The Mentor Group
The Mentor Group describes itself as a full-service international valuation and appraisal firm founded in 1987. Its affiliated Mentor Securities LLC provides middle-market investment-banking services for buyers and sellers in public and private-company transactions.
What stands out about The Mentor Group
The Mentor Group combines valuation and appraisal services with affiliated middle-market investment banking through Mentor Securities LLC. Publicly stated capabilities include sell-side representation, buy-side searches, corporate finance, valuation opinions and transaction advisory services.[1][4][5][8][9]
What does The Mentor Group do?
The Mentor Group, Inc. states that it was founded in 1987 and describes itself as a full-service international valuation and appraisal firm. The firm identifies Mentor Securities LLC as its affiliated FINRA-registered investment-banking arm.
This structure places valuation and appraisal services alongside middle-market investment banking and securities-related transaction services. Mentor Securities states that its senior investment bankers advise buyers and sellers of public and private companies.[1][2][12]
Publicly stated services include business and financial valuation, appraisal, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate advisory and valuation-related opinions. The listed services also include fairness opinions, solvency opinions, ESOP work, cost segregation and intellectual-property valuation.
Mentor Securities describes transaction work including sell-side representation, buy-side searches, corporate rollups, joint ventures, strategic alliances, divestitures and portfolio-company sales.[4][5]
Owners comparing advisory firms can also review Auxo’s M&A advisor vs. business broker vs. investment bank comparison, advisor-selection guide, and sell-side advisor evaluation framework.
Published criteria: Mentor Securities states that its investment-banking transactions have included companies with revenues ranging from $20 million to $300 million.[8]
What should a business owner evaluate before hiring The Mentor Group?
An owner evaluating a sale or capital event would be considering a platform that combines valuation and appraisal capabilities with an affiliated middle-market investment bank. Publicly stated services include sell-side representation, buyer searches, domestic and cross-border transactions, corporate finance and transaction advisory work, while the stated transaction experience includes companies with revenues ranging from $20 million to $300 million.
The engagement should clarify which legal entity would contract for each service, how valuation and investment-banking responsibilities would be managed, the proposed fee and expense structure, the buyer-marketing process, conflicts disclosures, the team assigned and comparable completed assignments. The official investment-banking services page does not state a universal fee schedule, and the selected-transactions archive does not provide transaction value, consideration structure or closing date for each listed example.[2][4][5][8][9]
What retainers, success-fee percentages, minimums, expense reimbursements, termination provisions and tail periods would apply
Which team members would lead the engagement, and how would valuation and investment-banking responsibilities be coordinated
What size transactions and clients does The Mentor Group focus on?
Mentor Securities publicly identifies industry experience across aerospace and defense, building products and materials, business services, clean technologies, consumer, food and retail, energy, engineering and construction, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, industrial products, media and telecommunications, real estate, gaming, lodging and leisure, technology and sports.[6]
The official selected-transactions archive identifies Guthy-Renker Internet as acquired by LookSmart Ltd., J.C. Carter Company, Inc. as acquired by Argo-Tech, Inc., and MSP Industries Corporation as acquired by American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings.
Official transaction announcements state that Pacifica Wholesale Tile & Stone was acquired by Architectural Surfaces Group, with Mentor acting as exclusive advisor to the seller. Another announcement states that AWS Communications was acquired by Motive Energy Telecommunications, with The Mentor Group acting as exclusive buyside advisor.[9][10][11]
The affiliated investment-banking platform states that it advises buyers and sellers in middle-market public and private-company transactions. Its stated transaction categories include sell-side representation, buy-side search, divestitures, portfolio-company sales, corporate rollups, joint ventures and strategic alliances.
Mentor Securities also states that its middle-market M&A practice handles domestic and cross-border transactions.[5]
What does The Mentor Group publicly disclose about fees, process and engagement terms?
The official The Mentor Group investment-banking services page describes service categories and examples but does not state a universal success-fee percentage, minimum fee, termination fee, tail period or standard engagement-fee schedule.
The official Mentor Securities selected-transactions archive lists acquired companies and buyers for representative examples but does not provide a transaction value, consideration structure or closing date for each listed example.[4][9]
The Mentor Group states that Mentor Securities LLC is its affiliated FINRA-registered investment-banking arm. FINRA identifies Mentor Securities, LLC as a California limited liability company with CRD #147682 and SEC #8-67923. FINRA’s firm report lists its main office at 200 N. Westlake Boulevard, Suite 204, Westlake Village, California 91362.
These regulatory details concern Mentor Securities LLC, the affiliated securities entity, rather than establishing a separate broker-dealer registration for The Mentor Group, Inc.[2][3]
Mentor Securities states that its senior investment bankers provide step-by-step advice to help clients maximize value and successfully complete a transaction. The sources cited for this profile do not establish a more detailed standard process, including specific milestones or a universal timeline.[12]
Questions to ask before hiring The Mentor Group
Which legal entity would contract for valuation, M&A advisory and securities-related services?
What retainers, success-fee percentages, minimums, expense reimbursements, termination provisions and tail periods would apply?
Which team members would lead the engagement, and how would valuation and investment-banking responsibilities be coordinated?
What comparable completed transactions can the firm provide in the owner's sector and revenue range?
What buyer universe, process milestones and expected timeline would be used?
How would potential conflicts be identified and managed when valuation and investment-banking services are both provided?
Can the firm provide transaction-level information and references for comparable completed assignments?
Sources & research notes
- Official website / firm overview
- Structure / regulatory context
- FINRA regulatory record
- Services / capabilities
- Services / capabilities
- Industry / market focus
- Geography / market coverage
- Transaction size / criteria
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- Public Process
How this profile was researched
Auxo profiles are prepared from publicly available primary and authoritative sources and reviewed for entity identity, factual support and disclosure consistency. When a fact cannot be supported by the reviewed public record, the profile identifies it as something to confirm directly rather than inferring it.
Independent research profile
This profile was prepared by Auxo Capital Advisors from publicly available information believed to be reliable and is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. It is not an endorsement, recommendation, ranking, solicitation, or representation regarding the profiled firm, its services, qualifications, transaction experience, regulatory status, financial condition, or suitability for any particular person, company, transaction, or investment.
Information obtained from third-party and public sources may be incomplete, inaccurate, outdated, or subject to change, and Auxo Capital Advisors makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Readers should conduct their own independent diligence and consult appropriate professional advisers before engaging any advisor, intermediary, investor, lender, acquirer, or other transaction counterparty.
Broker-dealer and securities disclosure
Auxo Capital Advisors is an affiliate of Weild & Co., Member FINRA | SIPC. Securities-related activities and securities transactions are conducted through Weild & Co.
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