Sandy Alexander: Ownership of the Future

Graff's plan to add breadth and depth to Sandy Alexander's service offerings hasn't yet reached its final act. For example, Graff expects new synergies and opportunities to arise from the company's recent purchase of a digital art studio in New York City, which will operate as a subsidiary.

The dividends that he intends the plan to yield won't be limited to just a handful of people at the top. The management buyout includes participation by senior managers and key employees who were invited to invest in the business along with the new principal owners. Although it isn't an ESOP, Graff says that the arrangement brings "many" Sandy Alexander personnel into the ownership structure. According to Graff, the offer was accepted by 100 percent of the people it was presented to—including those who could afford to invest only nominal amounts.