Harnischfeger’s corporate recovery plan was a four pronged approach that involved (1) changes in top management, (2) cost reductions to lower the break-even point, (3) reorientation of the company’s business and (4) debt restructuring and recapitalization. These changes at first glance appear to have allowed Harnischfeger to improve its financial performance from a net loss of $3.49 per share in 1983 to a net gain of $1.28 per share in 1984. In addition, Harnischfeger has appeared to have achieved a majority of its desired outcomes from each of its four changes as shown below.
• Harnischfeger’s desired outcomes from hiring a new COO and Vice President of Finance and Administration were to re-build investor and creditor faith in the company and show them that it is taking serious actions to improve its performance starting with a new executive team. Investors’ new interest in the company, such as Mr. Peter Roberts, and bankers willing to re-extend credit to Harnischfeger’s after not meeting its working capital, quick ratio, and net worth requirements, illustrated that Harnischfeger was able to improve its image.
• The desired outcomes from cost reductions, such as reducing the workforce by almost half and eliminating management bonuses, are to reduce cost of goods and increase operating income. Although Harnischfeger’s cost of sales (COS) has increased from 1983 to 1984, the company appears to have reduced COS in comparison to sales from 81% to 79%. In addition, it has increased its Operating Income from $62 million in 1983 to $90 million in 1984.
• The desired outcomes from reorientation of the company’s business were to reduce risk of increasing prices, decrease costs and increase sales. These desired outcomes have ap...
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...o renegotiate credit agreements with banks. However, the liquidity was a result of structural changes and would not bring significant effect to the company because it is unusual and infrequent (the extraordinary credits of $15 million fall in this category also). The financial report must be consistent year-by-year. A company should do the same or similar activities, especially operating activities, to generate “money” every year and recognize “money” as its profit. However, this is not the case for Harnischfeger. We are doubtful that the company will perform well in the future. The company recorded modest profit this year because it reduced operating cost not because it increased operating revenue. Since Harnischfeger did not generate its profit by operating activity, it would be too risky to predict if its stock price will reach $6.00 per share in the 1986-87.
In analyzing the common-size balance sheet for Applebee’s, it is noted that the total current assets has jumped from 11% to 14% of the total assets. The total assets for Applebee’s has jumped 6% from 2000 to 2001 driven by increased in the total current assets of 28%. Of those 28% increase, they consisted of 88% increase in the Cash & Equivalents (increased of $10.6 millions) caused by the decreased in the Capital Stock repurchasing in 2001 by Applebee’s. The repurchase of capital stock has decreased by 31% as noted from the year-to-year percentage changes of the Statement of Cash Flow which equivalent to about $11 million dollars. The other current assets increased was from the other Current Assets category; there was an increase of 92% from 2000 to 2001. Due to the higher earnings for Applebee’s, there was an increase in income tax due. A significant component of the increase of other Current Assets was from increased in prepaid income taxes with net deferred income tax asset of $6.7 millions dollars.
The founhder of the company, Godfrey Keebler, started with jus a small bakery in Philadelphia, PA in 1853. During the next two generations, local bakeries popped up around the country, including Strietmann, Hekman, Supreme and Bowman. With the introduction of cars and trucks (carrying the Keebler logo), bakery goods could be distributed beyond the neighborhood and regional distribution began.
...ant improvement. The decline in property, plant, and equipment may be hurting Rondo and contributing to overall inefficiencies. Sales are growing but profits are not. Rondo's costs are too high and need to be reduced. In addition, inventory turns are degrading and inventory reduction strategies need to be investigated. A major problem for Rondo is the number of days it takes to collect accounts receivable. Significant focus is required in this area to free up cash, which can then be used to invest in property, plant, and equipment. These problems areas contribute significantly to an inefficient operation. This inefficiency inhibits profitability at Rondo and has led to a loss of investor confidence. Rondo's sales and net income have grown year over year and if the company can improve its efficiency in the areas noted above, investor confidence can be recaptured.
The Vienna Stock Exchange crash occurred because of the emergence of unstable banks, over speculation and the rapid increase of business. The crash, however, was preceded by a flourishing German and Austrian economy. After Germany’s victory in the Franco-German war a...
Kroger was also an inventor, of food products. What was born in his mother’s kitchen, of just a tangy German sauerkraut has grown into over 30 facilities that manufacture the Kroger brand. Just another example this company meeting its objective to serve and please its customer base. Kroger understood from the very beginning, the value of the customer base, which according to the text Managing Customer Relationships is simply put, is to get, keep, and grow customers and is the very objective of the Kroger brand. Mr. Kroger was a natural born leader and servant and built this concept into the very framework of the company. Every step he took, focused on this premise, and soon he built a successful model that many other merchants fervently attempted to duplicate. The modern supermarket owes it roots to this early adventure in
While Coors was initially the leader in proactive innovation in the industry, the period of 1975-1985 was filled with business model decisions that were thoughtful and controlled, but they were too slow to implement in comparison to their competitors. They started this decade of turmoil with a volume drop of 4% in 1975 by selling only 11.9 million barrels as opposed to the previous year’s 12.3 million barrels. For a company that started with exponential growth in the brewing business, Coors surprisingly fell behind entering markets that their competitors were dominating in the meantime. The longer they took to enter the sector, the light beer market for example, the more market share they lost. Their nationwide expansion took far longer than their competitors as well. All major beer brewery distributors in the industry reached 50 states by 1985 except for Coors. The overall loss in the U.S. market from their slow expansion was totaled to 21%. This was not promising especially for a company who used the cost-leadership approach according to Porters Generic
For one of my selections for buying stock, I invested into Starbucks, this company has attracted me with their wonders of different coffees, and I knew many others were interested in the very popular coffee company. Starbucks all started 1971 in Seattle Washington. With three men which were Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel and Gordon Bowker each of them put in one thousand three hundred and fifty dollars along with a barrowed five thousand from the bank to start up there small coffee shop in pick place market, witch is located in down town Seattle. The name for this company was inspired from the character Starbuck from Moby Dick; this character was a coffee lover. There close friend designed there well known logo. These men never thought of this small company to get large they just thought of it as a small coffee shop. Out of all three men Siegel was the only one that work at it full time. The men depened on a man named Alfred Peet for there coffee beans but soon then started there own blends of coffee beans. With in a year opening the first store they were able to open a second store. When the 1980’s rolled around, it was a thriving company, in the Seattle area. However, the co-founders began to have other interests and were involved in other careers simultaneously. Despite that, the company was about to undergo a major turning point. A man by the name of Howard Schultz started to pursue an interest in the company. He noticed that the coffee shop had a wonderful environment. He started asking a questions and becoming more and more interested by every moment. He loved how the founders had so much knowledge on the coffee and each blend. In 1982, Schultz became director of retail operation. This was just the start to a new phase with the company.
At the Maytag shareholders’ meeting held on May 9, 2002, many shareholders were anticipating an interesting meeting. There were many questions that needed to be answered and Ralph Hake would be the one to answer the questions and ease the shareholders’ mind. Ralph Hake, Chair and CEO of Maytag Corporation, made his speech and voiced two goals. These goals were to return the corporation to the historic earnings levels under Leonard Hadley and exceed those earnings. These goals would take the effort of everyone within the Maytag Corporation to make this possible. His speech spoke of problems that the company had encountered and was addressing. They were not going to let the company lose anymore customers or market share.
James, W. B., & Graham, B. (2004). Strategic change in the face of success? Harley-Davidson, Inc. Strategic Change, 13(4), 205.
However the company was growing but it was accompanied by declining profitability and a significant increase in receivables, inventories, and capital investments in new retail outlets. The cash outflows were financed by short-term loans from Dresdner Bank and by slowing payments to trade creditors. Dresdner Bank reluctantly increased the maximum amount available to the company under its term loan to 12 million Euros from 10 million euro’s. In early 2010, Otto Schroder, Chief Executive Officer, and Annegret Heuermann, the company's Chief Financial Officer, completed a review of the company's financial situation. The company's executives were unsure whether the new credit limit would permit the company to implement its growth strategy, since the company now had a limited amount of cash available to finance additional outlays for working capital and capital expenditures.
The rapid development of media and technology in the world market today has helped companies to sell their products and get in touch with their customers more easily (Rayburn, 2012). However the success of a company depends on many factors, not that only whether it has brilliant advertisement or marketing campaigns. The main aim of a company is to create shareholder’s value which according to Bender and Ward (2008), companies have to manage both well in a trading environment and financial environment in order to do that. Hence, the financial strategy can be seen as one of the most important factors in contributing to the business’s success especially to a large company such as Unilever as it is all about strategic decisions related to raising and manage the funds in the most appropriate manner.
Most companies have their portfolio of businesses scattered through all four quadrants of the matrix. The success is to achieve balance. The goal of the company must be to maintain position in the cows , but also to remember not to reinvest in them too much. The cash generated by the cash cows should be used as a first priority to maintain or consolidate position in those stars which are not self sustaining.
For a marketing orientated business, the findings from any research will be put to use primarily to aid the business in satisfying the needs and wants of its customers; this type of business has become more popular since 1970, where prior to this business’ were production orientated (until the 1950’s) where the business was concerned with improving its distribution methods, and product orientated (until the 1960’s) where the business’ main concern was the product rather than the satisfaction of the customer. The idea of a marketing orientated business has been explored by Fahy and Jobber (2012) who concurred that a market orientated business is one that considers its customers and the external environment to be an intricate part of the business; This type of business will explore the different aspects of the external environment, and take from its observations ways in which it can continue to trade in an effective, profitable way. A marketing orientated business will also use its findings to help it take advantage of any opportunities in a market and to lessen any threats that could be...
A study has been conducted to find the reasoning behind the surprisingly abrupt success decrease. It shows that one of main contributing factor includes a new increase in competitors in the area, which may start to create a rivalry with the industry. Competitors can become a huge danger towards companies since this gives the customers more options when deciding which product to purchase. There have also been new entrants, who of which are creating new and different products that are now available to the customers. Customers are also being persuaded by the power of other companies. This is now becoming a very competitive market, which can have a great effect on the company’s success. Although this is just one factor that seems to be affecting sales, there seems to be more contr...
This paper will explore how the company is fairing under the leadership of its current CEO, Andrea Jung. There are two opposing views regarding the company's current and future success. One group feels that the firm has a promising future with Jung at the helm while the other group does not. This paper will analyze the pros and cons uncovered by each team member and discuss which view prevailed in the debate and why.