Case Studies
Industry: Services, Printing
Primary Services: Turnaround Management, Crisis Management, Interim Management, Financial Forecasting, Strategic Advisory
The Company was a family owned and operated multi-platform, multi-location, regional media company. On a weekly basis the Company reaches approximately 1 million +/- consumers in the 18-44 year-old demographic through print, web, radio broadcasting, and mobile and social networks. The Company is made up of 2 primary functional groups – Print and Radio. The Print group consists of 6+ publications including three “alt-weekly” newspapers, a glossy bi-weekly publication focused on fashion and nightlife, a Hispanic focused weekly community newspaper, and a coffee table / yearbook publication serving primarily the sports industry. The Radio group consists of 4 independent FCC licensed radio broadcasting stations reaching a four state geographic footprint. The balance of the Company holdings consist of a printing company, a mobile & social media marketing company, and an independent technology company serving the personals market. Lastly, many of the Company’s entities are supported by a niche capacity to produce extensive promotional events which leverage multiple segments of the Company with several events produced each year drawing crowds ranging from 50 to 50,000 people. Each company mentioned above represents a unique and separate legal entity with a separate set of accounting ledgers, varied closing dates and year end dates. Initially established as a means for efficient tax planning, the current business structure has become extremely complicated, inefficient, and costly to the ownership group.
Upon arriving at the Company it became very clear, very quickly that the collective companies were in an extreme state of chaos and that neither management nor ownership had any real sense of what to do. The Company had been losing millions of dollars each year for the most recent 5-7 year period, and those losses precipitated when with the steep decline of the advertising industry during the early stages of a drastic recessionary economic period. While attempts had been made to adjust the cost structure of the company (and to some success), the cuts were not deep enough and changes were not happening fast enough. Throughout this period of losses, ownership had supported the company by injecting personal funds. This tactic however was no longer viable.
Initial Key Observations:
Our assessment work product concluded with a recommended restructuring plan including (but not limited to) the outline below. In addition to and as part of the overall plan, our experts were engaged on an interim basis as COO and CFO and as such, led the restructuring process.
Senior Management & Financial
Sales & Marketing
Web & Technical
Other
The company in year one of the restructuring experienced a more than $3 million or 50% improvement over the same prior year period. In year two it is anticipated to be cash neutral reflecting a significant gain over the same prior year period. The results of the overall restructuring and action items highlighted above have reversed a negative trend despite continued economic challenges surrounding the advertising industry. Anecdotally, a very positive morale has returned to the Company with high expectations shared by all as the Company continues to publish significant media product content generating record gross sales.
Brian F. Gleason, CTP
Senior Managing Director
Strategic Advisory Practice
+1 610 659 8118
[email protected]
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