Categories
Case Study

Drayage Trucking Company

Case Study

Drayage Trucking Company

Transportation company primarily providing drayage services to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Revenue

$18 million

Industry

Transportation

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Bankruptcy, Distressed M&A Support

Situation

The company was incurring significant legal costs in a dispute with the Teamsters, had lost its two anchor tenants at its warehouse, and was in dispute with the state of California over the classification of its drivers as independent owner-operators.

Accomplishments

  • Performed a comprehensive business assessment, including operations, capital structure, financial condition, cash flow and liquidity and short- and long-term prospects of the company

  • Developed restructuring opportunities, including cost reductions, operational improvements, working capital improvements, revenue improvements, management, and personnel changes.

  • Supported owners and stalking horses desire to effectuate a sale transaction under Section 363 of the bankruptcy code.

  • Prepared pre-Chapter 11 schedules and provided information in support of the first day motions and other pleadings in the case.

  • Managed the Chapter 11 proceeding and assisted management with preparing and responding to various information requests with parties-in-interest.

Categories
Case Study

Oil Refining and Commodity Trading

Case Study

Oil Refining and Commodity Trading

Independent oil refining and commodity trading company, refining 200,000 barrels per day of crude oil to gasoline and other products.

Revenue

$1.5 billion

Industry

Oil & Gas

Services Provided

Enterprise Performance Improvement

Situation

East Coast refinery of major oil company had been underperforming for many years and was acquired by an independent producer. Managed the post-acquisition integration, and 25% cost reduction over refinery operations, plus the build-out of back-office support for East Coast-based commodity trading operation.

Accomplishments

  • Enterprise performance improvement project involving process redesign of all major workflows and maintenance operations throughout refinery, resulting in a 25% reduction in labor force while also increasing uptime and throughput of refinery. Nearly doubled throughput with a combination of targeted capital expenditures and changes to process workflows.
  • Managed the transition of financial systems to support accounting and trading operations, including the hiring of key accounting and back office personnel.
Categories
Case Study

Rural Telecommunications

Case Study

Rural Telecommunications

Provider of rural telecommunications including terrestrial, cellular, and undersea cable.

Revenue

$150 million

Industry

Rural Telecommunications

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Capital Sourcing

Situation

U.S. Government agency funded build-out of rural telecommunication operator for five island operations. Delays in build-out result in less than expected revenues and inability to service governmental loans of $120 million and bond debt of $180 million. Multiple budgets and projections were significantly inaccurate, and debtholders had lost confidence in management team provide accurate cash flow forecasts and timely/accurate period-to-period financial statements.

Accomplishments

  • Successfully worked through detailed restructuring process involving negotiations with departments of Agriculture and Justice to a reach a global settlement, allowing management runway to complete a refinancing/sale of the business.
  • Assisted with working capital management including 13-week rolling cash flow forecasts and development of detailed financial budget projections including buildup of historical financial and operational detail to support analytics needed for prospective capital sources.
  • Assisted managed with building out a detailed budget model and operating forecast to support sales growth and cost structure containment, supporting a 5-year strategic plan.
  • Sourced investor capital options for joint venture and completion of network buildout.
Categories
Case Study

Digital Signage Company

Case Study

Digital Signage Company

National provider of digital signage hardware, software, and services.

Revenue

$30 million

Industry

Digital Technology, Software

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Distressed M&A Support

Situation

After experiencing continuing losses without an exit, secured lenders foreclosed on company. The lenders preferred a quiet restructuring to discontinue part of the business while seeking a path to relaunch the remaining business.

Accomplishments

  • Presented various wind-down strategies assessing risks, costs, and benefits of each.
  • Developed alternative liquidation analyses to support creditor negotiations.
  • Took the lead role in negotiating settlements with the major unsecured creditors to achieve an out-of-court wind-down.
  • Provided interim CFO services to bridge through the wind-down, assist with audit committee reporting, developed pro forma “carve-out” financial projections and transitioned the company to a new management team.
  • Managed the sale transaction of the go-forward business.
Categories
Case Study

Technology Manufacturer

Case Study

Technology Manufacturer

Technology development and manufacturing company.

Revenue

$1 billion

Industry

Technology, Manufacturing

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Distressed M&A Support

Situation

Failed product launch resulted in severe operating losses and liquidity limitations which prevented ability to relaunch reformulated product. Leverage/hedge fund lender forced foreclosure because of loss in confidence over management actions. Management walked out when lender refused to finance product launch without adequate financial documentation or explanatory support.

Accomplishments

  • Served as Chief Restructuring Officer to sustain technology operations and preserve value of operating assets for sale. Secured lender initially expected a liquidation with a low percentage recovery against outstanding loan balance which became a full recovery of value.
  • Identified upside value in technology that had been developed and was ready to be launched but needed working capital. Maintained core personnel and technology development team in place to support value for prospective bidders. Coordinated preservation of technology and launch ready capabilities as part of a quick sale process.
  • Sale process resulted in sufficient value to pay-off secured lender, bond debt and all unsecured creditors; approximately a five-fold increase in value over expected liquidation value.
Categories
Case Study

Hair Salon Retail Chain

Case Study

Hair Salon Retail Chain

Beauty salon chain operating under various brands.

Revenue

$76 million

Industry

Retail, Cosmetics & Beauty Care

Services Provided

Insolvency, Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC), Fiduciary

Situation

Family office was unable to improve four-wall contribution post-acquisition with planned shift to higher-end services and streamlining of support costs. 

Accomplishments

  • Performed a detailed analysis of various operating strategies based on different numbers of locations to keep open, the remaining lease terms and the projected performance of each location.
  • Based on a detailed review of the operating and financial details supporting the four-wall operating contribution and the back-office costs to support the smaller footprint, determined the resulting platform was insufficient to realize the targeted level of profitability.
  • Compared liquidating under Chapter 11, assignment for the benefit of creditors (“ABC”) and other wind-down options and ultimately the Company agreed with the proposal to liquidate through an ABC.
  • Assisted in preparing the company for the assignment and acted as financial advisor to the assignee.
Categories
Case Study

Community Healthcare Clinics

Case Study

Community Healthcare Clinics

Non-profit, 31 community-based healthcare clinics.

Revenue

$118 million

Industry

Healthcare, Retail

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Enterprise Performance Improvement, Capital Solutions

Situation

Deep covenant default resulting from substantial operating loss, excessive leverage, and non-compliance of loan and financial reporting requirements. Management had prepared a plan to remediate the business operations but was unable to reconcile planned improvements to obtain profitability. Company asked to exit bank because of excessive debt and significant operating losses.

Accomplishments

  • Completed detailed historical financial data analytics to determine root causes of operating losses.
  • Evaluated the company’s existing turnaround plan; monitored and communicated progress to lenders and stakeholders.
  • Developed, implemented, and monitored 13-week forecast model as a tool to monitor cash collateral roll-forward on working capital, and debt service and amortization on a complex $98 million debt structure for the lender group.
  • Assisted the company in developing a detailed budget model, based on a roll-up of 31 locations and operating unit detail, including encounters, adjustments to rates, staffing levels, and tracking of Medical, Medicare, and governmental grants.
  • Completed a thorough analysis of operations to identify additional performance improvement processes, including reduction of labor costs, improvement of service efficiency, establishing performance objectives by service division.
  • Developed and managed exit financing presentation and diligence materials for a $17 million refinancing with potential lenders.
  • Using combined financial and operating data analytics, EMAGroup was able to evaluate trends from comparative historical performance, and to evaluate service line and operating unit profitability.
  • Advised senior management team on strategic decision making; providing management with appropriate data and associated analytics to make informed decisions.
Categories
Case Study

Paratransit Service Provider

Case Study

Paratransit Service Provider

Private equity-controlled paratransit services business serving a large metropolitan area.

Revenue

$18 million

Industry

Transportation

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Capital Solutions

Situation

Covenant default resulting from continuing operating losses and non-compliance of loan and financial reporting requirements. Compounded by senior lender’s growing impatience with management’s inability to execute on an operating plan. As a result, lender asked Company to exit the bank through a refinancing or other acceptable plan.

Accomplishments

  • Using the company’s financial and operating data, evaluated divisional and customer profitability. Identified key areas of potential improvement, including reduction of labor costs, repairs and maintenance cost and procedures, contract pricing/bid management, and dispatching efficiency. Based on analysis, recommended that one division should be closed and/or sold.

  • Developed and executed the divisional wind-down plan and simultaneously “right-sized” the remaining division for profitability.

  • Assisted in selling the assets for the closed division and paying down the company’s senior facility.

  • Completed exit financing to new lender for approximately $7 million.

  • Prior year loss to positive EBITDA of approximately $1.5 million in a 9-month cycle.

  • Served as interim financial management while successfully finding a replacement CEO and CFO.

Categories
Case Study

Paper Products Manufacturer

Case Study

Paper Products Manufacturer

Family-owned business operated by second generation. Paper converter and producer of household and commercial paper products.

Revenue

$100 million

Industry

Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Enterprise Performance Improvement, Capital Solutions

Situation

Deep covenant default resulting from ($5 million) operating loss and non-compliance of loan and financial reporting requirements, compounded by management’s inability to explain causes of operating losses or how to fix them. As a result, lender asked them to exit the bank through a refinancing or be sold through a court proceeding.

Accomplishments

  • Completed deep turnaround process within 12-month period, including reduction of labor costs, management of price increases, improvements in production workflows and equipment utilization; based on use of data analytics to pinpoint issues and improvements.

  • Completed exit financing to new lender for $17 million credit facility.

  • Using combined financial and operating data analytics, EMA was able to evaluate trends from comparative historical performance, and to evaluate product line and customer profitability. Customers had shifted buying patterns as pricing was increased, resulting in only 50% of pricing increases taking effect.

  • Labor content had increased significantly in key products even with new production machinery. The Company had focused on total labor cost and not on expected unit labor costs so while some products were produced more efficiently, the labor content shifted to other products that were not being closely monitored.

  • Machine downtime and changeover time was much higher than expected. To save money, management held off on upgrades and repairs which resulted in reduced throughput. Lack of proper production planning resulted in inefficient short production runs, higher material content costs, and frequent changeovers.

Categories
Case Study

Midwest Furniture Retailer

Case Study

Midwest Furniture Retailer

Family-owned, Midwest- and mountain states-based furniture retailer with 24 stores.

Revenue

$190 million

Industry

Retail

Services Provided

Turnaround & Business Restructuring, Enterprise Performance Improvement, Capital Solutions

Situation

Transition of family-owned business to second generation was followed by a downturn in sales and profitability. Family members who inherited and were then responsible for managing the business were unfamiliar with retail operations. Because of operating losses and issues related to non-compliance on bank reporting covenants, incumbent lender asked that company find a replacement lender.

Accomplishments

  • Served as Chief Restructuring Officer to the CEO and operating team. Conducted detailed four-wall analysis of stores, including reallocation of resources, staffing, and closure of selected locations.
  • Worked with operating team to standardize sales practices across stores and inventory management programs and help guide revised promotional and advertising programs.
  • Worked with operating team to set up a private label product line that had significantly higher gross margins, leveraging the 70-year-old regional brand.
  • Returned business operations back to profitability within six months and refinanced $20 million line of credit with new bank lender.