Kenn Moritz has significant operating experience as well as a diverse professional background in structuring, funding and executing transactions.

In addition to his general mergers and acquisitions activity at Stonewood, Kenn has helped management teams through post-acquisition transitions and assisted teams in identifying product line extensions, acquisition candidates and other strategic growth strategies.

Prior to joining Stonewood, Kenn was the owner and operator of a manufacturing company in the Pittsburgh area. Before his stint in manufacturing, Kenn practiced law with firms in New York City and Pittsburgh, with experience in structured finance, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital.

Kenn attended Carnegie Mellon University’s business school (MSIA 1988), the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (JD 1988) and the University of Pennsylvania (BS 1984).

Kenn is on the Board of Directors of several Stonewood portfolio companies, including NewBold Corporation, Tank Services and Rita’s Water Ice Franchise Company, LLC.

John Tippins
Managing Director

John Tippins has been with Stonewood at the director level since its inception in 1993, and on a full time basis since 1998. John has served on the board of directors of numerous Stonewood portfolio companies through the years, and has been involved in issues ranging from strategic planning, engineering and operations, to the development of management bonus programs.

Prior to his involvement with Stonewood, John was a director and member of the management team of Tippins Incorporated, a family owned firm that designed and built rolling mill facilities for the metals industry worldwide. During his 20 years at the company, John's role ranged from the design of various control systems to the creation of a brokerage division dedicated to the buying and selling of used steel mill equipment worldwide. John's participation in the company ended when the company was sold to management in 1998.

John currently serves as a director of the Tippins Foundation, a family philanthropic organization supporting education and research in the areas of entrepreneurship and Alzheimer’s disease. He serves as a trustee of Pittsburgh Opera, Entrepreneuring Youth of Pittsburgh and he is a member of the Advisory Council of the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship of Carnegie Mellon University and The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh.

John Tippins was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area. He is a graduate of Shady Side Academy ( ’78), Vanderbilt University (BE Electrical Engineering ‘82) and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business (MBA ’87).

Peter J. Muth
Vice President

Peter J. Muth has been a private equity investor for over ten years and has experience in a full range of investment opportunities, including early stage ventures and traditional LBOs. In addition to his position at Stonewood, Pete is a principal of Birchmere Capital Limited Partnership. Before joining Birchmere Capital, Pete spent seven years with PNC Bank in the Energy, Metals and Mining lending group and the Corporate Credit Policy division.

Currently Pete serves as a board director for Stonewood portfolio company, Tank Services, and Pete also sits on the boards of several Birchmere Capital portfolio companies. In addition, Pete serves on the Education Foundation Board of the Community College of Allegheny County.

Pete earned a B.S. in business from the University of Dayton in 1990 and his M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business

George Knapp has been involved in private company management for 30 years. His background as a tax, finance, and merger and acquisition lawyer has served him well in his structuring of closely-held company boards and management teams. George has served on many corporate boards and acts as a close adviser and confidant to managers at several companies.

George has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating financings, strategic alliances and acquisitions, both domestically and internationally. He has negotiated over 200 transactions, representing buyers, sellers, management and investors from almost every type of industry.

George also contributes significant time to developing entrepreneurial talent through local university initiatives funded by the Tippins Foundation, which he heads.

George is a graduate of Colgate University (B.A.1969) and Harvard Law School (J.D.1972).

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