LAWRENCE P. GRASSO
Larry has been engaged in owning, operating, consulting with, buying, selling and financing businesses for over 30 years. Since 1974 Larry’s main office has been located at 751 State Street, Schenectady, New York. From these offices he has pursued a broad spectrum of ventures.

The initial business was in Real Estate Sales. Concurrently he started a Property and Casualty Insurance Agency. That agency purchased another larger agency and had a partnership in a third agency. The first agency was a turnaround situation and after Larry got it back on its feet sold it for a good profit two years later. The other two agencies were sold the next year.

In 1977 Larry started a Commercial & Residential Real Estate Appraisal Company with a partner. Today thirty appraisers service 23 counties of New York State from as far away as Syracuse and Plattsburgh work on a daily basis with Appraisal Resources, Inc. from their homes.

At about the same time the Real Estate Agency, L. P. Grasso & Company, Inc., was transforming into more of a business and financial services company. The sale, finance and consulting for small businesses became the main focus.

By 1980 L.P. Grasso & Company, Inc. was doing financing and business sales in a market that was very soft (remember the Misery Tax?) and proceeded to do budget counseling for both businesses and personal finances. Many of these cases required negotiations with creditors, debtors, banks, employees and both New York State and Internal Revenue Service Collection Divisions.

L. P. Grasso & Company works for buyers and sellers of manufacturing, distributing and service companies that sell for more than $1 million. It also represents companies with lenders for growth and expansion financing.

In 2000, Grasso & Company established a strategic alliance with Business Evaluation Services, one of the largest business appraisal firms in the country. Through this alliance, local clients have access to one of the most extensive and economical valuation products available.

In 2002 the firm aligned with the National Equipment and Business Broker Institute (NEBB) and now provides certified machinery and equipment appraisals to those clients looking to value and sell assets.

ROBERT E. MATHEWS
Rob specializes in working with the owners of closely held corporations, especially family owned businesses. He provides consulting and intermediary services that can include transition, by developing exit strategies and through divestiture, growth, by increasing sales and through acquisition, and continuity, by improving operations and through succession planning.

In 1998 Rob affiliated with L. P. Grasso & Company, Inc., a prominent mergers and acquisition firm with more than two decades facilitating business transfers. Prior to that Rob worked as a management consultant, specializing in privately owned companies. His commitment to positively impacting privately held companies and their owners is based on his own involvement in a family business, founded by his
father in 1948, transitioned to his brothers in 1979 and still family operated.

Rob has been a Senior Business Analyst since 2001 and became a Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraiser (CMEA) in 2003.

From the mid 1960s to the mid 1990’s Rob had a distinguished career as a successful leader, executive and consultant in large organizations, small companies and private practice. Entrepreneur magazine featured him in an article on small-business ombudsmen, designated neutrals.

As part of his successful consulting practice, Rob was the General Manager for an established provider of legal support services, served as Vice President of Marketing in a start-up multimedia and electronic publishing firm and worked with a number of other business owners, providing coaching, training, management, marketing and financial services.

Rob established a successful venture in the legal support service area that served clients across the U.S. and Canada. He also developed and marketed a PC and bar-code-based asset management program for colleges and universities. He worked in the computer industry, as a salesman and sales manager for a high-end provider of networks and software applications.

In addition to an undergraduate degree from Marist College, Rob has a Master’s Degree from the University at Albany. He is the father of four adult sons, a father-in-law and a grandfather.

• HISTORY

• PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP