For Immediate Release
July 9, 2009
Ewing Bemiss Announces the Opening of its New York Office
Richmond, Virginia – Ewing Bemiss & Co. is pleased to announce the hiring of John U. (“Jay”) Moorhead, Richard W. Petree and William G. Demas, and the opening of the firm’s New York office.
Headquartered in Richmond, VA, Ewing Bemiss & Co. is an internationally recognized middle market investment banking firm that has built a strong franchise in renewable energy and energy efficiency and a leading position in the biomass-to-energy, waste-to-energy, hydro and geothermal sectors.
Jay Moorhead, Rick Petree and Will Demas are a team of experienced investment bankers with an international franchise, who are increasingly active in the global solar and wind sectors. Their office is located in mid-town Manhattan at 75 East 55th Street, Suite 801, New York, NY 10022.
Jay Moorhead has spent the past 25 years providing investment banking services to public and private emerging growth companies. Jay’s domestic and international practice is focused on the renewable energy sector and on international joint ventures. Before joining Ewing Bemiss & Co., Jay was a Managing Director of Westwood Capital, LLC. Jay was a co-founder and Managing Director of MillRock Partners, a boutique investment bank serving private middle market and public growth companies. Prior to founding MillRock, Jay was a Partner in the Corporate Finance group at CE Unterberg Towbin. He began his investment banking career at E. F. Hutton & Co., where he served as Assistant to the CEO and remained in the investment banking group following Hutton’s merger with Shearson Lehman American Express.
After graduating from the University of Vermont, Jay worked for the Republican National Committee, the George H. W. Bush presidential campaign, the Reagan White House and the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee.
During his 22-year investment banking career, Rick Petree has initiated, structured and secured billions of dollars worth of international and domestic merger & acquisition and capital markets transactions. Before joining Ewing Bemiss & Co., Rick was a Managing Director of Westwood Capital, LLC and a co-founder and Managing Director of MillRock Partners, a boutique investment bank serving private middle market and public growth companies. Prior to co-founding MillRock, Rick was a Managing Director in the London and New York offices of S.G. Warburg & Co. While at Warburg, Rick advised on large multinational M&A transactions and led Warburg’s banking activities in the U.S. pharmaceutical and oil and gas (E&P) sectors.
Rick left Warburg to pursue entrepreneurial and sovereign advisory activities in Central and Eastern Europe. He advised Prime Ministers and Cabinet members in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Former Republic of Yugoslavia and Ukraine on privatization transactions, capital mobilization and economic development strategies. Before beginning his banking career, Rick practiced law at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (New York) and Hale and Dorr (Boston). He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, where he was an Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and of Oxford University (B.A. First Class), and is a member of the Council On Foreign Relations in New York.
Will Demas was an associate of Good Energies, Inc., a multi-billion dollar private equity and venture capital firm focused exclusively on investing in the renewable energy sector and in the developing world. From 2005 to 2007, Will was an analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions department of the international investment banking firm, Lazard Freres & Co. While at Lazard, Will focused on alternative energy and on media and telecommunications.
Jay Moorhead said: “Rick and I are excited to join the Ewing Bemiss team, and we look forward to building on their success, particularly in renewable energy. We sought out the Ewing Bemiss platform because we considered it to be ideally positioned, and we are confident that this firm will become one of the leading international investment bankers and advisors to the alternative and renewable energy sectors.”
Sam Bemiss said: “We are very pleased that Jay, Rick and Will have joined us. Jay and Rick are experienced investment bankers who bring us years of high-level investment banking experience, and strong relationships both domestically and internationally. Will is impressive and capable, and he has a very strong background in renewable energy. Together, they strengthen our capabilities in the wind and solar sectors, and they broaden both our client base and our contacts with investors throughout the world.”
Ewing Bemiss & Co. is an investment bank dedicated to delivering superior service and optimal results to middle market companies. Since its founding in 1992, Ewing Bemiss & Co. has given clients across a broad range of manufacturing and services sectors the benefit of its extensive transaction experience and its strong relationship orientation. The Firm’s core services include Merger & Acquisition Advisory Services, Private Capital Formation, and Financial Restructuring and Strategic Advisory Services.
Ewing Bemiss & Co. is widely recognized for its in-depth sector knowledge and expertise developed through proactive research, years of dedicated service, and the development of strong relationships with participants in a wide range of industries, including Energy, Healthcare, Business & Technology Services and Logistics & Transportation. For more information, please visit www.ewingbemiss.com.