SERVICES

Divestitures
Acquisition Programs
Corporate Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures
Due Diligence

SERVICES: Aquisition Programs

Tucker is often engaged to conduct comprehensive acquisition programs on behalf of its clients. These engagements, typically initiated by the client’s CEO, commence with an analysis of the strategic options facing a company. When it is sufficiently determined that growth via acquisitions is the best strategy (a process which Tucker sometimes spearheads but always participates in), Tucker commences a thorough evaluation of the target industry and its competitive structure. Tucker gets inside the industry in question, develops profiles of the key players, identifies the success factors and the industry dynamics. All the players are identified, both public and private, and a detailed competitive database is built. We help our clients develop a working acquisition screen which is then applied to the database to identify promising candidates. The screened candidates are ranked by acquisition selection criteria and a strategy for approaching potential candidates is carefully devised.
Rarely are target companies for sale. It is necessary to make a compelling case to a target company as to why a relationship with our client is in their best long-term interest. Tucker manages the initial approach with great care and patience and brings the target company to the table with realistic enthusiasm for further discussions. Having convinced our targets of the wisdom of an alliance, Tucker spearheads the crafting of a deal as well as the comprehensive negotiations which follow. Tucker coordinates all aspects of the negotiation process right through to close and typically assists the client in creation of a comprehensive post-acquisition transition plan.

An indication of Tucker’s thoroughness in its acquisition efforts is the frequency with which we have been asked to participate in assisting in the ongoing management of an acquisition post closing. Tucker has, and continues to, actively participate in monthly management meetings for many of the acquisitions we closed. We have completed successful acquisitions for companies like Torstar (nine companies over 7 years which established them as the 4th largest supplemental educational publisher in the US, followed by two more in 2003 and 2004), Bayard Press (the world’s largest Catholic publisher’s first acquisition in the US, followed by two more in 2003 and 2004), and The National Geographic (Trails Illustrated and Wildflower Productions, the first two acquisitions since its founding in 1888).