Urban Engine Podcast #24 Mergers + Aquisitions with Marshall Schreeder Jr.
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In the Urban Engine podcast, we discuss entrepreneurship and success. We interview local entrepreneurs in Alabama and the South, discuss how to succeed, and how to propel your idea forward.
In episode #24 of the podcast, Cole Rickles talks with Marshall Schreeder, Jr. about his experiences and his role as EVP of Corporate Development at Discovery Life Sciences
Summary
Marshall Schreeder talks about his experiences in investment banking and how it eventually led to him
partnering with his friend Luke and moving back to Huntsville in 2005 (Marshall is a rare Huntsville
native). Coming from a medical family (his dad is a doctor in town), there was a bit of pressure to follow
in his father’s footsteps but found his own way working in private equity and then focusing on the
biomdedical science industry. Marshall talks about their start in Huntsville launching their own business
and that common story we all hear (and many of us know) about thinking a new business will be “a
layup” where in reality it’s always at least 2X as hard (and cost 2X as much) and is more like throwing a
medicine ball from half court over and over again. When they were starting their Huntsville business,
they had a desire to raise a million dollars to get things rolling. They were rather shocked when they met
with Lonnie McMillian and watched him pull out a checkbook in their first offer willing to write the full
amount on the spot. Fast forward the last dozen years or so and Discovery Life Sciences (the entity after
they were acquired last year) is on a roll with a half dozen M&A activities in just the last 15 months.
Marshall talks about how his prior experience in private equity has been so valuable as of late in doing
due diligence and strong work ethic in managing teams all over the world working toward a single
purpose.
Links
- Marshall Schreeder bio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshallschreeder
- Discovery Life Sciences
https://www.dls.com/
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/discovery-life-sciences-enters-fresh-leukopak-market-
300875890.html
- Hudson Alpha
https://hudsonalpha.org/the-story-of-hudsonalpha/
- What is private equity?
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/privateequity.asp
- Lonnie McMillian (founder of ADTRAN and HudsonAlpha)
https://hsvchamber.org/hudsonalpha-institute-for-biotechnology-mourns-death-of-co-founder-
lonnie-mcmillian/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADTRAN
Books
- The Private Equity Playbook
https://www.amazon.com/Private-Equity-Playbook-Managements-Working/dp/1544513275
