The shift of large Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) toward a De Novo (start-up) growth model —combined with their ongoing financial underperformance —has several important implications for the dental profession, private practice owners, associates, and the broader consolidation landscape. Below is a structured breakdown of what it likely means: 1. Why DSOs Are Moving to De Novo Large DSOs historically grew through practice acquisitions , but that model has become more difficult because: Rising acquisition costs Practice valuations surged from private equity demand. EBITDA multiples expanded significantly (often 8–12x+ for large platforms). Buying growth became expensive and margin-dilutive. Limited supply of quality targets Many top-performing practices have already been acquired. Remaining targets may have weaker payer mix, outdated facilities, or operational inefficiencies. Greater operational control De Novos allow DSOs to: Design offices for e...
Just three years ago, Kokomo , Indiana found itself at the center of the electric vehicle revolution. The announcement that Stellantis and Samsung SDI would build massive EV battery gigafactories in the community was transformational — not just for Kokomo , but for the entire Hoosier manufacturing economy. Billions of dollars in capital investment, thousands of future jobs, and global attention positioned Kokomo as a cornerstone of America’s electrified automotive future. Today, news that Stellantis is exploring an exit from its battery joint venture with Samsung introduces a new layer of uncertainty — and understandably raises questions across the region. A Look Back: The Scale of the Original Investment To understand the stakes, it’s important to revisit just how significant the original commitment was. The first StarPlus Energy battery plant represented an investment of more than $2.5 billion , with plans to create roughly 1,400 jobs . A second gigafactory announcem...