1 / 23

ACuPowder International, LLC: Manufacturer of Specialty Metal Powders

ACuPowder International, LLC is a leading manufacturer of copper, tin, bronze, brass, and other specialty metal powders. With a focus on atomization, metallurgical reduction, and comminution, ACuPowder serves customers in various industries including automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics.

jlana
Download Presentation

ACuPowder International, LLC: Manufacturer of Specialty Metal Powders

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. ACuPowder International, LLC LBO CASE HISTORY SUCCESS DRIVERS WZCC 2006 AGM January 7, 2007

  2. A SNAPSHOT – PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, APPLICATIONS & MARKETS • MANUFACTURER OF COPPER, TIN, BRONZE, BRASS AND OTHER SPECIALTY METAL POWDERS

  3. A SNAPSHOT – PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, APPLICATIONS & MARKETS • MANUFACTURER OF COPPER, TIN, BRONZE, BRASS AND OTHER SPECIALTY METAL POWDERS • MANUFACTURING PROCESS INCLUDES ATOMIZATION, METALLURGICAL REDUCTION AND COMMINUTION

  4. A SNAPSHOT – PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, APPLICATIONS & MARKETS • MANUFACTURER OF COPPER, TIN, BRONZE, BRASS AND OTHER SPECIALTY METAL POWDERS • MANUFACTURING PROCESS INCLUDES ATOMIZATION, METALLURGICAL REDUCTION AND COMMINUTION • MAIN PLANT IS IN UNION, NJ – 75 EMPLOYEES SECOND PLANT IS IN GREENBACK, TN – 35 EMPLOYEES TOTAL ANNUAL SALES REVENUE IS $75 MILLION

  5. A SNAPSHOT – PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, APPLICATIONS & MARKETS • MANUFACTURER OF COPPER, TIN, BRONZE, BRASS AND OTHER SPECIALTY METAL POWDERS • MANUFACTURING PROCESS INCLUDES ATOMIZATION, METALLURGICAL REDUCTION AND COMMINUTION • MAIN PLANT IS IN UNION, NJ – 75 EMPLOYEES SECOND PLANT IS IN GREENBACK, TN – 35 EMPLOYEES TOTAL ANNUAL SALES REVENUE IS $50 MILLION • ACuPowder’s CUSTOMERS FABRICATE POROUS SELF-LUBRICATING BEARINGS, FILTERS, FRICTION COMPONENTS, DIAMOND TOOLS, BRAZING PASTES, HEAT SINKS, ETC.

  6. A SNAPSHOT – PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, APPLICATIONS & MARKETS • MANUFACTURER OF COPPER, TIN, BRONZE, BRASS AND OTHER SPECIALTY METAL POWDERS • MANUFACTURING PROCESS INCLUDES ATOMIZATION, METALLURGICAL REDUCTION AND COMMINUTION • MAIN PLANT IS IN UNION, NJ – 75 EMPLOYEES SECOND PLANT IS IN GREENBACK, TN – 35 EMPLOYEES TOTAL ANNUAL SALES REVENUE IS $50 MILLION • ACuPowder’s CUSTOMERS FABRICATE POROUS SELF-LUBRICATING BEARINGS, FILTERS, FRICTION COMPONENTS, DIAMOND TOOLS, BRAZING PASTES, HEAT SINKS, ETC. • THESE COMPONENTS ARE USED IN AUTOMOBILES, AIRCRAFT, HOME APPLIANCES, LAWN & GARDEN, HAND TOOLS, AND COMPUTERS

  7. BIRTH OF ACuPowder • GOOD EDUCATION, GOOD JOB, COMFORTABLE LIFE. 1967-1992 • PERIODIC URGES TO START MY OWN POWDER METALLURGY CO. “A GOOD EDUCATION AND JOB SUCCESS WERE ACTUALLY DETERRENTS TO REALIZING MY DREAM” • AN OPPORTUNITY CAME KNOCKING, AND MY LATENT ENTREPRENEURIAL JUICES WENT INTO HIGH GEAR. MY WIFE, NILOUFER, SUPPORTED ME. • IT WAS NOW OR NEVER! I ASKED ALCAN TO SELL THE ALCAN POWDER DIVISION TO ME.

  8. THE DEAL – 1995 • MY INITIATIVE AND PRO-ACTIVE SUGGESTION PAID OFF - Alcan agreed to value our Alcan Powders Division and Edul Daver would have first option to say Yes or No. - It had to be a cash deal. Alcan would not take a note. - I had 6 months to come up with the financing and close the transaction. • VALUATION WAS $12,000,000 AND I SAID “YES” • KEY CHALLENGES - Where was the financing coming from? - How would we improve the company’s performance?

  9. FINANCING • BUSINESS PLAN • BROKERS & DEAL MAKERS – “THANKS BUT NO THANKS” • BANKS & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (30). KEPT LEARNING AS EACH SAID NO. • FINALLY, EUREKA! AN ASSET BASED FINANCING STRUCTURE LOOKED DOABLE.

  10. THE FINANCING STRUCTURE • ASSET BASED LOAN FORMULA - EQUITY . . . $200,000 - LAND & BUILDINGS . . . 80% OF MARKET VALUE - EQUIPMENT . . . 80% OF LIQUIDATION VALUE - RECEIVABLES . . . 85% OF ELIGIBLE A/R - INVENTORY . . . 60% OF ELIGIBLE INVENTORY - AIR BALL . . . CONFIDENCE IN MGMT/PERSONAL GUARANTEE • SELECTED IBJ-SCHROEDER, NYC - TWO TERM LOANS - WORKING CAPITAL REVOLVER - RETAINED 100% OF EQUITY - REASONABLE INTEREST RATES - NO BROKER FEES • HHLBO - DEBT TO EQUITY RATIO. . . 60:1 PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A HIGHLY HIGHLY LEVERAGED BUY-OUT

  11. THE PRODUCTIVITY STRUCTURE • SAME COMPANY WITH A NEW NAME – ACuPowder International, LLC. Only change – high debt load and increased concern/ worry • OFFERED AND GOT SEVEN KEY EMPLOYEES TO BECOME EQUITY PARTNERS • CHANGE GEARS FROM CORPORATE MANAGERS TO ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERS • MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES - EIA. 20% of pre-tax profits to all employees. 25% equal, 25% SB, 25% LOS, 25% Group Perform- ance, readjusted for missed time. - JOB SECURITY. LAYOFFS ONLY IF SURVIVAL WAS AT STAKE Overall goal . . . few good employees

  12. OPERATING PHILOSOPHY SAFETY & QUALITY & ENVIRONMENTALSERVICE PRODUCTIVITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE PURSUIT OF OPPORTUNITY BEYOND RESOURCES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE PRODUCTIVITY = (ABILITY) X (MOTIVATION) ± ENVIRONMENT = [APTITUDE X TRAINING] X [NEED X INCENTIVE] ± ENVIRONMENT CCNCO-EQUAL PRIORITIESO-CO-0 ENTREPRENEURIAL OBM PROFIT SHARING = EIA

  13. WE EXPLAINED BUSINESS AS A FUN GAME - INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES - GUIDELINES, RULES, FLEXIBILITY, PINCH-HIT - TEAMWORK CRITICAL - TERMINOLOGY MEETING . . . . HUDDLES SMALL SUCCESSES . . . . HITS MAJOR SUCCESSES . . . . HOME RUNS/GRAND SLAMS FAILURES . . . . STRIKE OUTS EIA . . . . EXTRA REWARD/SHOW ME THE MONEY - WINNING IS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND BEATING THE COMPETITION. “DO LUNCH, OR BE LUNCH” - PROFITS WOULD FOLLOW

  14. IT WAS MAGIC • RESULTS WERE UNBELIEVABLE AND EVEN SURPRISED US • MARKET SHARE INCREASED FROM 19% TO 40% TODAY (NJ PLANT) • PROFITS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AND EMPLOYEES HAVE RECEIVED EIA’S IN EXCESS OF $10,000/YR./EMP. • IN 2000 WE HAD SUFFICIENT RETAINED EARNINGS TO BUY-OUT A SMALLER COMPETITOR IN TN • ACuPowder MS IS OVER 50%, MAKING US THE DOMINANT #1 IN NORTH AMERICA • WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPORTING TO EUROPE, KOREA, TAIWAN, INDIA AND, YES, CHINA

  15. OPEN BOOK MANAGEMENT • CAME ACROSS A BOOK CALLED “OPEN BOOK MANAGEMENT” BY JOHN CASE. COVER STATEMENT “COMPANIES THAT PRACTICE OBM SEEM TO HAVE CAPTURED SOME SORT OF LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE” • SO WE READ THE BOOK, AND GUESS WHAT? WITHOUT KNOWING IT, WE WERE PRACTICING OBM • HOWEVER, ONE CRITICAL ITEM WAS MISSING AT ACuPowder. WE HAD NOT PROVIDED FORMAL BUSINESS LITERACY EDUCATION TO OUR EMPLOYEES. • A LOCAL COLLEGE PROVIDED A BUSINESS 101 COURSE TO ALL EMPLOYEES – FINANCIAL TERMS, INCOME STATEMENT, ETC. • MOTIVATION & RESULTS IMPROVED FURTHER. IT HELPED EMPLOYEES SEE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHAT THEY DID, THE HOME RUNS, THE STRIKE OUTS, AND THE BOTTOM LINE.

  16. OBM SUMMARY WHAT IS IT? • WAY OF RUNNING A COMPANY THAT GETS EVERY EMPLOYEE FOCUSED ON HELPING THE BUSINESS MAKE MONEY. • EVERY EMPLOYEE MUST DEVELOP BUSINESS LITERACY AND UNDERSTAND COMPANY’S CRITICAL NUMBERS. • EMPLOYEES ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND ARE EMPOWERED TO MOVE THESE NUMBERS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. • EMPLOYEES SHOULD SEE THEMSELVES AS PARTNERS IN THE BUSINESS WITH A DIRECT STAKE IN THE COMPANY’S FORTUNES.

  17. OBM STRATEGY HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT? • INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION - VISION, STRATEGY, TACTICS - OBJECTIVES, MEASURE, CHART - RESULTS & FINANCIALS • BUSINESS LITERACY - BUSINESS BASICS - FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS - BETTER DECISIONS, LESS WASTE • EMPOWERMENT - SAY IN ONE’S OWN WORK - HUDDLES, TEAMS, EXPERIMENT - CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS • STAKE IN SUCCESS - CELEBRATE SUCCESSES - PROFIT SHARE AND/OR EQUITY - ENTHUSIASM AND PEER MOTIVATION

  18. OBM SUMMARY WHY DOES IT WORK? • COMMON GOALS OUTWEIGH PAROCHIAL ONES • FOCUSES ATTENTION, LIKE A LASER, ON OBJECTIVES • FACILITATES INNOVATION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT • HELPS MANAGERS LEAD RATHER THAN MANAGE • FINANCIAL & PEER MOTIVATION • SOURCES OF MISTRUST AND RESENTMENT VANISH • “NOTHING BREEDS SUCCESS MORE THAN SUCCESS ITSELF”

  19. CONCLUSION • YESTERDAY HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. HOWEVER PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE SUCCESS. HUBRIS IS DANGEROUS AND CAN BE LETHAL. • TODAY. WE HAVE TO ACCEPT TODAY’S CHALLENGES AND EARN OUR WINGS EVERY DAY. • TOMORROW. WE HAVE TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THE RESOURCES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

More Related