ABOUT US

Mission Statement

Honesty and Integrity are the driving forces behind Tangram Partners. Engagements and projects are only undertaken when incremental value can be created on a cost-effective basis. Value preservation and creation is the end goal of every engagement and project undertaken by Tangram Partners.

The team at Tangram Partners have over 40 years of combined operating, financial, and transaction experience. Having worked as senior level executives, business owners, accountants, and advisers, they bring a broad array of skills and experience to the many challenges facing middle market companies. These complimentary skills and backgrounds bring their clients valuable resources as they seek to preserve and enhance the value of their interests.

A popular Chinese puzzle…

A popular Chinese puzzle consisting of a square cut into seven shapes consisting of five triangles, a square and a rhomboid that can be used to create an infinite number of figures. The Chinese called this centuries old game the “Seven-Board of Cunning” because only an exceptionally determined player would attempt its amazing and challenging puzzles. Tangram is a traditional wisdom that can train your mind to be both creative and logical at the same time.

Tangram is a philosophy of creativity, flexibility, wisdom, and most importantly, working with the resources that are available. Tangram Partners applies this philosophy to their business practices resulting in solutions that create incremental value for their clients.

OUR TEAM

Jerry S. Cifor, Founder and Managing Member

Jerry Cifor is an executive with over 30 years of strategic, operating and financial management experience. Mr. Cifor has worked as a regional controller, general manager, region vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer at several private and public waste companies (including Waste Management and Casella Waste Systems, where he was the senior vice president and CFO) before founding and starting Tangram Partners in January 2002. Tangram Partners has completed numerous projects throughout New York, New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, the Midwest and California over the last 18 years. The work and the projects have consisted primarily of working closely with privately-held businesses as their primary advisor and work partner, and on restructuring troubled companies, representing lenders in work-out situations with borrowers, performing due diligence on acquisitions for clients, and on raising and arranging equity, mezzanine and senior debt capital for clients. Jerry has been directly involved with over 500 acquisitions and sales of companies over his career, with transactions as high as $600 million. Jerry started his career in public accounting with KPMG after graduating from Hillsdale College. Jerry’s combination of financial, accounting, management, regulatory, and operations experience are a terrific combination for any entrepreneurial, growth-oriented or struggling company.

Michael A. Cifor, Associate

Michael Cifor joined Tangram Partners in September, 2020 as an Associate. Michael has over five years of operational and financial management experience. From 2015 to 2020, Michael managed two divisions, the bottled water and office coffee service (OCS) divisions, of Prestige Services, a $100 million per year company headquartered in Clifton Park, New York. In his role at Prestige, Michael had managerial duties that included logistics, supplier relations, sales, accounts receivable, driver supervision, and P&L responsibilities. In his time at Prestige, Michael oversaw the acquisition and integration of two separate companies, leading to a 150% increase in the size of his divisions. Michael has a Bachelors of Arts (B.A) in Political Science from the University of Chicago as well as holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) with a concentration in Finance from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany. Michael is an accredited member (AM), with a designation in business valuation, of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). Michael also holds an active Class A CDL license in New York State.

Robin Ferendzo, Community Outreach Coordinator

Robin joined Tangram Partners on July 1, 2017 as the Community Outreach Coordinator. Robin has worked professionally and personally with Capital Region non-profit organizations for many years and has cultivated relationships with the community effortlessly. Robin has worked as a payroll specialist, home health aid and real estate agent. In her role as community outreach coordinator, Robin is responsible for organizing Tangram’s philanthropic activities within the Capital Region of New York, where Tangram Partners is headquartered. Robin is an enthusiastic and innovative professional with a life-long passion for people. She grew up in Burnt Hills, NY and received her B.A. in Psychology with Business minors from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2014.

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