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since 1991.