Listed below are stories I've written for Mergermarket over the last two months:

11/24/2009>>Merrick Systems to make buys; seeks to become attractive target, founding CEO says
11/24/2009>>RigNet looks to make acquisitions, keeps eye on public markets, CEO says
11/20/2009>>Lexicon seeks partnership by end of 2010, CEO says; company could be targeted once compound reaches late-stage development, source says
11/19/2009>>Atrato seeks strategic investor; could be attractive to hardware OEMs, CEO says
11/18/2009>>Rebit exit through acquisition most likely; seeks OEM partnerships to grow, CEO says
11/18/2009>>Archer Daniels Midland searches for ethanol mills in Brazil; possibly in battle for Equipav and Moema - sources
11/13/2009>>Remora Energy International looks for buys, Columbia first pick, founding CEO says
11/11/2009>>ENAP divesting Iran assets; seeking buys elsewhere - executive
11/10/2009>>Genpact majority shareholders may seek exit as market valuations rise, industry sources say
11/3/2009>>Acro Energy Technologies receives offers from potential bidders; but company now focused on growth, CEO says
11/2/2009>>BPZ Energy seriously considering dual listing in Lima, company says
10/29/2009>>Varel International on the prowl for buys; looks to go public, CEO says
10/29/2009>>Petrobras seeks advisor to evaluate reserves for multi-billion dollar capital raise, IR manager says
10/28/2009>>Heliovolt has a long way to go until exit, may need more capital, sources say
10/26/2009>>Additech could assess sale within 18 months, CEO says
10/26/2009>>KMG Chemicals looks to close acquisition within nine months, CEO says
10/26/2009>>StarTex Power considers private equity investment to fund expansion, founding CEO says
10/26/2009>>Stream Energy in talks with bankers for IPO, CEO says
10/22/2009>>Unisys lightens debt load, plans reverse split, making it more attractive to buyers - sources
10/22/2009>>Alereon looking to raise capital in next six months; considering acquisitions, CEO says
10/22/2009>>All Web Leads could raise cash to consolidate industry and enter new markets, executives say
10/16/2009>>Woot interested in comparison shopping, coupon, media buys; Amazon considered desired partner, CEO says
10/15/2009>>Compellent focused on growth, including buys, CFO says; tempting target, but expensive, analyst says
10/14/2009>>Astrotech may find little interest if it explores sale - analysis

Listed below are stories I've written for Mergermarket over the last six months:

10/13/09 >> Nuventix could sell but not afraid to pursue IPO, CEO says
10/06/09 >> Hyper9 approached; technology could appeal to variety of suitors, new CEO says
10/06/09 >> Texas Memory Systems mulls opportunistic buys; fast growth could lead to sale, VP says
10/05/09 >> Wintegra will look at public offering again next year; M&A heating up, CEO says
10/02/09 >> RF Code could tempt data center systems integrators, CEO says
10/01/09 >> Benchmark Hospitality International interested in joint ventures, CEO says
09/29/09 >> Yellowstone Landscape Group looking for buys in specific geographies, CEO says
09/29/09 >> Intrinsity to look at sale in the next 12 months; will also assess capital raise, CEO says
09/28/09 >> Go Daddy Group has recently evaluated targets; all exit options on the table, COO says
09/25/09 >> HostGator.com seeks buys to grow beyond North America; receives regular knocks from private equity suitors, CEO says
09/24/09 >> Incentive Solutions looks to help consolidate industry, CEO says
09/21/09 >> BreakingPoint business plan sets USD 150m goal in two years; exit will take care of itself, CEO says
09/18/09 >> Incentive Logic consolidation target but opts to pursue own acquisitions; approached by Incentive Solutions, CEO says
09/15/09 >> Surgient contemplates new fund raising round later this year; could IPO in 24 months, CEO says
09/10/09 >> Shavlik Technologies interested in security acquisitions; open to merger, CEO says
09/09/09 >> VirTex Assembly Services seeks overseas partnerships that could lead to acquisitions, CEO says
09/03/09 >> Versata Software to continue acquisition strategy after USD 138.6m award, General Counsel says
09/01/09 >> ObjectWin Technology seeks advisor for buys; explores acquisition financing, CEO says
08/31/09 >> Asuragen receives buyer interest; seeks growth capital for subsidiary, CEO says
08/31/09 >> ECi Software Solutions seeks acquisitions; open to merger of equals, CEO says
08/31/09 >> BancVue evaluating two targets; could raise capital, Chairman says
08/28/09 >> HyPerformix adds virtualization and creates future exit opportunities, VP says
08/27/09 >> Neos Therapeutics seeks additional capital and partnerships to position company for sale, CEO says
08/26/09 >> EquaTerra interested in niche services and targeted geographies, COO says
08/25/09 >> Sipera Systems attractive to diverse range of potential suitors, CEO says
08/25/09 >> Perficient to begin acquisition hunt in Q4, could make attractive target itself, COO says
08/20/09 >> Viverae starting to look at acquisition opportunities, CEO says
08/18/09 >> Lexmark yet to receive serious M&A interest; technology fit not quite right, industry bankers say
08/17/09 >> Securus Technologies does not rule out subsidiary divestiture; M&A options restricted until debt issues resolved, CFO says
08/17/09 >> Airstrip Technologies attractive to healthcare IT buyers; exploring all options, president says
08/12/09 >> CoreTrace’s potential partners likely to become buyers, CEO says
08/07/09 >> SolarWinds targets complementary products and adjacent technologies, SVP says
08/07/09 >> Santelisa Vale to exit CNAA, insider says
08/05/09 >> DG FastChannel shifts acquisition focus to international targets, CEO says
08/03/09 >> Santelisa Vale: BNDES might not finance deal with Dreyfus; debt climbs to USD 2.7bn, insider says
07/31/09 >> Convey Computer has sights set on IPO, co-founder and CEO says
07/31/09 >> Reddwerks considers additional acquisitions to grow, CEO says
07/30/09 >> Dell could hunt Indian outsourcers, remote infrastructure management with cash pile – analysis
07/28/09 >> Vidacare targets possible liquidity event in 18 months, CEO says
07/28/09 >> Pocket Communications takeover likely as industry consolidates; regularly approached, CEO says
07/27/09 >> Transverse may consider strategic options next year; open source strategy should attract suitors, CEO says
07/23/09 >> Accudata expects sale within 12 months, CEO says
07/21/09 >> TPG Software could be fit for larger financial software or services companies, CEO says
07/15/09 >> ValueVision could sell assets to fund operations, top executives say
07/13/09 >> Sorenson Media building business through partnerships; considering acquisitions, M&A savvy CEO says
07/13/09 >> Bandspeed’s joint ventures may lure suitors; raising new funding, CEO says
07/10/09 >> Allegro Development seeks buys to extend vertical reach and product suite, CEO says
07/09/09 >> Phytel expects more attention from suitors as federal incentives take shape, CEO says
07/09/09 >> Edge Tech seeking acquisitions to grow market share, CEO says
07/08/09 >> Worksoft sees sale in two to four years as most likely exit, CEO says
07/07/09 >> Hawkeye expects more acquisition opportunities 18 months from now, CEO and chairman say
07/01/09 >> BMC Software more attractive following BladeLogic deal and recent M&A in sector - analysis
07/01/09 >> NanoTox seeks capital for roll-up to bolster size and ultimately pursue a sale, new CEO says
07/01/09 >> SailPoint focused on organic growth to position itself for a sale, president says
06/30/09 >> Depco Power Systems eyes acquisitions for growth in consolidating market, CEO says
06/25/09 >> Corvalent seeking partners to accelerate growth; welcomes suitors who provide strategic edge, CEO says
06/23/09 >> Hewlett-Packard may pursue Xerox or Kodak’s printing businesses, analysts say
06/17/09 >> NextIO strategic to data center players and Cisco competitors as market evolves, CEO says
06/16/09 >> Dell signals M&A appetite with fight for ex-IBM executive; data management buys may top shopping list, analysts say
06/11/09 >> BridgeWave Communications expects M&A exit, though IPO remains an option, CEO says
06/11/09 >> HomeAway may reevaluate IPO within 18 months; focusing on organic growth, CEO says
06/08/09 >> E-Band Communications retains SagePoint Financial to explore options, executive says
06/05/09 >> Silicon Laboratories has cash to actively pursue buys of late-stage privates, CEO says
06/01/09 >> Bitstream receptive to M&A opportunities, CEO says
05/29/09 >> SVTC Technologies to grow through acquisitions and geographic expansion, positioning for IPO within two years, CEO says
05/28/09 >> Yahoo acquisition activity may heat up in coming weeks – analysis
05/22/09 >> Virtual Computer increasingly attractive to desktop management vendors, analysts say; company focused on expanding distribution base, CEO says
05/21/09 >> KidZui partnerships may lead to M&A down the road, CEO says
05/18/09 >> Appsense mulls buys; may raise funding for larger opportunities, executive says
05/07/09 >> Convio may become a target as consolidation pressures mount, analysts say; company focused on growth, CFO says

Journalism Awards

National Awards

Association of Area Business Publications

• Best Magazine, Gold Award - 2004
  Judge’s Comments: "By organizing their content beyond traditional departments and features with sections on Managing Growth, Life & Leisure, Executive Report and LeadingEdge this magazine offers extraordinary variety and breadth in its coverage. The business community is critically analyzed but in a way in which readers can enjoy the tale. Attention is paid to leads in features to draw readers into the story, and the magazine as a whole is easy to navigate."


• Best Body Of Work For Single Reporter, Bronze Award - 2003
  Judge’s Comments: "Mark Druskoff not only writes about more than the business news of Minnesota -- he writes about the people who shape that news. In his profiles, readers get an understanding of the qualities and the faults of some of the major players in Minnesota business. Within those profiles, they also get a deeper understanding of the business trends that affect all Minnesotans."


• Best Feature Layout, Gold Award - 2003
  Judge’s Comments: "The bold presentation of this layout does a good job of reflecting the bold content of the story. The typography is interesting without being overwhelming. The dramatic dark colors are carefully selected to maintain legibility of the text. The opening spread makes good use of a standard portrait. And the clean, consistent elements create a cohesive feel throughout the package."
  

Regional Awards

2006 Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association Business/Trade, Under 30,000

• Best Regular Column (Emerging Companies), Gold Award
• Best Regular Column (Enterprise), Silver Award
• Best Use of Visuals (December 2005), Gold Award

2005 Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association Business/Trade, Under 30,000

• Overall Excellence, Silver Award
• Best Regular Column (Emerging Companies), Gold Award
• Best Overall Design, Silver Award

2002 Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association

• Overall Excellence, Silver Award
• Best Regular Department, Silver Award
• Best Internet Site, Silver Award
• Best Use of Visuals, Silver Award Best Media Kit, Gold Award

2001 Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association

• Overall Excellence, Bronze Award
• Best Regular Department, Silver Award
• Overall Design Excellence, Bronze Award

2000 Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association

• Best Regular Department, Gold Award
  Judges comments: "The feature explores topics of great interest to emerging or dawning small businesses, not only approaching stories of interesting new companies, but also approaching problems/solutions that can educate a business owner."


• Best Feature Article, Silver Award
  Judges Comments: "The feature explores topics of great interest to emerging or dawning small businesses, not only approaching stories of interesting new companies, but also approaching problems/solutions that can educate a business owner."


• Best Internet Site, Silver Award MD

Website Strategy & Content

Below is a list of website content that I have either created directly, influenced significantly, or wrote for extensively.

1997-1996 Griffin Communications [link to Archive.Org]
Witnessing the dawn of the Internet in the mid 1990s, I had the opportunity to create a website for the small business publisher where I worked as editor.

This early exposure to web design and technologies has been a great asset in my involvement in further websites. It also gave me the opportunity to think long and hard about web strategy, which informed my comments for Folio: Magazine in 2001.

2006-2000 MinnesotaBusiness Magazine [link to Archive.Org]
As editor of this monthly business magazine for 6+ years, I was involved from the ground floor on the architecture, layout, and development of the website linked to above. Note my involvement ended in April 2006, when I left to take a new position with Vinson & Elkins in Houston, Texas.

Vinson & Elkins [link to Archive.Org]
A significant part of my role as the sole copywriter for Vinson & Elkins, an AmLaw 100 law firm, was my job to directly advise lawyers and their marketing and business development support staff on website content.

From electronic alerts and case studies to lawyer bios and practice descriptions, I devised content templates based on industry best practices and strategic objectives. These structures streamlined implementation and reinforced key brand attributes, while not funning afoul of state bar restrictions. I also developed and wrote the "official" Wikipedia and Google Knol articles about Vinson & Elkins. My involvement ended in early 2009.

Texas Triangle Business and Gutenberg Overdrive
Enthralled by the potential of new web technologies, particularly blogs, RSS, Twitter, and social media applications, I have developed and built the above sites to bring together information on topics I enjoy learning about. MD

Writing Portfolio (February 2008)

Oregon Business [Portland, OR]
freelance contributor

• Cover Story, "Hot Deals" ... A year-end wrap up M&A and venture capital financing for Oregon-based enterprises.
• Deal Watch ... Monthly run-down of deal activity in Oregon.

Writing Portfolio (2006-2007)

Oregon Business [Portland, OR]
freelance contributor

• Deal Watch, May 2007
• Deal Watch, June 2007
• Deal Watch, July 2007
• Deal Watch, Aug. 2007
• Deal Watch, Sep. 2007
• Deal Watch, Oct. 2007
• Deal Watch, Nov. 2007
• Deal Watch, Dec. 2007

Thrivent Magazine [Minneapolis, MN]

freelance contributor

• Investing in Style (2006)
• Outsmarting the Debt Monster (2007)
• Don’t Feed the Hackers (2007)

Washington CEO [Seattle, WA]

freelance contributor

• Deal Report (Oct. 2006, Nov. 2006, Dec. 2006, Jan. 2007, Feb. 2007, Mar. 2007, April 2007)

Writing Portfolio (1999-2006)

MinnesotaBusiness Magazine [Bloomington, MN]
editor and writer

To find any of the articles listed below, see the J.J. Hill Library's MN Biz Publishing Indexes. This excellent resource lists all articles in MinnesotaBusiness Magazine and other Minnesota-based publishers from 2001-2006.

During my tenure at the magazine, I was pleased to see the publication win many regional awards from the very competitive Minnesota Magazine Publishers Association, as well as being named the best regional business magazine in the country by the Association of Area Business Publications (www.bizpubs.org) in 2004.

• April 2000 Cover: Taking Care of Business, TSG Inc. (Horace Allen)
  
• May 2000 Cover: Fleet Footed, GenMar (Irwin Jacobs)
  
• May 2000 Emerging Companies: Mixing Business with Weather, Digital Cyclone (Paul Douglas)
  
• June 2000 Cover: New Media Maven, NGN Media (Tom Pugliese)
  
• July 2000 Cover: Iron Man, Best Buy Corp. (Dick Schulze)
  
• August 2000 Cover: Trailblazer, Shingobee Builders (Gae Veit)
  
• September 2000 Cover: Internet Rocketeer, Digital River (Joel Ronning)
  
• September 2000 Special Report: Metro Area Commercial Real Estate Space Update - 2000
  
• October 2000 Cover: Operation: Big Fish, August Technology (Scott O'Dell)
  
• October 2000 Fast 401k
  
• October 2000 Retail Holy Grail
  
• November 2000 Cover: The Real Deal, ATS Medical (Manny Villafana)
  
• December 2000 Cover: Brave New World, Lawson Software (Bill Lawson)
  
• December 2000 E-Biz: Theories of Everything
  
• January 2001 Cover: Quiet giant, Hidden Creek Industries (Tony Johnson)
  
• February 2001 Cover "Unbreakable," Eschelon Telecom
  
• March 2001 Cover: Eye Of The Storm
  
• April 2001 Cover: When Worlds Collide, Cyberoptics (Dr. Steve Case)
  
• May 2001 Cover: 10 Years of MinnesotaBusiness magazine
  
• June 2001 Cover "Kingmaker," St. Paul Venture Capital (Pat Hopf)
  
• July 2001 Cover: Aether-preneur, Rural Cellular Corp.
  
• August 2001 Cover: Zero Hour, Adaytum (Guy Haddleton)
  
• September 2001 Cover: Anti Gravity, Simon Delivers (Simon Foster)
  
• October 2001 Cover: Wave rider
  
• October 2001 Defining "High-Tech"
  
• November 2001 Cover: War Horse, Equus Computers (Andy Juang)
  
• December 2001 Cover: Medical Mogul, Starkey Laboratories
  
• January 2002 Cover: Street Fighter
  
• February 2002 Cover: Liquid Assets, Osmonics Inc. (Dean Spatz)
  
• March 2002 Cover: Sweating the Small Stuff
  
• April 2002 Cover: No Fear
  
• April 2002 New Markets: Prosperity Engine
  
• May 2002 Cover, "Trade Secret," Cherry Tree (Gordon Stofer & Tony Christianson)
  
• June 2002 Cover: Wise(r) Guy, Redstone Grill (Dean Vlahos)
  
• July 2002 Cover: True Grit
  
• August 2002 Cover: Young Gun
  
• September 2002 Cover: Nobody's Fool, Regis Corp. (Myron Kunin)
  
• October 2002 Cover, "Onward and Upward," Tastefully Simple
  
• November 2002 Cover: No Apologies
  
• December 2002 Cover: Standing Strong
  
• January 2003 Cover: First-Mover
  
• February 2003 Cover: North Stars, Canterbury Racetrack (Curt Sampson)
  
• March 2003 Cover: Razor's Edge
  
• April 2003 Cover: Bull by the Horns
  
• May 2003 Cover: Blue Skies
  
• June 2003 Cover: Buyout Baron
  
• July 2003 Cover: Her Way
  
• August 2003 Cover: Breaking Away, Lifetime Fitness (Bahram Akradi)
  
• September 2003 Cover: Walk on the Wild Side
  
• October 2003 Cover: Pandora's Box, Parasole Group
  
• November 2003 Cover: Under the Radar
  
• December 2003 Cover: Built to Last
  
• January 2004 Cover: Follow the Leader
  
• February 2004 Cover: Full Speed Ahead
  
• May 2004 Cover, "On the Verge," Stratasys Corp.
  
• June 2004 Cover, "Great Expectations," Better Life Media
  
• July 2004 Cover: Breaking the Mold
  
• August 2004 Cover: Pedal to the Metal
  
• September 2004 Cover: Where Giants Tread, Transoma Medical
  
• October 2004 Cover: Leading the Charge
  
• December 2004 Cover: A Rising Tide
  
• January 2005 Cover: Playing for Keeps
  
• February 2005 Cover: Man with a Plan
  
• March 2005 Cover: Arrow Proof, Capella Education (Steve Shank)
  
• April 2005 Cover, "Minnesota’s Next Heavyweight," Petters Companies
  
• May 2005 Cover: Where the Buck Stops
  
• June 2005 Cover, "Against the Grain," NRG Group
  
• July 2005 Cover: King of the Mountain
  
• August 2005 Cover: Mogul Emergent
  
• September 2005 Cover: Venture Catalyst
  
• October 2005 Cover: Accidental Empire, J&B Group
  
• November 2005 Cover: Ordinary Genius
  
• December 2005 Cover: Walking the Walk, Northern Tool & Equipment
  
• January 2006 Cover: Balancing Act
  
• February 2006 Cover: Transition Game
  
• March 2006 Cover: Been There, Done That
  
• April 2006 Cover: Fast Forward
  
• May 2006 Cover: Cover
  
• June 2006 Cover: Above and Beyond
  
• August 2006 Cover: Eye on the Ball

MD