For nearly a decade, LT Corporation of Cleveland, Mississippi, has pursued a deliberate strategy for growth. This strategy, followed year after year, has been built on acquisitions that expanded a portfolio of manufacturing businesses. Step by step, the company had bolstered its position across the pressure vessel, propane solutions and steel fabrication markets.
In November 2025, the opportunity arose to acquire Commercial Metal Forming (CMF) of Youngstown, Ohio, North America’s largest manufacturer of tank heads. LT Corporation recognized it as a deal that could prove transformative.
CMF was a natural fit. We knew the company, the quality of its products and the strategic value it could bring to our organization.
The proposed acquisition would deepen vertical integration across LT Corporation’s family of companies, both bringing a critical supplier in-house while opening doors to new markets and customers. As the largest acquisition in company history, CMF represented a major step forward in an already ambitious plan for growth.
The stakes were high, as were the rewards. However, Wessel and his team faced a major problem: actually winning the deal in the first place.
The Challenge: Competing Against All-Cash Buyers
CMF was owned by a private equity group, one that had a sophisticated understanding of business and finance. Further, LT Corporation found itself competing against a field of equally savvy bidders. Many of these competitors were private equity firms themselves, armed with all-cash offers. To remain competitive, LT Corporation needed to arrive at the table with rock-solid certainty that it had the financing – and needed it fast.
The timeline was unforgiving, with no margin for error.
The Solution: Responsiveness Built on a Strong Relationship
Wessel and his team approached Regions Bank in November 2025. Jackson Market President John Howie and Mississippi Golden Triangle Market Executive Justin Casano immediately grasped both the opportunity and the challenge that lay ahead.
Within weeks, LT Corporation would need to advance through multiple rounds of bidding, all while demonstrating strong financial backing to close.
In the end, for the customer to win the transaction, Regions ultimately needed to offer assurances that they were ready to provide acquisition financing. That meant LT Corporation needed confidence that Regions could move at the breakneck speed the deal demanded.
“We couldn’t do that without Regions funding quickly and providing a letter of commitment,” Wessel said.
Having served LT Corporation for ten years, Regions has developed a deep understanding of the company’s leadership, operations and long-term vision. When Wessel and his team called in late November, they stood ready to help a longstanding client.
To help LT Corporation stay competitive against a slate of cash buyers, Regions provided a commitment to lend before both real estate and equipment appraisals were complete. This was made possible by LT Corporation’s strong balance sheet and its long-time reliance on Regions for all its banking services.
Even the holidays underway couldn’t keep Howie and Casano from advocating on behalf of their client. With Christmas just two days away, the two brought Wessel to Birmingham to meet with Regions Senior Credit Officer Lyles Box.
“I had known this client for a long time,” Howie said, “and felt it was important for Sean to have this discussion with our leadership. When the people in Birmingham heard the vision, the passion, and everything else Sean was doing for his company, they were on board to help. That made it possible for LT Corporation to meet the final Letter of Intent submission deadline of December 26.”
Hustling to the Finish Line
Winning the bid for CMF was only the beginning.
Once the offer was accepted, Regions and LT Corporation needed sixty days to complete the financing and close the transaction. Teams across Commercial Banking, Credit Risk, Portfolio Management, Capital Markets and Equipment Finance mobilized.
The work was extensive. Teams fanned across multiple states to appraise equipment and real estate, conduct title reviews and environmental assessments, and provide legal coordination. Team members needed to work through the holidays and maintain constant communication to keep everything moving forward, coordinating with the customer every step of the way.
“Justin and his team circled the wagons, pulled the team together, and devised a plan quickly,” Wessel said. “It was a monumental achievement.”
As valuations shifted and deal details evolved, Regions continued adjusting structures and identifying solutions.
All that hard work paid off. The acquisition closed on time in late February.
A Stronger Future
Today, LT Corporation’s acquisition of CMF is helping position the company for future growth, including opportunities in emerging markets while creating new synergies across its operating companies.
For Regions, the transaction demonstrates the power of relationship banking at its best: understanding a client’s goals, earning trust over time and responding when a customer’s future was on the line.
“This was a confidence booster for me,” Wessel said. “They put their money where their mouth was. They committed to us, held steady and closed on time. They really came through for us when it mattered most.”
