Company Overview
The Company was a $200 million distributor of foodservice items, packaging and janitorial supplies.
The Company operated out of 7 distribution facilities, including one in the Northeast.
The Company was a previously larger foodservice business being strategically exited over the past 3+ years in order to concentrate on packaging and janitorial and sanitation supplies.
Engagement Overview
Problems with the implementation of a new ERP system and poor accounting records led to significant under-reporting of losses and bad information. The loss of a major customer and the inability to secure additional capital led to a liquidity crisis and the inability to purchase needed inventory from vendors, causing the Company to wind-down operations.
FDP was initially engaged to sell non-strategic foodservice divisions. FDP sold the Company’s East Coast division, at a premium to book value.
FDP’s detailed review of the system quickly identified the implementation and data irregularity issues:
–FDP created a tactical plan to correct the errors;
–FDP led the “clean-up” of financial records, resulting in the identification of over $3 million in previously unrecorded losses;
–Identified corrective measures for ERP implementation and accounting issues related to inventory costing and receipt errors, transfers between divisions and payables accounting; and
–Recruited a new CFO and worked hand-in-hand in correcting all of the implementation issues.
Met with the bank to discuss the status of the business and negotiated a bank supported wind-down plan:
–Sold two operating divisions as going concerns;
–Developed employee led inventory sales efforts, including sales force incentive plans; and
–Interviewed and assisted in the selection of the inventory liquidation consultant.
Results
Gained approval of the Board and bank to wind-down the operation out of court:
–Sold two divisions as “going concerns” during wind-down; and
–Consolidated divisional AR collections efforts at headquarters, resulting in better than anticipated realization.
Initiated Company led efforts that resulted in approximately $9 million of inventory sales at values near book, leaving only $3 million of inventory for the liquidation sale.