Asad is very happy to report that Saudi Construction Inc. has grown significantly in the last three years through mergers and acquisitions. His family is so proud of him; he is a rich man. However, the problems of managing the business continue, but in different ways. Now, in the 5th of the business, there are still some minority shareholders from some of their acquisitions who make life difficult.
Asad’s industry friends tell him that the best thing to do is get rid of his problems by buying the minority shareholders out. Asad really likes that idea; it would make his life easier now and allow the majority shareholders (whom he controls) to make all the decisions without interference.
Some of Asad’s fellow corporate officers have been secretly talking at lunch about another idea. Why don’t the officers get together and do a management buyout (MBO)? Asad of course is interested because this would make him wealthy beyond all expectations. Of course, the officers will need to borrow a lot of money to do the buyout, but Asad hears there are ways to do it.
Yet trouble is always at the door. A number of the shareholders want to take control of Saudi Construction Inc. away from Asad’s group; they are unhappy with some of the acquisitions and the direction the corporation is going in. The shareholders are threatening a hostile tender offer. They want to go around the board of directors and go directly to shareholders. How can they do that? Asad needs to understand all the tactics these shareholders will employ in a hostile tender offer. More importantly, Asad is a man of action. What can he do to prevent it? If the hostile shareholders want a fight, Asad is prepared to fight. He didn’t work this hard to lose control of Saudi Construction now!
Asad’s friends have told him if he really wants to fight, he must be ruthless. He must create a “poison pill” to make his company’s stock less attractive and thwart the hostile takeover.
(You may refer back to Case Study Scenarios #1 and #2 as needed.)
Action Items