Raising Capital

The abrupt course change of the U.S. (and global) economy has changed the environment for raising capital – just as the reasons companies seek financing have likely also changed.

CEOs and business owners are facing unexpected and immediate challenges directly affecting the near-term well-being of their employees, their customers, their suppliers – and possibly the long-term profile of their organization. There is no real historic precedent for today’s events to which we can refer for answers – yet we all seek a path that can support our strategic goals for the future.

FOCUS’ experience, network, and consultative process are the right tools for this challenge. The firm has decades of experience in developing solutions for companies through economic cycles, and our value proposition is unique among middle market investment banks. Our position and perspective mean we can provide an objective, fact-based, practical assessment of a client’s situation, and balance the near-term operational impacts of a financing option against the long-term effects of a changed capital structure.

Practically speaking, this means FOCUS uses its tools to:

Understand each client’s short-term issues, underlying economic drivers, current capital structure and long-term goals
Assess the capital needs and review the alternatives
Develop a strategy to go to market for capital, considering sources and timing
Execute – go to the capital markets for solutions

Services

FOCUS leverages the operating experience of its bankers and its deep network in the capital source community to develop and execute solutions tailored for each client’s individual needs.

Solutions

Funding organic growth
Financing acquisitions
Refinancing capital structure
Funding a turnaround plan
Providing partial liquidity to owners
ESOP advisory

Deal Types

Refinancings
Recapitalizations
Leveraged buyouts
Dividend recaps
Acquisition financing
Turnaround/bridge loans
Management buyouts
Equity raises

Capital Type

Asset backed loans
Senior debt
Unitranche debt
Mezzanine debt
Convertible debt
Preferred stock
Common equity

Stressed Situations

M&A Opportunities
Restructuring/ reorganizations
Recapitalizations
Strategic alternatives assessment
Turnaround/bridge loans

Differentiators

Experience

We have helped many companies identify and execute on appropriate, viable, capital raising strategies in challenging times as well as in the favorable markets of recent times.

Industry Expertise

We can ask the right questions quickly, zeroing in on which pieces of a company’s business model are at the heart of the current financing challenge. Identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing the source issues – these are the first steps in developing a practical resolution.

Perspective

A broad view of the current landscape (the immediate cash issues facing many lower middle market companies today) and a deep understanding of the universe of options for sourcing capital suitable for our clients.

Operating Background

As financial advisors with deep operating experience, we bring both skill sets to bear, seeking options that support not only survival in the near term but growth as the economy rebounds in the future.