Darden, the restaurant operator (Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Capital Grille ) sold Red Lobster a few months ago. The acquirer was / is Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, that also holds California Pizza Kitchen. Eddie Bauer, Zales and other consumer facing businesses. Golden Gate was formed by… Continue reading Red Lobster – In a Pinch, Clawing Its Way to the Bottom
Category: M&A
What Time Is It in the Bubble?
What’s a bubble? Wikipedia defined the dot-com bubble of the 90’s as: The dot-com bubble (also referred to as the dot-com boom, the Internet bubble and the information technology bubble) was a historic speculative bubble covering roughly 1997–2000 (with a climax on March 10, 2000, with the NASDAQ peaking at 5,408.60 in intraday trading before closing at… Continue reading What Time Is It in the Bubble?
Another Win for Private Equity and a Loss for America
Rumor today that a deal will be announced Monday, September 22, that Russian brewer Oasis Beverages will pick up Pabst Brewing for USD $750 mil. In addition to Pabst, the company contracts and distributes Schlitz , Colt 45, Old Miwaukee, and a couple dozen other brands. Private equity group TSG, who likes picking up “orphan… Continue reading Another Win for Private Equity and a Loss for America
What’s Wrong With Alibaba?
The Chinese web company made history today, with the richest IPO ever, bringing in an anticipated USD $21 billion + valuing this middle-man company at over USD $200 billion, giving it a larger valuation than its nearest rival, Amazon. If you’re not familiar with Alibaba, it’s a Chinese based group of internet-based e-commerce companies, including… Continue reading What’s Wrong With Alibaba?
The Evil of Private Equity Deals in America
Having been born and raised in the country that changed the world with its manufacturing ability, capacity and innovations, I have no respect for the primary industry of the America of today – the business of moving money from one point to another, and making money off of the move. Particularly this week, I have… Continue reading The Evil of Private Equity Deals in America
The Wisdom (?) of Very Young Officers Heading Multinationals
So Burger King has a 32 year old CEO, Daniel Schwartz, who has no previous industry experience. Fresh from his grueling undergrad education, Schwartz went to Wall Street as an M&A analyst, made a couple of other stops before joining 3G (Burger King’s private equity owner) as an analyst in 2005. A few years later,… Continue reading The Wisdom (?) of Very Young Officers Heading Multinationals
What I’ve Been Up To Lately
The past months have been spent on site at a Pacific NW (US) industrial services company, in the B2B category. My role was to analyze the company, recommend growth strategies, and identify outside financing sources. Within ninety days for starting to look for money, I was able to locate and bring to the table five… Continue reading What I’ve Been Up To Lately
Are You Contemplating Becoming an Angel?
(Caveat: I am not an attorney, accountant, or licensed professional in any regard; before contemplating any financial transaction, you should seek the advice of trusted professionals. The following is strictly my opinion.) I saw an interesting deal this week which didn’t make me very happy. A second stage start-up that I am aware of filed… Continue reading Are You Contemplating Becoming an Angel?
“The Biggest Lie for Entrepreneurs…”
A prominent lawyer once told me, “Is the ones they tell themselves everyday.” I’m pondered this for a few years. I thought I knew what he was referring to at the time, but I have a much clearer idea these days. I have a clearer idea, because even tho I tell potential new clients “think… Continue reading “The Biggest Lie for Entrepreneurs…”
Where to Find Money in Tough Times
Your chances of getting a multi-million $ check from a big VC are kind of the same as winning the lottery – tho you would fare better with the lottery than giving away the store to an outside investor. If you’re ready for round 2, and have exhausted the F,F, & F group, there’s still… Continue reading Where to Find Money in Tough Times