New York, NY— Prager Metis International LLC, a leading accounting and advisory firm with offices in the U.S. and London, recently assisted Argol Villanova Group, an Italian global integrated logistics leader, to complete their first strategic investment in the United States.
Argol Villanova Group, through its U.S subsidiary Argol America, Inc., purchased an equity interest in Eagle Support Services Corporation, an Alabama-based security and logistics services provider for American armed forces operations in the U.S. and abroad.
Prager Metis’ due diligence team, led by Andrea Fantozzi, Director of the U.S. European team, and the other two members Thomas Torrillo, Partner and John Barka, International Tax Partner, advised on a wide range of tax, financial, and accounting issues throughout the acquisition. “We really acted more as a strategic counsel and liaison than just their accountants,” says Fantozzi. “We helped Argol find solutions on pretty much everything. For example, we recommended to them the best tax structure, assisted them in setting up their internal controls, and advised them during the opening of a subsidiary outside the country. We also have an extended network of trusted firms with whom we work with and can refer our clients for those solutions they need, parallel to our core business—for example, for immigration or employee-related matters.”
Mr. Fantozzi was an ideal choice to lead the European team that assisted Argol during their expansion as he is a native Italian with years of experience assisting European companies, and especially Italian-based firms, to expand their business operations within the U.S. “This is an important milestone for Argol,” says Fantozzi. “This is not only their first acquisition in the U.S., but it’s in the defense sector—an amazing achievement considering the complexity of the U.S. regulatory framework. And we’re thrilled to help make this happen.”
For more information, contact Diane Walsh at 212.643.0099, Ext. 125 or dwalsh@metisgroupllc.com.
About Prager Metis CPAs, LLC
Headquartered in New York City, and with offices in California, New York, and New Jersey and London, Prager Metis CPAs, a member of Prager Metis International Group, is one of the nation’s fastest-growing accounting and advisory firms, offering a full range of accounting, auditing, and consulting services. The company was formed in January, 2013 by the combination of Prager and Fenton LLP and Metis Group LLC, two long-standing and highly-respected accounting firms. Prager Metis was recently ranked as the number one “Firm to Watch” and a “Top Accounting Firm in the Mid-Atlantic Region” by Accounting Today.
About Argol Villanova Group
Founded in 1952, Italian-based Argol Villanova Group offers a wide range of Integrated Logistic Services (ISL) for the management of supply chains worldwide. The company is comprised of Argol S.p.A. and Villanova S.p.A, both partners of important national and international industrial groups in Italy and abroad, including a European railway network, a sea freight expedition network, and three major international airports. Argol America, Inc. is the company’s U.S. subsidiary and is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.
The company has extensive experience and strong competencies in industrial logistics, value-added services, CKD management, industrial packaging, and intermodal transport for the automotive, energy, industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors. The company combines flexibility and technology to create customized ad hoc solutions to meet the needs of its clients, with best practice key performance indicators (KPI) in all logistics steps.
About Eagle Support Services Corporation
Eagle Support Services Corporation (ESSC) is a disabled veteran-owned business, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. Incorporated in 1996, ESSC is committed to providing “Best-in-Class” logistics, maintenance, contingency/disaster, project management, and training support to warfighters. With over 400 employees worldwide, Top Secret facility clearance, and an ISO 9001-2008-registered quality management system, ESSC has the leadership and resources to rapidly execute all customer requirements. Drawing on their vast experience and proven performance supporting the Department of Defense and multiple federal agencies, ESSC provides their customers with optimal solutions that synchronize tasks and timelines to execute the mission on-time, to standards, and within budget.
