Sagard’s extensive network of contacts proved very useful in helping Safic-Alcan to land a major new customer. One of our industrial advisors, the former CEO of a large French manufacturing corporation, assisted Safic-Alcan in submitting a bid to his former company. With his in-depth understanding of the company’s needs and his knowledge of the decision-making process, the advisor played a critical role in getting the contracts awarded to Safic-Alcan.

Sagard’s industrial advisors offer management teams years of business experience, enabling them to make a real difference in a myriad of ways:

• Providing access to a network of contacts,
• Supporting the sales and marketing process,
• Assisting in strategic planning and
• Sharing best practices.

A good example is the support provided by an advisor to Cérélia. The merger’s success depended in particular on the ability to swiftly and effectively complete an ambitious industrial project designed to optimize the production base by reducing the number of plants and specializing them by product. Rather than bring in consultants, we offered Cérélia the bespoke support of an advisor, who drew on more than 30 years’ experience as the Head of production for a large manufacturing corporation to advise the manager throughout the project, responding to each challenge as it arose.

Two events in Fläkt Woods’ recent history illustrate Sagard’s special approach.

The first demonstrates our focus on the long term and on the operations side of the business. In 2009, in the depths of the global recession, the company’s EBITDA was in steep decline and its banks were unwilling to increase their exposure. Sagard, however, stepped in to provide the equity capital to finance the acquisition of Caryaire, India’s third-largest supplier of air management systems. Management felt that the acquisition was strategic, because it strengthened the company’s position in an expanding market that was hard to serve without a local presence. Sagard’s willingness to raise its stake in the midst of a global economic crisis attested to our confidence in the Fläkt Woods management team and our preference for creating business value rather than just financial value.

The second event that illustrates our approach concerns the support that enabled Fläkt Woods to win a multi-million dollar contract in the United States. Sagard leveraged its vast network of relationships and contacts to guide the Fläkt Woods management team through an unfamiliar business environment. When combined with Fläkt Woods’ industrial expertise, these contacts enabled the company to submit the winning bid.