Venture Management Expands in Europe

Venture Management Inc., a Ventura firm that assists businesses in mergers, acquisitions and other financial transactions, has opened an office in Salzburg, Austria, and will soon open a unit in Santa Barbara. The company also has an office in Los Angeles.

Mark Shappee, Venture Management’s president and founder, said the Austrian branch will assist U. S. clients wishing to do business in Europe and will also help European concerns seeking to operate in this country.

“We think of ourselves as corporate development consultants,” Shappee said. “We’ve found that there are a growing number of companies that have adjusted to the worldwide reduction in defense spending. They’re now ready to expand in other directions.”

Recent deals arranged by Venture Management include the recapitalization of Clamshell Buildings Inc., a Ventura producer of movable structures.

Shappee said an investment by Heller Equity Capital, a Chicago venture capital concern, made cash available to Clamshell investors and also enabled Clamshell to expand its marketing operations.

In other deals, Venture Management assisted in the sale of Anchor Pad International Inc., a family-controlled Ventura producer of office equipment security devices, Shappee said.

He said his firm also recently arranged the purchase of a Ventura environmental testing laboratory by a Louisiana company.

Shappee added that Venture Management, which was founded in 1985, can serve its clients from offices in London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Moscow and other cities worldwide through an affiliation with Horton Group International.