Private Equity & Transaction Services

For many years we have been serving both financial investors and industry clients who are engaged in acquisition activity within and beyond the UK.  We provide transaction support ranging from target identification and due diligence, through to merger integration and post acquisition synergy capture.   Working closely with management teams, we leverage our unique blend of strategic vision, industry experience and operational expertise to deliver results that exceed the expectations of any deal.

Key Issues We Address

• Portfolio Protection Programme; Given the current and forecast market environment, this pragmatic programme ensures that PE portfolio companies survive and thrive over the next few years.  The programme follows five simple steps:
  1. Assess 2009 plans to identify portfolio companies most at risk of breaching covenants or missing EBITDA targets
  2. "Stress test” the 2009 plans by evaluating assumptions and running disaster scenarios
  3. Identify practical, tangible opportunities to positively impact profit in the short term
  4. Develop an implementation programme and structure to deliver value in 2009
  5. Track, measure and deliver

The assessment addresses the following key questions:

• How to address the continuous pressure of input costs?
• How to optimise the customer and product portfolio?
• How to optimise End-to-End Supply Chains?
• How to aggressively address working capital without compromising productivity?
• How to prioritise current Capex investment without compromising future competitiveness?
• What is the right-size, right skills organisation that is required to win in the market place?

• Commercial due diligence; validating future revenue streams through analysis of product and competitor positioning, customer market volumes and trends, and customer perceptions.
• Operational due diligence; validating future costs and identifying improvement opportunities through an assessment of all operational areas.
• Post Acquisition Restructuring; working with financial buyers and management teams to deliver operational improvements identified during due diligence across the entire value chain.
• Post Merger Integration; managing the process of acquisition and integration and the delivery of synergy benefits for our industry clients.
• Portfolio Strategy; identifying and delivering business plan enhancements through operational improvements and consolidation / divestment opportunities on behalf of financial buyers.

We believe that our industry experience, our operational strength, and our ability to work alongside management teams in delivering results, provide clients with a unique quality of support that enables them to identify and generate more value from their acquisition activity.  These skills are becoming increasingly important as competition for deals increases, demanding a greater focus on operational synergies and cost reduction in order to justify higher bid multiples.

For more information on how we can help you, please contact us.