Stout served as exclusive financial advisor to The PIC Group (PIC) in connection with its merger with The TRIGO Group (TRIGO), an international provider of operational quality management solutions headquartered in Paris, France, and a portfolio company of IK Investment Partners. 

PIC, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Ontario, Canada, first began by offering a variety of training seminars. They quickly grew their business by responding to the needs of their customers with cost effective and innovative quality solutions. At the date of the transaction, PIC served the automotive and manufacturing sectors in North America and employed nearly 2,000 quality specialists focused on resolving quality problems quickly and efficiently. TRIGO, Founded in 1997, is a multinational company providing Quality Management solutions for the manufacturing sector, particularly within the transportation industry. TRIGO offers a comprehensive portfolio of Quality Inspection, Engineering, and Management Services to its customers, including Airbus, General Motors, Audi Hungaria, Daimler, and many other international manufacturers.

The merger of PIC and TRIGO represents a win-win solution and the combination of two market leaders with unparalleled geographic reach and breadth of quality services.