J.S. Held’s Financial, Operational Improvement, Turnaround and Intellectual Property Expertise Benefits Growth Companies and Troubled Businesses

JERICHO, N.Y., October 17, 2024 -- Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, joins subsidiary firms, Phoenix Management and Stapleton Group, in highlighting eleven operational improvement, turnaround, and restructuring client engagements in conjunction with the Turnaround Management Association Annual Conference.

To support growth companies and businesses in distress, J.S. Held has assembled a team of multidimensional experts – leaders whose advice is enhanced by their prior roles as entrepreneurial business owners, C-suite corporate executives, and roles as interim managers. “This prior experience ensures that the strategic and operational guidance to support growth or turnaround clients is not just theoretical but grounded in real-world experience and innovation,” noted Senior Managing Director and Strategic Advisory Practice Leader Michael Jacoby.

Leveraging industry, technology, and business process expertise across J.S. Held, multidisciplinary teams combine specialized technical and financial expertise to deliver highly integrated strategic guidance and detailed plan execution. Specialized technical expertise includes business intelligence, compliance, sanctions & regulatory, construction & real estate, cyber & information governance, political risk & government relations supply chain integrity, and sustainability & ESG, among others.  Specialized financial expertise includes accredited business valuators & appraisers, data analysts, forensic accounting, intellectual property valuation & licensing, and financial reporting, among others. 

With 90% of company value today comprised of intangible assets, Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, brings a unique understanding of the value of intellectual property and other intangible assets to the J.S. Held team supporting clients as they seek to understand and monetize value from their intangible assets. “Beyond intellectual property such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights, we work with growth companies and businesses in distress to leverage other intangible assets such as data, customer lists, government preference rights, among others to realize value in times of growth and to support recovery in times of distress,” adds Senior Managing Director Gregory Campanella.  

Operational Value Creation

J.S. Held provides operationally focused business solutions to address the diverse challenges of companies across a myriad of industries. “Our approach puts our experts at the forefront, transforming organizations with purpose and positioning them for long-term, sustainable growth,” noted Managing Director Rodney Gayle. Gayle continues, “our professionals leverage extensive experience and wide-ranging expertise to deliver strategic and hands-on guidance that establishes stabilizing pillars to build and maximize long-term value.”  J.S. Held experts identify areas of opportunity across the business, develop improvement strategies, and implement them to optimize performance. 

J.S. Held experts leverage a deep understanding of organizational and process enhancements across the operational landscape and utilize proven methods to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Collaborating closely with clients, our experts transform processes, people, and systems to improve operations as demonstrated in the engagements below:

• Security Technology Manufacturer - 
  Experts helped mitigate supply chain, cash flow, and operational issues, improving the company’s manufacturing capabilities and allowing it to deliver past-due backlog and begin commercial production builds.
   
• Family Office Portfolio Advisory – 
  Experts provided strategic advisory and interim leadership for a portfolio of construction and environmental remediation companies, facilitating future growth by identifying and resolving management and operational issues.
   
• Copolymer & Plastic Resin Manufacturer - 
  Operational experts helped to improve the company’s organizational structure, held leadership accountable, and reduced past-due orders following a poorly executed integration of two US manufacturing plants.
   
• Outdoor Products Company - 
  Operational experts provided guidance to navigate growth opportunities, shifting leadership, process improvement, and resource prioritization.
   
• Foreclosed Vineyard Advisory - 
  Experts served as interim advisors to a vineyard with unique operational issues, achieving the lender’s targeted return on its loan by overhauling processes, salvaging inventory, monetizing ready-to-eat grapes, and selling the business as a going concern.

Learn more about the J.S. Held approach to Operational Value Creation here.  

Turnaround & Restructuring

Applying an operationally focused mindset and drawing upon decades of experience in the turnaround space, “We help companies in transition identify practical strategies to improve profitability and liquidity for immediate relief,” explains Joseph Nappi, CTP, an expert experienced leading and assisting middle market companies in a variety of roles such as turnaround manager, investment banker, and financial advisor. Nappi continues, “Concurrently we are developing and executing a comprehensive turnaround plan for long-term, sustainable value creation.”

Turnaround experts collaborate with client management teams, providing hands-on guidance informed by extensive industry and turnaround experience. The leadership we provide assists clients with resource management and the implementation of fundamental changes necessary for performance improvement as demonstrated in the engagements below: 

• Distressed Retail Wholesaler – 
  Experts designed and implemented a strategic plan that returned 100% to the company’s lender, generated a return for shareholders, and preserved jobs by operating and selling the company’s two divisions in separate transactions.
   
• Last-Mile Delivery Company - 
  Experts crafted a customized turnaround solution that improved financial reporting and operational efficiency, which resulted in the company achieving break-even status and profitability.
   
• Retail Cafeteria Chain - 
  Experts served as Interim CEO, Chief Restructuring Advisor, and Treasurer for a retail cafeteria chain. We spearheaded the sale of the company, preserving thousands of jobs, and the secured creditors were paid in full.
   
• Gym Equipment Supplier – 
  Experts served as Interim CEO, CFO, and strategic advisor to a distressed supplier, providing expert guidance through a successful reorganization under Ch. 11 Bankruptcy and returning the company to positive cash flow.
   
• Illiquid Specialty Lender – 
  Expert served as Chief Restructuring Officer, achieving a full recovery for the company’s secured lender and partial recovery for subordinated creditors by renegotiating a forbearance agreement and selling the company.
   
• Developer & Homebuilder - 
  Following a declining real estate market, our experts successfully provided turnaround advisory services through bankruptcy and reorganization for an industry-leading developer and builder of high-quality, single-family homes and townhouses.

Learn more about the J.S. Held approach to Turnaround and Restructuring here.  

Across work in operational improvement, turnaround, and restructuring, J.S. Held’s mandate is set by boards of directors, private and public companies and their counsel, family offices, private equity sponsors, regulated & non-regulated lenders, and other stakeholders within the capital structure. 

Our multidisciplinary approach, overseen by seasoned experts, is enriched by a legacy of operational focus and thousands of engagements.  We consider situations from a 360-degree perspective and craft solutions that are comprehensive and achievable. Experts across the company build confidence and trust among client stakeholders through transparency, credible financial and operational plans, and open communication. 

Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts who help transform J.S. Held, explore our story, and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.

About J.S. Held

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.
 

More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including, 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.