Prior to joining BSA, Blair managed the market launch and business development activities of EBSCO Capital, the investment division of EBSCO Industries. Headquartered in Birmingham, EBSCO Industries is a privately held conglomerate comprised of over 20 businesses and more than $2.5 billion in annual revenue. During his time at EBSCO Capital, Blair established the firm’s business development function and was responsible for deal origination, investment opportunity analysis and the overall marketing strategy for the firm, an effort that led to the successful sourcing and closing of a number of new platform and add-on acquisitions. He concurrently worked with existing EBSCO portfolio companies, sourcing add-on acquisition opportunities, assessing and creating plans for new market launches, and assisting in comprehensive portfolio company reviews.
Before his role at EBSCO Capital, Blair served in multiple capacities for Jemison Metals, a Birmingham-based steel service center, including strategic planning, cultivating new territories, implementing software-based supply chain management tools, and developing and managing relationships with Fortune 500 industrial conglomerates. Blair began his career in commercial banking with Union State Bank, and spent five years with First Commercial Bank’s commercial and industrial lending team, where he managed numerous middle market relationships for the bank.