Mergers & Acquisitions
January 25, 2023
Serta Simmons Files for Chapter 11
Serta Simmons Files for Bankruptcy Amid Financing Controversy
Amelia Pollard and Luca Casiraghi
Tue, January 24, 2023 at 2:54 PM EST·4 min read
(Bloomberg) — The emergency funding that Serta Simmons Bedding received during the pandemic triggered a blowback that the company is still struggling to recover from.
The mattress manufacturer filed for bankruptcy on Monday, after clashes with lenders including Apollo Global Management Inc. left it with no other options for cutting its debt load while grappling with an economic slowdown that is crimping sales. Serta said the Chapter 11 filing will allow it to continue operating while it fixes its balance sheet, cutting debt to $300 million from $1.9 billion.
When the pandemic was raging in 2020 and the US economy had broadly shut down, Serta Simmons got $200 million of rescue financing to help it stay in business. The funding came from a group of lenders including Eaton Vance and Invesco Ltd., and featured a twist: the firms would be among the first in line to get repaid if the company failed.
Lenders excluded from that financing, including Apollo and Angelo Gordon & Co., responded by suing, arguing that other creditors had violated lending agreements by jumping ahead of them in the line to be repaid. Litigation tied to the transaction is still going on.
The mattress maker, assembled over a decade by private equity firms, faced heavy debt maturities this year. Alongside its Chapter 11 petition, Serta filed a lawsuit asking its bankruptcy judge to bless the 2020 financing that triggered litigation. Settling the fight over that deal is “critical” to the mattress maker’s restructuring, the company said in its lawsuit. The company’s planned deal is backed by a majority of lenders and shareholders.
Plan Details
The Serta litigation was the beginning of a series of clashes between lenders and companies with heavy debt loads that were struggling to navigate the pandemic. Creditors said that companies were pitting lenders against one another to get cheaper funding, and were hurting investors in the process.
Now Serta is trying to fix its financial difficulties with a bankruptcy plan that calls for repaying high-ranking lenders with new debt and stock in the restructured company, court papers show. Holders of more than $830 million of so-called first-lien-second-out debt are slated to get most of the company’s equity.
Loans pushed back in the repayment line in 2020 — more than $860 million of debt — would get a single-digit share of the stock in post-bankruptcy Serta. The plan also calls for paying the company’s continuing vendors in full, as long as they agree to favorable trade terms.
Nearly all of its top unsecured creditors are suppliers, with the top one listed owed more than $17 million, the filings show. The plan requires bankruptcy court approval and could change.
The creditor group has agreed to provide $125 million in the form of an asset-based loan to help the company fund itself in bankruptcy. Serta has also secured a commitment of $125 million in the same form once it exits bankruptcy.
The firm listed assets of $1 billion to $10 billion and liabilities in the same range in its petition. The company’s debt, which stems from a roughly $3 billion leveraged buyout by Advent International in 2012, has hobbled the retailer. Confidential talks over a restructuring plan started late last year, Bloomberg earlier reported.
Serta is working with advisers Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Evercore Group and FTI Consulting, according to the statement. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and Centerview Partners are advising creditors, while Ropes and Gray are working with Advent.
Joining Forces
The mattress giant’s start can be traced back to the 1870s along the shores of Lake Michigan. There, Simmons first started producing coil spring mattresses, John Linker, the company’s chief financial officer, said in court papers.
The firm grew over the next century until it filed for bankruptcy during the fall-out of the financial crisis. Soon after, the firm combined with competitor Serta to establish the new company, Serta Simmons. In 2018, the company acquired Tuft & Needle, a maker of mattresses that get packaged in boxes and shipped directly to consumers’ homes.
Today, the firm is one of the largest mattress companies in the US, accounting for 19% of annual bedding sales, according to court papers. It operates 21 manufacturing facilities across the US and Canada and sells mattresses at 2,200 independent retailers.
But selling mattresses has grown more difficult, according to Serta. Rising interest rates have weighed on consumer spending, and the company has faced higher raw material costs and supply chain disruptions.
The case is Serta Simmons Bedding LLC, 23-90020, US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
https://www.yahoo.com/now/mattress-maker-serta-simmons-files-044757930.html
January 24, 2023
Mearthane Recapitalization
Alantra advises Mearthane Products Corp. on a recapitalization by Compass Group Equity Partners
SECTORIndustrials
ServiceM&A
Dec 2022https://www.alantra.com/ib-transaction/mearthane-products-corporation-sell-side-advisory-compass-group-equity-partners/
Sell-side advisory
Boston – Alantra, a leading global investment bank and asset management firm, is pleased to announce that Mearthane Products Corporation (“MPC”), a leader in proprietary, branded urethane-based technology, has been recapitalized by Compass Group Equity Partners (“CGEP”). The deal closed on December 23, 2022, and financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in North Providence, Rhode Island, in 1965, MPC is a leader in the development and manufacture of polyurethane elastomers with a specific focus on advanced thermoset products for use in high performance applications. With an emphasis on urethane technology, partnership, quality, and community, MPC produces high performance parts including belts, rollers, wheels, seals, and enclosures for diverse end markets such as medical & analytical testing, digital printing, vehicle platforms, and sports & recreation.
“We are very pleased with Alantra’s teamwork and guidance throughout this process,” said Kevin Redmond and Peter Kaczmarek, the shareholders of MPC. “Alantra was a committed advisor from start to finish, and clearly delivered on our objective of finding a partner for the next chapter of growth for MPC.”
Paul Colone, Managing Director & Partner with Alantra, said, “We are very pleased to deliver on the MPC shareholders’ objectives to form a new partnership to support their active pipeline of M&A and organic growth opportunities. We have a very active practice in Specialty Materials and MPC meets the definition in every respect due to their focus on developing technical solutions for high performance applications.”
Alantra Director Jon Tetirick continued, “MPC has found an excellent partner in CGEP and we look forward to following the new owners as they continue to execute on MPC’s M&A add-on strategy in what is sure to be an exciting and rewarding future ahead.”
MPC represents another strong credential supporting Alantra’s expertise with Specialty Materials and Industrials. In addition to Mr. Colone (Boston), and Mr. Tetirick (Boston), the Alantra team advising MPC included Sam Worley (Associate, Boston), and Alif Kanji (Analyst, Boston).
www.alantra.com/what-we-do/investment-banking/transactions/?sector=industrials
Read more here: https://www.cgep.com/news/2023/compass-group-announces-strategic-partnership-with-mearthane-products-corporation
January 12, 2023
Univar Discussions
Univar gains amid report about interest from PE firms Apollo, Platinum
Jan. 11, 2023 3:17 PM ETUnivar Solutions Inc. (UNVR)APO, BNTGFBy: Joshua Fineman, SA News Editor1 Comment
Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE:UNVR) rose 3.4% amid a report that private equity firms including Apollo Global (APO) and Platinum Equity may be interested in a takeover of the US chemical distributor.
The PE firms are evaluating offers and potential buyers are holding discussions with Univar (UNVR) this month, according to traders, who cited a Bloomberg report. The talks are early and Univar hasn’t decided if it will sell itself.
The report comes after Brenntag (OTCPK:BNTGF) last Monday said it ended talks to acquire rival chemical distributor Univar (UNVR).
Univar indicated last Monday that it will continue talks relating to other indications of interest that have been received with respect to a potential transaction. Univar (UNVR) is said to have received takeover interest from multiple strategic buyers valuing the company at around $40/share, according to a Street Insider report at the time.
In late November activist Engine Capital, which disclosed it had a ~1% stake in Univar, said the company should start a competitive sales process that invites additional parties to bid for Univar besides Brenntag.
Engine Capital highlighted a letter it sent to Univar’s board in October and estimated that Univar (UNVR) may be worth $38-$44/share in a takeover.
January 10, 2023
Mattress Firm Pulls IPO
Mattress Firm pulls IPO plans amid recessionary fears
Jan. 10, 2023 4:20 PM ETSteinhoff International Holdings N.V. (STHHF)WMT, AMZN, TPX, SNBR, SSB, W, PRPL, MFRMBy: Val Kennedy, SA News Editor
Mattress Firm (MFRM) has pulled plans for an initial public offering as retailers brace for a possible recession later this year.
The mattress retailer first filed for the IPO in January 2022, indicating it was looking to raise $100M, a number that was likely a placeholder and subject to change. Shares were expected to trade on NYSE under the symbol MFRM.
The IPO would have marked a return to the public markets for Mattress Firm, which was taken private by Steinhoff International (OTC:STHHF) in 2016 for $3.8B. The retailer ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2018, but emerged a month later. It shuttered around 700 stores as part of its reorganization.
As of the end of September 2021, Mattress Firm still had 2,353 retail stores, according to its IPO filing. The company also sells mattresses and bedding through its e-commerce sites mattressfirm.com and sleep.com. In addition to reselling brands made by mattress makers such as Tempur Sealy (TPX) and Serta Simmons (SSB), Mattress Firm also sells products under its private labels, Tulo and Sleepy’s.
Mattress Firm has been facing increased competition from mattress sellers Casper, Purple (PRPL) and Sleep Number (SNBR), along with online furniture retailers such as Wayfair (W), Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT). Mattress maker and retailer Casper was taken private by Durational Capital in January of last year.
On Tuesday, Wedbush said that it sees Mattress Firm as an acquisition candidate in the wake of the IPO withdrawal, with Tempur Sealy as a possible bidder.
January 10, 2023
Sheela Foam Acquisition
India’s Sheela Foam to buy rival mattress maker Kurlon for $241 mln- ET Now
BENGALURU, Dec 28 (Reuters) – Indian mattress maker Sheela Foam Ltd (SHEF.NS) will soon acquire competitor Kurlon for 20 billion rupees ($241.29 million), ET Now reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
Should the deal go through, Sheela Foam could command a market share of 35-40%, Moneycontrol had reported last month, quoting a person familiar with the planned deal.
Sheela Foam and Kurlon did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Sheela Foam, which sells the “Sleepwell” brand of mattresses, is the only listed mattress maker in the country.
The Ghaziabad-based company has a 25% market share in the sector, according to a note by ICICI Securities. The brokerage pegs India’s modern mattresses sector at 175 billion rupees.
Sheela Foam shares rose as much as 5% to 1,338 rupees following the report.
News of the potential acquisition comes as Kurlon Chairman and Managing Director Sudhakar Pai is looking to hand over the reins, the Moneycontrol report added.
It also comes at a time when other industry players like Duroflex, Springwell and The Sleeping Co have raised money from private equity firms over the past few years, according to multiple media reports.
Kurlon’s annual consolidated net profit has declined from 760.9 million rupees in fiscal year 2020 to 179.7 million rupees in fiscal year 2022.
Started in 1962 as Karnataka Coir Products Ltd, Kurlon currently has nine plants and 72 branch and stock points across India.
($1 = 82.8880 Indian rupees)
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