Darron Ash: Leading a Differentiated Investment Platform

In this episode, host Nick Santhanam, CEO of Fernweh Group, welcomes Darron Ash, CEO of Sammons Enterprises and Sammons Industrial. The Sammons portfolio of companies includes businesses operating in financial services, industrial equipment, real estate investment and infrastructure across five countries. Darron shares his perspectives on the Sammons story, its unique approach to investing and partnering with companies, its singular focus on people and culture and how the firm is positioned for success in the coming decades.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Sammons was established in 1938 and now is one of the largest privately held companies in the US, with approximately $7 billion in annual revenues and over $118 billion in assets. In 2022, Sammons placed 44th on the Largest Privately Held Companies in the US list. Darron has been with Sammons since 2006 and joined the company with 17 years of experience in the public accounting, private equity, consumer products manufacturing, and professional services industries.  He served as Chief Financial Officer for Sammons Enterprises for nine years prior to accepting the role of President and Chief Executive Officer for Sammons Industrial.  Darron has been a member of the Executive Committee and the Sammons Enterprises Board since 2015.

Discussion Points 

• The Sammons value proposition centers on a long-term, partnership model of investing, without a pre-set exit plan, coupled with a strong focus on people and culture that allows for a decentralized management approach.
• Across the firm’s five investment verticals, the firm primarily focuses on using organic growth to scale its operating businesses, with M&A deployed strategically for adjacent and tuck-in opportunities. 
• Sammons prioritizes discipline and patience as it relates to capital allocation and capital management strategies, particularly through today’s volatile economic era characterized by high inflation and high interest rates.
• Through the pandemic and its supply chain after-effects, the ability to pivot from equipment order sales to rentals enabled Sammons to drive customer value.
• Deploying world-class, value-added technology like mobile e-commerce and utilization management into companies, even in the start-up phase, is a key tenet of accelerating business growth and profitability.
• The right people, talent and culture are often the key enablers for long-run business success.

Ayna Insights is brought to you by Ayna.AI—a managed service provider that combines domain expertise and transformation capabilities to create alpha—performance superior to market indices—in the industrial and industrial technology sector. Ayna.AI is an affiliate of Fernweh Group. The host of this episode, Nick Santhanam, is the CEO of Fernweh Group. Fernweh Group is an investment company that is adapting an engaged investor and operator model to create “segment of one” leaders in the industrial and industrial technology sector.

For More Information

Darron Ash LinkedIn

Sammons Industrial

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Fernweh Group Website