Founders Advisors investment bank announced today that it has added a new practice area focused on building materials and hired Dennis Coker to lead the team as a managing director. Based in the firm’s Dallas office, Coker brings more than 20 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for private and public companies in the mineral, mining and construction product industries.

“Dennis has a wealth of experience in M&A and divestiture activity, and his expertise in the building materials industry is substantial,” said Duane Donner, founder and CEO of Founders Advisors. “We welcome him to our growing team in Dallas and look forward to seeing him serve our clients with the level of service that Founders Advisors is known for.”

Coker has spent the majority of his career at international and national construction materials companies, leading merger and acquisition, divestiture and strategic planning activities. He began his career in the transportation industry and quickly transitioned into a corporate development and strategic planning role.

Prior to Founders, Coker served for four years as a managing director at a Dallas-based strategic advisory firm, where he provided corporate development expertise – including transaction advisory, market analysis and strategic growth consulting – to clients in the construction materials industry. He is an active member of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association and previously served as Executive Board Member and Treasurer, Co-chair of the Membership Committee and Chairman of the Young Leaders Council for the association.

“Founders Advisors stood out to me because of their focus on working with founder-led companies,” said Coker. “The firm provides each client with a professional who understands their industry so their business can be leveraged to achieve maximum value. I’m glad to join this team of collaborative and hard-working individuals and look forward to helping our clients in the building materials industry.”

Coker resides in Dallas with his wife, Virginia, and two children. He earned his bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Mississippi, his Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis and is a graduate of the Lafarge Management Development Program at Duke University.