After battling for six months, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank finally came to an acquisition agreement on March 11 for $1.8 billion, forming the country’s fourth-largest men’s retailer. Men’s Wearhouse expects cost synergies of $100-150 million over the next three years to result from the deal, including the benefit of better purchasing power. While …
Tag: Growth
Growth Strategies for Credit Unions
I was invited to write an op-ed for the Credit Union Times for their focus report on growth strategies. While there are a variety of options to consider when exploring implementing new products and services to grow, credit unions can only grow by meeting the needs of future members. I offer five ways to pursue growth …
Could M&A Slow Down?
A minority of investors have expressed concerns that midmarket activity may actually slow down in 2014, compared with 2013 activity levels. Growth in the middle market may plateau for a few reasons all of which hinge on uncertainty in the economy including sequestration and the ongoing open-discussion over the U.S. debt ceiling. Health-care reform costs …
Focusing On the Right Growth Opportunities
The following question was asked during our most recent webinar, “Discovering Markets.” Q: How do you choose which quadrant of the opportunity matrix to focus on? A: When beginning to plan for external growth, you may be blown away by the sheer number of possibilities and options. As exciting as they may appear, you’ll have …
Expanding in a Declining Market
Verso Paper announced that it would acquire NewPage Holdings in a deal worth $1.4 billion. NewPage rejected a similar offer from Verso in 2012, also valued at $1.4 billion. So what changed this time around? Quite simply, it’s the environment: Both paper companies realize the paper market is shrinking and that’s not about to change …
Capstone Serves as VALET Program Partner for Over 10 Years
Capstone again participated in the VALET Program Partner Roundtable, a program that helps companies throughout Virginia expand their international business. We have been selected as a partner for this award-winning program for more than 10 years. VALET offers a powerful combination of capital resources provided by the state along with professional services from expert, private-sector …
What Apple’s Slower Growth Means for You
Apple’s growth has slowed significantly. USA Today reports that its gross margin dropped for the fifth straight quarter to 36.8% of sales and that iPad sales are down by 16%. Apple CEO Tim Cook has recognized Apple is in a mature, slow-growth market. If a company that grew steadily through the recession and whose stock …
How to Grow Your Company During a Recession
American individuals and corporations are playing it safe, according to The Wall Street Journal, contributing to a slower employment rebound: “[After the recession] of the early 1990s, it took 32 months for payrolls to rebound fully. After the even milder recession of 2001, it took four years. Today, nearly four years after the end of …
Know Your Risk Profile
When you think about your company’s growth, ask yourself, “What is our risk tolerance?” The answer is key to formulating your strategy. You cannot succeed with a plan for growth that pushes too far beyond the level of risk that is acceptable in your company. If you are the sole owner, the level of risk …
The Power of Minority Interest: Microsoft’s Interest in Dell
Although I deal primarily with mergers and acquisitions, acquisition is simply one pathway to external growth and should be considered in a broader context. One of the pathways to external growth to consider is minority interest ownership. Microsoft’s proposed buyout of Dell demonstrates many of the benefits of minority interest ownership, a surprisingly neglected tactic. …
