"Partnerships are only justified when they yield substantially better results than the firms could have received on their own"  

Our firm provides a proven pre-partnership model where each company aligns their expectations, and through a detailed scoring process determines the most productive level of partnering. It rapidly establishes mutual understanding and commitment required for a successful partnership and provides a structure for measuring outcomes.

Over the course of 8 hours the potential partnering company executives and key staff members score drivers behind each company’s desire to partner. The model allows members to examine the conditions that facilitate, or hamper cooperation and specifies which type of partnership (see partnership types) has the highest potential for success (Propensity to Partner Matrix). Once the level of partnership is determined, our firm facilitates a detailed action plan for partnership transition and business planning.

Our firm facilitates through scoring drivers and comprehending compatibility between the potential partners. The scoring drivers and planning activities fall under the following categories:

• Aligning partnership expectations between the companies
• Examining conditions that affect cooperation
• Assets & Cost Efficiencies
• Customer Service Enhancements
• Marketing Advantages
• Profit Growth / Stability
• Compatibility of Cultures
• Compatibility of Management Philosophy & Techniques
• Mutuality
• Symmetry
• Shared competitors
• Physical proximity
• Potential for exclusivity
• Prior relationship experience
• Shared end users
• Determining the most productive level of partnering (Propensity to Partner Matrix)
• Providing a structure for measuring outcomes
• Developing an Open Issues Deck (OID) for accountability and activities to implement the relationship

Long Term Agreement Long term supply of material, services, products, space, labor, intellectual property, other assets Special costing Guaranteed supply No cost sharing, no asset sharing, no profit sharing Separate legal entities Customer / supplier relationship Governed by standard customer / supplier metrics Ability to exit if quality, pricing, supply, or service commitments are not met

Strategic Alliance Joint pursuit of common objectives; program specific, project specific, product specific, service specific, customer specific Separate project team assigned – reporting to single project manager and dual project sponsors Agreed upon cost / profit sharing based on program, project cost model Program update / budget report out meetings No shared legal entity Exit can be tied to end of program, or trigger events

Joint Venture Shared" = Separate entity shared accountability Shared buy / sell agreement Shared annual operating agreement Shared financials and accounting functions Shared marketing plan Shared organizational structure CEO / President – reports to shared Board of Directors Shared performance metrics Time limitation (preliminary phase) during which venture must accomplish minimum goals If goals are met the JV automatically proceeds to another phase or a permanent phase

Parties entering into a merger or acquisition transaction use our firm to provide pre-transaction planning, due diligence, transaction structuring, post acquisition integration and procurement of necessary funds. Extensive experience with strategic, financial, and leveraged acquisitions means we provide high value – added to your transaction.

Clients have utilized our firm at all transaction phases, including determining target parameters, initiating confidential contact with transaction partners, locating and negotiating with debt, subordinated debt, and equity sources, determining value, implementing the closing, and managing post-acquisition issues in the human resource, operational, financial, and regulatory areas.

Deliverables:

Target company operational due diligence Transaction structuring Confidential solicitation of buyers Acquirer qualification Financial analysis Operational synergy analysis Market analysis and planning Validation of acquired company’s projections and forecasts Negotiation of non-competition agreements Quality of earnings analysis

EBITDA calculations and verification Financing business plan memorandum Financial projections Obtaining secured debt for acquisition Equity procurement Asset allocation analysis Return on investment calculations Patent position and R&D advantage analysis Post-acquisition accounting and reporting