Case Studies

  • Analysis of the operational activities of the company which is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of products in Israel in the field of wood, learned about the potential for significant savings in the transfer of activity to subcontractors
    The company’s products consist of parts manufactured in the company’s factory, in a factory in China, and through subcontractors in Israel. An in-depth analysis of manufacturing in China showed that it is possible to move a great deal of the production of parts to China and to a sub-contractor in Israel, and concentrate mainly in the painting, assembly, and logistic operations. Instead of being a large manufacturing business sitting on a large and expensive real estate property, the company will become thin and agile sitting on a small “tailor-made” property. The company is also currently examining the transfer of activity of transportation to customers to a leading expert freight company.

  • How we improved the gross margin to customers of a fashion company by more than 20% per year with almost no operational changes.
    The accepted terms of credit in the fashion industry together with the considerable risk level of the players in the industry, created a golden opportunity for the company to improve gross the margin. The company secured an additional credit facility from the bank, which is intended to be used solely for the purpose of making advance payments to its suppliers. Due to the usual credit terms and the risk of the fashion industry, it is possible to obtain a commercial discount of 5%-7% for advancing payments by 90 days. This means a discount of 20%-28% in annual terms! Even if we reduce the cost of raising financing, this is a dramatic gain directly to the gross profit line compared with a marginal increment in financing costs.

  • Cash flow - a mistake in predicting customer preferences caused difficulties to a large company in the textile field in its cash flow with the banks.
    The company is engaged in manufacturing fabrics that it imports before the start of each season. Due to an error in predicting the public's preferences on the subject of colors , the company had a large surplus of fabrics of an unsuitable color. This created a severe cash flow problem because the fabric was neither used in manufacturing nor sold but remained in the company's warehouses. We set up together with the company a detailed plan to realize the fabrics over a period of a year , and based on this plan, we built a cash flow that takes into account the supplementing of fabrics for manufacturing. The cash flow served as a basis for the credit application presented to the bank. During the year, the fabrics were realized, the cash flow returned to the original level, and the credit obtained was repaid in full.

  • A manufacturing company in the food industry gave us a strategic plan with far-reaching effects. We analyzed the economic implications and showed the customer the economic "inability" of its implementation
    The company decided to make a strategic move that included building more products for more prestigious markets including premium market products. For this purpose, it is to build new product lines and differentiate them with branding that is completely different from the company’s existing products. The move was designed to take between one and two years to complete. An analysis of company activity showed that the company would not have enough sources of financing this line of activity to its completion. Accordingly, the company decided on the immediate cessation of the implementation of the strategic plan , and the implementation of a plan for cutbacks and streamlining, focusing on the original core products of the company. This new (old) line of activity was shown to the bank in order to receive its blessing and its assistance in funding during the transition period.

  • Changes in tax laws may turn a deal with a positive cash flow into a default transaction with the financing bank.
    A company engaged in the construction of logistic complexes and leasing them, leased land in 2010 for a period of 25 years. The level of bank financing for the construction of the logistics complex was 85% , and the duration of the loan was designed precisely on the basis of the available cash flow from leases. Companies tax in 2009 was 24%, and was intended to decrease by one percent per annum to 18% in 2016. In 2011, it was decided to freeze the companies tax rate reduction and set it at 25%, and in 2013 it was decided to raise the companies tax rate to 26.5%. The change in tax rate increased the loan repayment period from 8 years to 11 years. Since we set the repayment period of the bank financing initially at 12 years , there was the possibility that the company would not meet its obligations to the financing bank.

  • A large enterprise working with two banks suffered the failure of a large customer that got into difficulties. The bank used "unreasonable" pressure and we responded by the building of an alternative plan and finding another bank to support the company
    After the plant's large customer entered “Chapter 11”, one of the two banks it worked with became “concerned” and returned two checks as a warning. In an accelerated move, we built a plan for restructuring the debts with the factory’s suppliers and based on this a cash flow for the coming year. The cash flow was used as a key element in the framework of a credit application that was prepared with the aim of introducing another instead of the “concerned” bank. The plan was presented to a third bank that agreed on the basis of the plan to replace completely the same bank, and soon the whole credit was transferred between the two banks.

  • A food plant with no sources of credit available decided to purchase a company in a complementary field of activity with the potential for a fast repayment of the investment. Banks are not enthusiastic in supporting this kind of activity, so we had to find creative financial solutions
    Buying a company in a complementary field of activity, involves a potentially rapid return of the investment relative to the risk , but generally requires funding from external sources. Banks are not enthusiastic in providing financing for the purchase of a company or business activity , and therefore the financing side of negotiating to buy a company or activity is so important. In this instance, the transaction included the provision of interim financing with the manufacturers abroad (working capital financing) using the acquired company and its shareholders and only supplementary funding provided by the bank. A control mechanism was set up on the amount interim financing the acquired company provides , and it is supported by a lien on goods in transit until their arrival at the factory’s warehouses.

  • A large commercial company was faced with difficult credit challenges with the banks as a result of acute seasonality. We had to find a highly accurate credit program to strengthen the bank's security
    A large commercial company operates mainly through chain stores with imported products. During the year, there is high volatility in sales before and after the holiday periods. As a result, the working capital of the company increases drastically before the holiday seasons and falls back about three months after the holidays. The company operates on the basis of monthly activity budget that it prepares before the start of each year. The budget, which serves as a basis for ongoing control of the company's operating results compared to the plan , constitutes a basis for an accurate credit request before the beginning of each year. Ongoing presentation of the compliance with budget targets allows the bank to feel comfortable in providing necessary credit lines for the company throughout the seasons of the year.

  • A plant for manufacturing decorative accessories is undergoing accelerated growth – the current bank declined to increase the credit needed to finance growth , so we responded by finding a financial solution that included another bank.
    A plant for the production of unique decorative accessories has consistently increased its volume of activity in recent years , including an increase in export activity and marketing through the Internet. Total credit offered by the lending bank remained constant in recent years. A credit application submitted to the bank that showed that all the company's credit needs were only partially approved , in a way that it would not be enough to service the entire activity of the company. In the company’s application made to an additional bank, approval was received for financing all the credit necessary to the company , but the additional bank approved the credit lines on the assumption that it would fund 50% in the first phase and the remaining 50% through the existing bank. Eventually, approval was received from the existing bank to finance the entire facility required while it took the remaining 50% on itself.