Ray Culp III - Tumblr Blog

An entrepreneur and executive with a diverse background in finance, law, and agriculture, Ray Culp, III owns and operates a Brentwood, Tennessee-based business consulting group, as well as venture capital firm Sonador Capital Partners. With a professional history that spans more than 25 years, Ray Culp, III, began his career as a stockbroker with Nashville investment bank J.C. Bradford before enrolling at the Nashville School of Law. While there, he clerked under Judge Muriel Robinson, served as a claims adjuster with Graward General Companies, and founded Second Chance Farms, a successful row crop and timber operation. Following receipt of his JD in 1995, he opened a law firm in Franklin, Tennessee, and continued to grow his holdings with Second Chance Farms, which he sold in 2008. Since then, Mr. Culp has founded Culp Consulting Group, through which he offers the full spectrum of business and tax consulting services to corporate and individual clients. More recently, he launched Sonador Capital Partners to provide various financing and investment options to individuals and businesses.

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Problems Facing Deer Farms

Ray Culp III is the founder of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, a financial services firm based in Brentwood, Tennessee. In his free time, Ray Culp III takes pleasure in hunting, fishing, and researching deer farming. Deer farms have been on the rise in recent years, as many individuals are able to start a small farm while holding a full-time job elsewhere. Deer can be raised as food, for breeding purposes, for hunting preserves, and for velvet antler, which is especially popular in Asia as a food supplement. However, as this is a highly unregulated industry, many deer farmers face a number of hardships that more traditional farmers do not face, like raising capital and dealing with nonexistent production standards. One of the most critical problems deer farms face is chronic wasting disease (CWD). Similar to mad cow disease, CWD is a transmissible neurological condition that creates lesions in the brains of deer and elk, resulting in loss of body condition, strange behaviors, and death. CWD can significantly reduce deer populations. To learn more about CWD and other aspects of deer farming, visit the website of the North American Deer Farmers Association, www.nadefa.org.

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Goals of the North American Deer Farmers Association

Ray Culp III currently manages Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, in Brentwood, Tennessee. He has served in this role since founding the company in 2013. When he is not working, Ray Culp III enjoys hunting and fishing. He is a member of the Alabama Deer Association and the North American Deer Farmers Association. The overarching mission of the North American Deer Farmers Association (NADeFA) is to help facilitate communications and networking among professional deer farmers and breeders in the United States and Canada. The Association allows for the immediate exchange of ideas on raising deer, ranging from new breeding techniques to improvements in various aspects of management. When individual members encounter issues on their farms, the NADeFA serves as a public forum where potential solutions can be discussed. The NADeFA additionally functions as a registry for all privately owned deer. The NADeFA also exists, of course, to promote the profession of ranching and all related ethical practices, as well as venison consumption among North American consumers.

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Argentina's Laguna del Diamante

Ray Culp, III, possesses more than two decades of experience as a dealmaker and negotiator in real estate, tax planning, and other financial services. He currently serves as manager of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, in Brentwood, Tennessee. Alongside his career, Ray Culp, III, has traveled extensively, including visiting Argentina. Located in Mendoza, Argentina, Natural Reserve Laguna del Diamante presents a difficult-to-reach but stunningly beautiful glimpse into the heart of the Andes Mountains. The Laguna del Diamante itself, one of the largest lakes in the Mendoza province, reflects the nearby Maipo volcano, forming a diamond-like shape, which gave the lake its name, which translates to Lake of the Diamond. Although it lies in an active volcanic region where vents release sulfuric gases and its water contains five times more salt than the ocean, the lake welcomes a large population of flamingos. The flamingos seem to thrive on the thick layers of microorganisms growing on the rocks. Other intriguing features of the lake include a type of red crystal compound that is yet unidentified.                            

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Deer Farming

Ray Culp III got a significant boost to his legal career by serving a clerkship with a judge in Tennessee before he entered the Nashville School of Law, from which he earned his JD in 1995. He spent more than 10 years in private practice before turning to business consulting. In 2013, he established Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, a venture capital and equity financing firm. Outside the office, Ray Culp III pursues a broad range of hobbies and recreational activities, including fishing and hunting, and is especially interested in deer farming and breeding. Deer farming, or raising deer as livestock in a protected environment, came to North America about 100 years ago, but evidence suggests that it has been practiced for as long as 5,000 years in other parts of the world. It is now one of the fastest-growing industries in rural America. One of the reasons for this is that it maximizes land potential - even small tracts, which might be unsuitable for farming or traditional grazing, can be made profitable with deer farming. Deer farming also helps preserve open space for wildlife, a critical objective of most conservation efforts. Deer farms exist for several reasons. Some deer farms raise the livestock for food, and supply a growing venison market. Some are actively involved in the breeding process, seeking to breed deer with different characteristics, and others supply deer to breeders for genetic enhancements. There is also a significant market both for deer antlers and urine. All farms require sturdy fences, generally eight feet high, to keep the deer in and predators out. Farmers must also see to it that their deer are properly fed and cared for, which generally requires the services of a deer-oriented veterinarian. Beyond that, the specific requirements of a deer farm are based on its purpose. A farm that raises deer for meat will have a different structure than one that raises them to stock hunting preserves, for example.

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Charitable Efforts of the Texas Trophy Hunters Association

The head of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, Ray Culp III enjoys spending his free time hunting deer and other game. Among his affiliations, Ray Culp III is an active member of the Texas Trophy Hunters Association (TTHA), which offers community and fellowship to hunters across the world. To help its members support their communities, the TTHA donates membership funds and member volunteer hours to a number of social service and wilderness causes. One such group, the Texas Wildlife Association, uses the funds it receives from the TTHA to steward and nurture 40 million acres of habitat land in Texas. Much of this land is privately owned, and the Association strives to ensure that the land is managed with an eye toward its wild residents. The TTHA also supports the Lone Star Bowhunters Association, which advocates for the rights of bow-and-arrow hunters while providing community for participants. Similarly, the TTHA contributes to the National Wild Turkey Federation's Alamo Chapter, which promotes responsible wild turkey hunting and stewardship of the turkey population in the area. Furthermore, TTHA contributions go toward such community groups as the Bulverde Lions Club, City Kids Adventures, and Alzafar Shriners, all of which work to support children and other vulnerable populations at the local level.

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The Basics of Presettlement Funding

As the founder of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, Ray Culp III provides funding for both individuals and businesses. Ray Culp III frequently works with lawsuit plaintiffs to offer presettlement funding on promising cases. Simple in concept, presettlement funding allows an individual or group to borrow against anticipated lawsuit compensation. The process typically begins when a claimant contacts an investment or lending group to inquire whether he or she is a strong candidate for such a loan. For the most part, presettlement funding companies only work with clients whose cases are extremely likely to settle in their favor. This tendency stems from the custom that a client only repays the presettlement loan if he or she receives compensation from the lawsuit. Once the suit has settled, however, the client must pay back not only the original amount borrowed but also any fees and interest on which the lending parties have agreed. For this reason, lenders typically offer a loan amount lower than the anticipated settlement to allow for fees.

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The Texas Trophy Hunters Association Hosts Recent Charity Event

An experienced investment professional, Ray Culp III currently serves as the manager of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, in Brentwood, Tennessee. Ray Culp III is also an experienced fisherman and hunter who maintains memberships in several outdoor-related organizations, including the Texas Trophy Hunters Association. Each year, the Texas Trophy Hunters Association (TTHA) sponsors a variety of events and activities that support the hunting community and other important causes. Recently, the TTHA hosted the second annual Charity Sporting Clay Shoot and Auction. The event took place on March 8th, 2014, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas, and involved a shooting competition, silent auction, and barbecue lunch. The top male and female youth and adult shooters were awarded prize packages, which were furnished by a collection of companies that included Nikon, Browning, and Ambush Firearms. The same companies also donated items for the silent auction. The proceeds from the auction were used to benefit a number of Texas-based nonprofits, including the Military Warriors Support Foundation, Christian Outdoor Alliance, Trinity Oaks Foundation, and City Kids Adventures.

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Record Bighorn Sheep Found in Alberta

As the founder of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ray Culp III primarily seeks out business opportunities that offer an above-average return on investment. A hunter in his leisure hours, Ray Culp enjoys hunting deer and stag and maintains membership with the Texas Trophy Hunters Association. The Boone and Crockett Club announced recently that a deceased bighorn sheep found in Alberta may be the largest in history. Officials are currently investigating the sheep’s skull, which will be returned to the B&C Club to enter into their records. The Club often keeps found trophies (as opposed to hunted trophies) in order to document conservation success, as the size of such animals speaks to the strength of the habitat, sustainability, and effective wildlife management. Biologists surmise that the bighorn died in 2013 at 10.5 years of age. The previous world record bighorn sheep was also found in Alberta, though the species is often associated with habitats across the border in Montana.                            

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Deer Breeding - A Rapidly Growing Livestock Industry

Ray Culp III leads the Tennessee-based Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, as the private equity firm’s manager and founder. Currently, Ray Culp III and Sonador Capital Partners is working to complete due diligence for investment in the whitetail deer-breeding industry, the source of genetically ehanced breeding stock, and trophy quality animals for the commercial hunting operations. Considered one of the fastest growing segments of the alternative livestock industry, whitetail deer farming has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is estimated that there are well over 10,000 deer-breeding facilities currently in operation in the United States, and that number continues to grow on a daily basis. Especially popular in Pennsylvania and Texas, whitetail deer farming has given family farms across the country a new way to generate the income that once came from raising more traditional livestock. The booming industry is also good for the U.S. economy because it generates billions of dollars each year and provides jobs for tens of thousands of individuals throughout the country.

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Things to Do While Visiting Aruba

Founder and manager of Sonador Capital Partners, LLC, Ray Culp III is committed to finding qualified domestic and international business opportunities that offer above-average returns on investment for his clients. When he is not working, Ray Culp III spends time traveling within the U.S. and around the world. He has visited Mississippi, North Carolina, Colorado, and New Mexico for hunting, and has also traveled to Mexico, Canada, and Aruba. The island of Aruba has a wide range of charms for tourists, from its white-sand beaches to its national parks and museums. Although its beaches are the main draw for many, Aruba’s myriad other attractions offer unique insight into the island’s history and culture. For instance, one popular destination is the Alto Vista Chapel, a small Catholic chapel built in 1750 on Aruba’s north shore. The chapel not only serves as a quiet spot for tourists, but is also a good starting point for bike rides and walks. With close to 20 percent of the island being national park land, there is also much terrain to be enjoyed by visitors. Arikok National Park offers breathtaking landscapes and a wide range of plant and animal species. Visitors may explore individually by car, or take guiding hiking tours. Aruba’s butterfly farm and ostrich farm are two more unique attractions, as well; the former boasts a tropical garden full of butterflies from around the world, while the latter lets visitors get up close to the world’s largest living bird.