Norman Chapman 1928–2008
Mr. Chapman was the founding principal of Chapman Partners. Prior to 1995, he was a principal in a boutique middle-market M&A investment advisory group which he founded in 1980.
He also served as a Director of Superior Tea and Coffee and was instrumental in its sale to Douwe Egberts, a division of Sara Lee Foods.
In 1970, Mr. Chapman sold Pronto Food Corporation, his family business to the Hershey Company and at the age of 42, was elected to serve on the Hershey Board of Directors.
Mr. Chapman’s career in the food industry, first as a pioneer in pre-cooked portion-controlled manufacturing and later as an investment banker was legendary. Pronto Foods played a prominent role as a key supplier to schools, the military, hospitals, airlines and entertainment venues. But it was some of the great young people that he hired out of college, mentored and went on to even greater accomplishments on their own, that he was most proud of, some of whom would even become his clients.
It was during his “second” career as an investment banker that he left a legacy as a trusted and respected advisor to an array of clients. Although he was best known for his expertise in the food industry, his knowledge and passion for businesses of all types lead to assignments in a variety of industries and a variety of businesses; small and large as well as public and private.