Our Experience

Clearview’s principals and partners bring over 100 years of experience advising and operating leading food and beverage companies.

CASE STUDIES

Sale Of a Private Company to a US Public Company

The Situation:

Our client was a Canadian entrepreneur and had built a highly successful business. After multiple approaches by a larger US-based consolidator in the industry, they agreed to entertain discussions about selling the business.

How We Helped:

1) Preparation – We quickly got up to speed on the business and helped the owner answer key questions: what is a fair value for the business? What areas of the business to focus on? Are there other potential buyers?

2) Bringing a team – Our client needed sophisticated legal and tax advice. We used our relationships with preferred partners to bring the right advice, at the right price, to get the deal done.

3) Negotiation & closing – We led the negotiation on our client’s behalf and successfully improved the value and terms of the offer. We took on the heavy lifting through due diligence and negotiating of binding agreements, allowing our client to remain focused on business performance. Our experience in these matters helped our client feel comfortable and confident they had received a fair offer for their business.

Integration Planning for Private Equity Portfolio Company

The Situation:

Our client was a leading US-based PE investor in the food industry (over $3bn AUM) who identified a value accretive bolt-on acquisition for an existing high-growth portfolio company. Management in the portfolio company needed to remain focused on their ongoing internal growth projects and had limited acquisition or integration experience.

The Solution:

1) Due diligence support – We quickly got up to speed on both businesses and supported the deal team in key due diligence meetings providing industry specific insights. Spending time with both companies allowed us to provide an independent perspective on the optimal integration strategy.

2) Integration planning – We developed a detailed integration program that addressed business risks identified during due diligence and captured deal value-drivers (synergies) out of the gate, while considering a long-term road map for a more fulsome integration.

3) Deal document support – In conjunction with the highly experienced deal team and counsel, we prepared the key business terms of crucial transaction documents to form part of ongoing services between buyer and seller. Our experience working through Transition Services Agreements (TSAs) helped bring a pragmatic and business-oriented view that made the agreements workable while protecting our client’s interests.

Helping Secure Funding to Buy a Company

The Situation:

Our client was an experienced operator and manager who worked in the organization for nearly 20 years. They envisioned a growth strategy for the business and wanted to make a proposal to buy the company from the current owners.

The Solution:

1) Preparation – After quickly getting up to speed on the business, we assessed opportunities to improve profitability, understand valuation, and analyze its financial profile to determine what types of funding were available and most suitable.

2) Securing the funding – We confidentially positioned the opportunity to the right potential debt and equity sources to finance an offer. We acted as the point of contact for their due diligence, allowing our client to remain focused on their day-to-day responsibilities.

3) Making the offer – Using the valuation and strategy we developed, we prepared an offer for our client. We led the negotiation of all aspects of the deal and concluded a successful transaction for our client.

Private Company Sale Readiness

The Situation:

Our client, a leading private label manufacturer, supplying retailers in Canada and internationally, was evaluating the timing of a potential sale of the business. The company was highly entrepreneurial and had grown quickly during its history. Our client was looking at ways to increase the performance and predictability of the business, with the goal of creating incremental value in a sale process and optionality in terms of timing.

How We Helped:

1) Pragmatic corporate governance – We helped establish an advisory board (including sitting on the advisory board) to help create a more structured process to review the business performance and shift to a more proactive framework for planning short and long-term.

2) Executive recruiting & compensation – Following the unplanned departure of a key executive during our engagement, we filled the role on an interim basis and helped identify and recruit the full-time replacement from our network in the food industry. We subsequently worked with the shareholders and board to design and implement and long-term incentive plan for the client’s management team.

3) Strategic planning – We facilitated the development of a multi-year growth and investment strategy that incorporated insights from internal and external resources and ultimately formed a vital piece of the sales narrative when it came time to engage with potential buyers.