IN GOOD SPIRITS + FINANCIAL ADVICE FOR PROFESSIONAL SPORTSPEOPLE
Corporate America JANUARY 2015 • WWW.CORPORATEAMERICA-NEWS.COM
Playing the Markets Is there a relationship between the Super Bowl winner and market returns? Why the NFL’s Championship game has long been studied by analysts and traders for signs of impact on market sentiment. PLUS: STEPS TO SUCCESS
We take a look at Richard Tyler International, Inc.® and how its hugely successful Commitment to Excellence”® Sales Immersion™ programme is helping people improve every aspect of their life.
CITY FOCUS
There are hundreds of cool businesses in Austin, here are our favorites for 2014.
RICHARDTYLER I N T E R N A T I O N A L Sales Immersion™ Sales Training
®
“Commitment to Excellence” ® Sales Immersion™ Program Sales Immersion™ – The World’s Best Sales Training™ is “Serious Sales Training for the serious Sales Professional.” ™
“As a veteran of numerous sales seminars and courses, I can tell you Richard Tyler’s sales course is by far the best!”- Program Participant The Richard Tyler International “Commitment to Excellence”® Sales Immersion™ Sales Training Program is the an intense, six-day sales training seminar for the professional who expects immediate results. This is real training for those committed to their profession. It’s specifically designed for those who refuse to accept nothing but the best. Although you don’t have to be a seasoned sales pro to attend this program, you do have to come ready to work. And when it comes to transforming ordinary salespeople into extraordinary sales performers, no one delivers more consistently than Richard Tyler International. It’s why the most successful organizations throughout the world trust Richard Tyler International year after year as their exclusive sales-training organization. Join the tens of thousands of sales professionals who have benefited from the Richard Tyler International sales training programs by attending the Sales Immersion™ Program.
Enroll Now! Richard Tyler International, Inc.® 5773 Woodway Dr., Suite 860, Houston, TX 77057-1501, USA Tel: (+1) 713.974.7214 | Web: www.RichardTyler.com
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Contents 18
14
Personnel Profile
Financial Advice for Professional Sportspeople
We caught up with Dr John Karaffa, Founder and President of financial advisor to pro athletes, ProSport CPA PLLC.
8 Personnel Profile
Steps to Success
We take a look at Richard Tyler International, Inc.® and how its hugely successful Commitment to Excellence”® Sales Immersion™ programme is helping people improve every aspect of their life.
Personnel Profile
In Good Spirits
In 1976, a deal was struck that, to this day, is seen as the greatest in sports history. Andrew Schupak, Managing Member at SGI Cambium and President of its broker dealer SGI Cambium Securities, told us about the part he has played in this remarkable story.
4 News
36 Deals
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Out of Office
Feature
Playing the Markets
Who could traders be rooting for in this year’s Super Bowl? Colin Cieszynski, Chief Market Strategist at CMC Markets, looks at whether past results have had any impact.
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City Focus
Austin, Texas
There are hundreds of cool businesses in Austin which made this list extremely difficult to create. However, after months of research we have settled on our favorites for 2014. Here are the companies we chose.
Calendar/ Planner
On the Cover Feature Playing the Markets Is there a relationship between the Super Bowl winner and market returns? Why the NFL’s Championship game has long been studied by analysts and traders for signs of impact on market sentiment.
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 3
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News
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Increases Sharply Those saying business conditions are “good” increased from 24.7 percent to 28.1 percent, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” decreased from 18.9 percent to 16.8 percent The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in December, rose sharply in January. The Index now stands at 102.9 (1985=100), up from 93.1 in December. The Present Situation Index rose to 112.6 from 99.9, while the Expectations Index increased to 96.4 from 88.5 in December. The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was January 15. Said Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, “Consumer confidence rose sharply in January, and is now at its highest level since August 2007 (Index, 105.6). A more positive assessment of current business and labor market conditions contributed to the improvement in consumers’ view of the present situation. Consumers also expressed a considerably higher degree of optimism regarding the short-term outlook for the economy and labor market, as well as their earnings.” Consumers’ assessment of present-day conditions was considerably more favorable in January than in December. Those saying business conditions are “good” increased from 24.7 percent to 28.1 percent, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” decreased from 18.9 percent to 16.8 percent. Consumers were also much more positive in their assessment of the job market. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” increased from 17.2 percent to 20.5 percent. Those claiming jobs are “hard to get” decreased from 27.3 percent to 25.7 percent. Consumers’ optimism about the short-term outlook improved in January. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months rose from 17.8 percent to 18.4 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen declined from 9.9 percent to 7.7 percent. Consumers’ outlook for the labor market was also more optimistic. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead increased from 14.6 percent to 16.7 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs declined from 16.5 percent to 15.0 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting growth in their incomes improved from 16.2 percent to 20.0 percent. However, the proportion expecting a decrease increased marginally, from 10.2 percent to 11.3 percent. 4 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
“Forget the Billion Dollar Club – let’s create the Billion Pound Club” Following recent wave of $1bn valuations, the global investment spotlight has fallen on the UK, says Dan Wagner, the founder and CEO of Powa, the $2.7bn commerce specialist As the UK shows signs of establishing its own billion dollar start up club with a wave of new investments, one company that stands out is Powa Technologies, the mobile commerce specialist founded by veteran entrepreneur Dan Wagner. Powa Technologies was valued at £1.78bn ($2.7bn) after a series of heavyweight international investors recognised the transformational potential of its mobile commerce platform PowaTag. The company has secured more than $150m in institutional investment over the last two years, including a record-breaking $90.7m Series A round, the largest ever secured by a technology start up. Dan Wagner, founder and CEO of Powa Technologies, said: “We should be confident in our ability as a nation to create our own world-class breed of technology leaders. Rather than following the Billion Dollar Club, we should all be focussing on the Billion Pound Club. There are many companies out there with the potential to achieve this, and we must create an environment that can nurture and sustain their growth. He continued: “The increasing level of attention the UK technology scene has received in the last few years makes it clear the international investment community has begun to recognise our vast potential to innovate as a nation and build companies which can become international market leaders. “I believe it is very feasible for the UK to produce a global digital champion that will secure ubiquity comparable to Microsoft or Google within the next five years. Heavyweight investors from around the world are starting to recognise the powerful potential for British companies on the global business stage.” Powa Technologies is recognised by the Wall Street Journal’s prestigious Billion Dollar Startup Club, listing the world’s leading companies valued at over $1bn. Dan Wagner believes the investment attracted by the UK’s digital economy and the jobs created as a result plays a vital role in the country’s economic growth and movement away from recession. Job creation was a priority for Powa after the $76m investment it received in 2013. The move even gained praise from Prime Minister David Cameron, who commented: “I am delighted that Powa is further contributing to the recovery of the economy with the creation of 250 jobs to expand their growing business. E-commerce is vital to our economic success.” Dan Wagner added: “The UK’s own developing billion pound club is largely centred around digital innovation, especially the use of mobile technology. PowaTag itself is built on the vision of using mobile to empower consumers with a new level of freedom and flexibility in the way they shop and interact with brands in their every day life.” PowaTag gives users the ability to engage with brands and complete transactions using an array of triggers, including scanning print material, Bluetooth beacons, audio tags and social media. Interactions such as shopping purchases or charity donations are completed with two taps of a smartphone using pre-entered payment and address information.
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News
New Energy Proposal Shows U.S. Still Not Seizing Energy Opportunity
Government is compromising firms’ ability to compete globally by restricting so much of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources, says API Director of Upstream The proposed offshore oil and natural gas leasing program released by the Department of the Interior today, along with other recent actions to restrict energy development, show a disappointing lack of commitment to ensuring America’s position as a world leader in energy, said API Director of Upstream Erik Milito. “The administration is compromising our ability to compete globally by restricting so much of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources,” said Milito. “The draft offshore leasing program proposed today completely ignores areas where oil and natural gas development could create more than half a million new American jobs and generate hundreds of billions of dollars for the government. “While considering the Atlantic for potential development is a good step, the administration’s proposal represents the bare minimum for potentially opening that area by including only a single lease sale six years from now.” In her news conference, Secretary Jewell noted the lease sales were a minimum that could be “narrowed or taken out entirely in the future.” “New restrictions offshore Alaska and a rejection of billions of barrels of oil from the coastal plain of ANWR, duplicative new regulations on industry operations, and the government’s refusal to even consider leasing in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific are tying America’s hands against a future of affordable and reliable energy,” said Milito. “Staying competitive and reducing our dependence on oil from abroad depends on planning and decisions made today. What the administration has in fact proposed represents delayed economic opportunity and could cost us a lot of jobs and revenue to the government and threaten our energy security. “This is our energy moment, and we need smart, forward-thinking policies to realize this opportunity.”
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 5
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News
Obama and Congress Should Tackle Infrastructure, Middle Market Executives Say New survey shows 91% of middle-market executives feel it is important that the federal government focus on improving America’s infrastructure, with 44% saying they are willing to pay more taxes to fund that investment A new survey released today shows that middle-market executives want Congress and President Barack Obama to focus on ways to overhaul the tax code, expand access to foreign markets, and upgrade the nation’s infrastructure. The fourth quarter (Q4) Middle Market Indicator (MMI) also shows that growth in year-over-year middle-market hiring doubled between Q4 2013 and Q4 2014. Middle-market firms created 2.3 million jobs last year, as employment grew for the year at a rate of 5%. The middle market is projected to create 64% of all new jobs in 2015. For 2015, middle-market executives are estimating 6% revenue growth and 4% employment growth – the highest they have projected in the three year history of the MMI. Confidence in the local and national economies has never been higher, despite lagging confidence in the global economy. This is evident with 81% of middle-market executives expressing some level
of confidence in their local economy compared to 73% for the national economy and 53% for the global economy.
focus on improving America’s infrastructure and 44% said they’re willing to pay more taxes to fund that investment.
“The middle market really hit its stride in 2014 and its projections for 2015 are the highest we’ve seen,” said Thomas A. Stewart, Executive Director for the National Center for the Middle Market, a collaboration between GE Capital and The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. “The numbers tell us that the middle market has been leading the US recovery and jobs growth, and is poised to invest heavily to sustain the momentum. State and Federal governments can do a number of things to support that effort.”
And 76% of the executives said it was important for the government to take steps to expand international trade and exports. Correspondingly, 23% of middle-market executives indicated plans to expand into new international markets and 68% say they are more likely to invest additional cash on-hand than save – the highest proportion the survey has ever shown.
Middle-market executives have identified several areas where they want Congress and the President to act, including infrastructure and tax reform. They rated tax reform, specifically a lower rate and a simplified code, the single most important policy issue for the federal government in 2014. Of all middle-market executives, 69% said tax reform was either very or extremely important for Congress and the President to tackle.
While confidence among middle-market companies is strong, they have identified several challenges to watch over the next year. Specifically, 88% of respondents considered the cost of healthcare either somewhat or highly challenging, which was the most commonly identified challenge for middle-market businesses. Additionally, the ability to attract, train, and retain talent became more of a concern in the fourth quarter with 77% of middle market executives considering it challenging.
In addition, 91% of middle-market executives said it’s important that the federal government
Financial Firms Set to Increase 2015 Technology Spending. Survey results come amid focus on core competencies Preceded by a year focused on innovation, 2015 is set to become a year of self-improvement in the financial services industry, based on the results from a recent survey of financial firms that highlights increased investment in technology for 2014 amidst a drive to increase efficiency and improve cost-effectiveness.
are now focused on tapping the full potential of their infrastructure. The increased deployment of cloud computing (31%) and managed services (45%) strongly suggests that firms are taking a “shortcut” to this goal by tapping the expertise of dedicated external professionals, thereby enabling firms to focus on their core competencies.
The annual survey, IPC 2015 Capital Markets Technology Trends Survey, conducted by IPC Systems, Inc., a global provider of mission-critical network services and trading communication technology to the financial markets, released today, shows that traders and IT decision makers are increasing their reliance on cloud computing and managed services in order to streamline their processes and improve their bottom line.
“Market participants increasingly require sophisticated network technology to adapt to changes in the regulatory environment, market structure and business models,” said David Brown, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Financial Markets Network, IPC. “A managed network-as-a-service solution allows trading firms to rapidly access a ready-made ecosystem of counterparties and cost- effectively execute complex strategies.”
In a clear continuation of an ongoing trend, according to the surveys from 2014 and 2015, network infrastructure and services were the top spending focus for the second year in a row, with 40% of respondents indicating this category as a priority. In combination with the priority on technology for traders, the trading desk and trading floor, this suggests that after dedicating 2014 to enhancing their capabilities via innovation, firms
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63 percent of respondents are currently using or have plans to use managed services to support their technology infrastructure.
The research covered a broad range of roles for staff supporting the full trading lifecycle from order initiation and execution to clearing and settlement. Respondents came from the front, middle, and back office and included people involved in both the business and technology side of trading support.
Additional key findings of this year’s survey include: • 46 percent of participants said their primary driver for technology investments were improve efficiency and cost effectiveness. • 64 percent of respondents are implementing or plan to implement cloud computing technology in the coming year.
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 7
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Personnel Profile
Steps to Success RICHARDTYLER I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Richard Tyler International, Inc.® has consistently been named one of the top sales training and management consulting firms in the world. We take a look at the company and how its hugely successful Commitment to Excellence”® Sales Immersion™ programme is helping people improve every aspect of their life, from more rewarding relationships with friends, associates and loved ones to additional sales – in many cases totalling millions of dollars. Richard Tyler International, Inc.® is one of the world’s top sales training and management consulting firms, with 25 years’ work throughout the globe. Having earned a strong, global reputation for delivering powerful sales education programs and management consulting services, Richard Tyler International, which is based in Houston, Texas, teaches philosophies and techniques in a number of areas vital to success in any business. These include sales, leadership, management, customer service, marketing and quality improvement. The company has been featured widely in the media, having been profiled on national television, as well as in articles in magazines and newspapers. Additionally, Tyler shares his success and “Excellence” philosophies with millions of individuals each year through keynote presentations, seminars, books, CDs and web-based programs. At the heart of the company is a group of proven professionals with extensive experience ranging from Fortune 100 companies to business start-ups; the team can increase growth and sales for large corporations, as well as small to medium-sized businesses. Richard Tyler, a highly acclaimed speaker and author, is CEO of Richard Tyler International, Inc., as well as a diversified family of highly successful companies and services. He has been called “The world’s top Sales Trainer and Management Consultant” by his clients, students and peers, earning a worldwide reputation for his powerful educational methods and motivational techniques, as well as his experience in all levels of business, corporate education and success training. Tyler’s background in sales, leadership, management, customer service and quality improvement has allowed him to become one of the world’s most sought-after consultants, lecturers and teachers.
8 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
The Commitment to Excellence”® Sales Immersion™ programme A key part of the Richard Tyler International offering is the Commitment to Excellence Sales Immersion programme. It’s one of the toughest, yet most rewarding, education programs available – and not for the weak of heart – but this education program aims to make average people good and, says Richard Tyler International, makes good people excellent. The concept of striving for excellence underpins everything Richard Tyler International does, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Commitment to Excellence Sales Immersion programme. During the programme, Richard Tyler International’s four decades’ worth of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise and success in sales and negotiations are distilled down to its essence; it is said that putting the programme’s teachings into practice will change not only the student’s professional life – but also his or her personal life – for the better. Graduates of the programme have said that, since completing the course, they have seen a marked improvement in every aspect of their life, from enjoying more rewarding relationships with friends, associates and loved ones to additional sales – in many cases, millions of dollars in additional sales. “You are completely absorbed into every aspect of what you are looking at, which is sales,” says past course participant Natalie Stubbs, a Sales Executive from the UK. “You’re constantly talking with a variety of people from different parts of the company or backgrounds. You’re exchanging ideas, you’re discussing things from morning
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Personnel Profile Richard Tyler, Richard Tyler International, Inc.®
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 9
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Personnel Profile until night, for seven or eight days. When you put yourself into that, you’re eating, sleeping and breathing the subject, sales. So you can be focused on it completely. “Salespeople tend to go into sales and then they almost get stuck in a rut, she continues. “They think, ‘I can sell,’ and then they go on doing the same things every day and don’t think about updating their skills. These are very current and topical, fairly recently-developed skills. As the marketing environment is changing you have to adapt the way you’re doing business.” They have also stated that their prospects were enhanced and their leadership, management style and communication skills were greatly improved. But such personal and professional improvement does not come easy: students have to be prepared to step out of their comfort zone. During the course, Richard Tyler International teaches students to comfortably perform at levels at which they never previously thought they were capable. Any ineffective money and success inhibiting habits students may have are wiped out, and replaced with new, powerful skills. With these skills, students will never again find themselves in a selling situation where they do not know what to do. The Commitment to Excellence Sales Immersion Education programme is an extremely thorough course, and one which covers a wide range of fundamental skills – each one carefully developed by Richard Tyler for maximum effectiveness. First is “Tyler’s Communication Skills”. The purpose of this part of the course is to teach the necessary skills involved in opening and maintaining excellent communications. Of course, in sales, verbal skills are not enough, and so, in addition to skills in the tone and projection of voice and language, body language techniques are also covered. Ways to get involvement and gather information through open ended involvement questioning techniques are also taught. Further lessons include learning how to receive and give feedback, and how to use impact and interest statements. Focusing techniques which help avoid distractions are taught, and the psychological reasons that cause people to respond or react are also covered. “Tyler’s Professional Selling Checklist”, the next part of the programme, develops in the student a common attitude about the differences between “order taking” and professional selling. This part of the course also develops salespeople’s self-esteem about their chosen career. Importantly, it identifies the many differences between a merely average salesperson and an excellent one. Appearance, attitudes, qualities and professional items. These are “Tyler’s Professional Tools of the Trade”, vital tools a sales professional should have or develop, which are also covered in the Commitment to Excellence Sales Immersion Education Programme. An integral part of the course is “The Tyler 7”. These are Richard Tyler International’s steps to sales success, and they include prospecting, contact with the customer, Wants and Needs Analysis™, Presentation/Demonstration™, resolution, agreement and follow-through.
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You are completely absorbed into every aspect of what you are looking at, which is sales
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“The Tyler 4” – the four fundamentals (rapport-building, Wants and Needs Analysis, product knowledge and professionalism) that apply to all sales and the ways in which they apply to a specific industry or government sector – are also taught. Graduates of the course go out into the world of sales highly equipped to achieve success. But, as with any profession, sales skills need to be continually practised. “Tyler’s Excellence Workout” teaches the how and why of keeping skills sharp, and develops self-help training techniques. When considering any kind of deal, a client will have in his or her head a number of motives. “Tyler’s Tips” teach how to determine what the investment or buying and decision motives are of any client, developing an understanding of how these motives were formed and the essentials of working with them. Psychology is of course a major part of sales: people rarely come to a decision without having gone through numerous thought processes. “Tyler’s Major and Minor Investment and Decision Motives” teach the primary and secondary motives behind all human actions and how they affect the investment and decision process. Richard Tyler International’s Wants and Needs Analysis™ takes the form of questions that, the company says, every professional should have at their disposal. The importance of these questions and how to gather essential decision making information is taught, as is how to develop additional questions that may be appropriate. “One of the most important aspects of this course has been determining the Wants and Needs of my clients,” says Tony Karns, a US Sales Executive and past participant on the course. “I now have a much, much better understanding of how to go in and
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Personnel Profile
It’s one of the toughest, yet most rewarding, education programs available – and not for the weak of heart – but this education program aims to make average people good and, says Richard Tyler International, makes good people excellent.
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January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 11
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Personnel Profile
12 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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I have no question or doubt in my mind that I’m going to be a better salesman as a result of this.
Personnel Profile approach those people now because they are already on board, and I realise they are my best prospect in mining additional income for my company. “I have no question or doubt in my mind that I’m going to be a better salesman as a result of this.” An important, and often tricky, part of the sales process is getting from analysing a client’s wants and needs to having them ask for a presentation or demonstration. The course covers how to cross this bridge. A proper approach is vital to the rest of the business development process. The next part of the course, “The Tyler Approach” – “Excellence from the Start”, teaches students how to start every sales process in the best possible way. Customer greetings, Icebreakers™ and additional rapport skills are taught. The programme’s “Presentation/Demonstration Phase” gives an in-depth view of how to develop a Presentation/Demonstration™ that utilises the features, advantages and benefits (FABs) of a product or service in the way which is most meaningful to each client. “Tyler’s R & R Tips” address a client’s responses and reactions. During an FAB Presentation/ Demonstration, the client will most likely display a range of responses and reactions. The programme teaches participants to use these responses and reactions to optimal effect. Richard Tyler identifies three essential keys to effectiveness: involvement questions, Anchors™ and Testers™). Course participants will learn and how to correctly use these keys, “The Tyler 3”, in a Presentation/Demonstration. Anchor Phrases are, and when used properly, how they can gain Agreement on multiple minor points in a Presentation/Demonstration, thereby making a major “YES” the outcome. How to use Anchors as Testers to isolate concerns is taught. Clients will often voice concerns during the sales process. Some of these will be real, while others are merely “stated” concerns. This part of the programme explores the most common types of concerns and how to handle them. “Road Blocks” are another obstacle to be overcome by a salesperson. The course teaches how to identify and overcome them. The Commitment to Excellence” Sales Immersion programme also teaches the “The Tyler 6”, a six-step process (listen to the concern, give the concern back, investigate the concern, resolve the concern, verify the answer, disengage) of answering customer concerns. Each step is fully explored. The psychology of each step is examined. The importance of fully utilising each and every step to achieve resolution is taught. Next, “The Tyler 12” cover the 12 most common do’s and don’ts to improve the percentages of getting the customer involved with a particular product or service. The course then teaches participants how test questions should be utilised in a Presentation/ Demonstration to gauge the feeling of the customer and subsequently move resolution into the final agreement sequence. Many average salespeople miss opportunities to reach agreement with their customers. And so the course identifies eight specific situations that signal when it is time to ask for agreement. These are “Tyler’s ‘Agree Now Tips”. There are five steps that exist in the Final Agreement Sequence™. The Commitment to Excellence Sales Immersion Education programme identifies the specifics of each step and the skills necessary to make each step progress smoothly to the next. More reasons for failure are examined and the ways to avoid failure are explained. What is the aim of any salesperson during negotiations? The answer is, of course, agreement. “Tyler’s Power Methods for Reaching Agreement” are techniques that address the most common types of concerns or fears customers have. How to move from one technique to the next is also taught. “Tyler’s Negotiation Keys” improve the student’s working knowledge of a key concept: that negotiating is always taking place in every sale or decision. How to create “Tyler’s Triple Win” is also explored. Finally, any good salesperson knows that using negativity is never an effective tactic in sales. And so the course teaches ways to subtly, but effectively, create feelings of uneasiness about the competition – without using negative statements or actions. These ingenious methods are known as “Tyler’s ‘Land Mines’ For the Competition”. It is clear that this is an exhaustive – and exhausting – programme. But, with the right attitude, it is worth it. The Richard Tyler International six-day Commitment to Excellence Sales Immersion helps the dedicated salesperson develop the attitudes, skills, and tools to turn a sales plan into incredible achievement. And, when the attributes and strategies for success taught during the course are put into practice, one thing is guaranteed: career excellence. For more information, visit www.richardtyler.com or www.salesimmersion.com
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 13
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Personnel Profile
14 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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Personnel Profile Andrew Schupak, Manging Member, SGI Cambium Securities
SGI Cambium Securities
In Good
Spirits In 1976, a deal was struck that, to this day, is seen as the greatest in sports history – and it’s one whose legacy continues, 38 years later. Andrew Schupak, Managing Member at SGI Cambium and President of its broker dealer SGI Cambium Securities, who oversaw last year’s recapitalization of the Spirits of St. Louis basketball team, told us about the part he has played in this remarkable story.
SGI Cambium is a global boutique merchant bank focused on unique domestic and cross-border investment opportunities. In certain circumstances, SGI Cambium acts as strategic and/or financial advisor to its network of investors and clients. The company was formed by the 2011 combination of Schupak Group, a strategic consultancy and merchant bank, and Cambium USA, a special situations merchant bank. The principals of SGI Cambium include owner-operators of companies that have enjoyed success in developing business strategies to transform companies to create value and achieve financial marketplace rewards. “As a result, we work with owners and managers of companies that are experiencing business challenges that do not have obvious solutions who are seeking advisors that can play a role as adjunct strategy, operational and finance management to assist in addressing those challenges and develop and execute innovative ways to fix, improve and finance their businesses,” says Andrew Schupak, Managing Member. “Accordingly, many of the financings that we have completed by necessity create new precedents in the financing markets.” Schupak says SGI Cambium has a pedigree of being directly invested in the companies with whom it works. “The way that shows up is we approach our assignments as if we were owners of the companies with whom we work – and frequently we become financial stakeholders in these companies before, during or after a transaction. As a small firm, we frequently need to collaborate with a select group other firms to complement our capabilities or resources. “We approach our management and choreography of these other firms as if we were adjunct company management. As a result, the reflex to align the interests of all parties in a transaction is one that develops among professionals who work for us or with us.”
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 15
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Personnel Profile The firm’s clients appreciate the fact that it is able to draw from deep experience as business owners and advisors of companies across a broad spectrum of industry sectors, sizes and phases of evolution, he says. “We have been in their shoes in one form or another, which differentiates us from most financial advisory firms, particularly firms of our size. “In addition, we can often utilize experiences from outside a client’s sector to generate results for them.” Schupak himself has 25 years of investment banking and private equity experience, spanning leveraged finance, restructuring, capital markets and M&A in sectors as varied as gaming, hospitality, real estate, professional sports, food and consumer products. He was President of merchant banking firm Schupak Group, and provided financial advisory services to clients through affiliate Esopus Capital Management. Among his many accomplishments with Schupak Group/Esopus Capital, he structured, capitalized and managed a joint-venture with a €1.4bn revenue Spanish branded food company in the acquisition of the second-largest rice producer in the US. Previously, he founded and ran the Financial Sponsors Group at Wasserstein Perella & Co. After the company’s sale to Dresdner Kleinwort in 2000, he served as a Managing Director, ran the Private Equity Advisory Group and served on the firm’s operating and fairness committees. He also integrated their European private equity activities to successfully implement cross border and international transaction development and execution. In January 2014, Schupak oversaw the financing of a major deal – one which has roots going back 38 years. Until 1976, the United States had two basketball leagues: the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA). That year, the ABA merged with the NBA. Four of the ABA’s teams – the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, New York Nets and Denver Nuggets – were absorbed into the NBA, while the remaining two teams, the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis, were left out. The Colonels’ owners took $3m from the NBA to fold their team, while the owners of the Spirits, accepted just $2.2m – along with an agreement that they would to receive one seventh of the national TV revenue that each of the four former ABA teams would receive, for as long as the NBA existed. Coinciding with a huge rise in cable TV coverage – and the increased revenues it would provide – it was a deal that, to this day, is frequently cited as the greatest in sports history. In January 2014, the Spirits’ partners (who up to that point had received around $300m as a result of the deal), the NBA and the four former ABA teams announced a conditional recapitalization that would see the Spirits’ partners receive the proceeds from a $510m financing, featuring a private placement of senior secured notes and a complex tranche of short-term sub debt, thus reducing their collective interest to a minority share and separately settle a lawsuit filed in federal court by the Spirits’ partners that demanded additional compensation from sources of television revenue, including foreign broadcasting of games, that did not exist in 1976. Financing the recapitalization required a unique level of coordinating complex tax, M&A and financing issues, Schupak says. “The ability to have a strong enough mastery of the issues in each of these areas to structure a transaction that met all of the stakeholders objectives was critical. More critical was the ability to balance all of these masters through the many twists and turns that always develop over the course of negotiating and executing a transaction that had as many constituents with different or competing objectives. Also, each of the various constituents had their own tax, M&A and other professionals. The ability to choreograph and lead everyone as issues presented themselves was critical. In addition, this transaction was completed under the overhang of ongoing litigation and in the face of a media contract that was expiring in three years.” “Managing the tension and uncertainty added by those conditions along with all of the other factors is what in my mind makes the successful completion of this transaction worthy of acknowledgment. While I hope that not every transaction we work on in the future is as complicated, we would like to showcase our ability to create value and successful outcomes in difficult, multi-constituent situations in competing for or developing future transactions. While we as a firm, and I as a professional, tend to focus more on situations as opposed to industries, this transaction was a premiere media and sports transaction. There are not many firms, particularly boutiques, that have the in depth experience in these areas and capital markets that we have and I expect that we will have an opportunity to exploit that going forward.” The successful completion of the deal, Schupak says, is proof that often-overlooked smaller firms are just as able as the financial industry’s big names to carry out the most complex transactions. “From the perspective of SGI Cambium Securities – a small boutique firm – it seems that there is a serious bias toward large and mega-firms among clients who distribute advisory roles in large and complicated transactions, particularly highly public ones,” he says.
16 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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“
Personnel Profile
We have been in their shoes in one form or another, which differentiates us from most financial advisory firms, particularly firms of our size.
“
“There are a lot of highly creative, experienced and competent professionals that can bring to bear innovative solutions to complex deal issues that don’t get the call because they don’t have the brand name recognition.” “From my perspective, working with top level professionals representing the various constituents: Rothschild, Simpson Thacher, Davis Polk and Proskauer on deal structuring and negotiation and JP Morgan and BAML on securities distribution, was an important component of this successful transaction. The ability of our boutique to play a leadership role while collaborating with these household names amidst the considerable folklore and press interest helps us develop our own brand for bringing leadership and creative execution to complex transactions and potentially casts a halo over other boutiques with similar capabilities.”
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 17
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Personnel Profile
Financial Advice for Professional
Sportspeople There’s a commonly-held perception that many professional sportspeople are free from the financial concerns that affect many people working in other industries. But what is the reality? We caught up with Dr John Karaffa, Founder and President of financial advisor to pro athletes, ProSport CPA PLLC, to find out. A career as a professional sportsperson is one that, in many people’s eyes, promises untold riches. But, says Dr John Karaffa, Founder and President of ProSport CPA PLLC, it’s rarely that simple. “Professional athletes face unique financial challenges, and deserve to have strong business advisors who are well-versed and who specialise in dealing with professional athletes,” he says. Dr Karaffa completed a widely-acclaimed doctoral dissertation, in cooperation with the National Football League Players Association, entitled Retired NFL Players’ Perceptions of Financial Decisions Made: A Phenomenological Study. His study focused on the financial decisions made by former NFL players during their playing careers. Dr Karaffa’s research study was the first of its kind in professional sports. His work has been recognised for its in-depth recommendations to professional athletes, as well as to financial advisors who support this challenging niche. These tips were derived from Dr Karaffa’s research. How have any changes in legislation affected the ways in which professional sportspeople handle their money?
18 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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Personnel Profile Dr John Karaffa, Founder and President, ProSport CPA PLLC
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 19
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Personnel Profile Starting in tax year 2013, the tax burden for professional athletes in the United States increased substantially. “Higher tax rates, the new Obama-care surcharges, personal exemption phase-outs, and itemised deduction reductions are being felt in the pocketbooks of most all professional athletes,” says Dr Karaffa. What does this all mean? A professional athlete who resides in California earning over $3m will pay half of that amount in taxes, resulting in a 50% combined effective tax rate! The increases really start to kick in as one earns closer to $1m. For example, a professional athlete earning $500,000 will only incur around $5,000 extra in his or her overall taxes, or one additional percent. Millionaires will incur around 4% more, or about $40,000. Athletes earning over $2m will pay 5% extra, or $100,000. There are some definitive moves professional athletes can make to reduce their overall tax burdens: • Consult with an experienced tax specialist for professional athletes. They should make sure they are paying the lowest, legal amount of tax available. Professional athletes are allotted special tax deductions based on the profession of being an athlete. They should seek out a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who is experienced and knows the deductions available to them to take full advantage of what is available to them. Pros should only work with Pros. • They should consider carefully their state residency decision. With a vast disparity of tax rates in the various states in America, the residency decision is more important than ever. A knowledgeable CPA can help quantify the impact of one’s choices of residency and provide guidance on how to defend the chosen state determination against a tax audit. • Professional athletes should also ensure that their advisory team (agent, financial advisor, accountant, attorney, etc.) communicates. As more dollars are taken from their pay in taxes, the less capital they have to preserve. The various members of the team should be in contact with each another on a regular basis and inform each other of upcoming changes. The more each is aware of pending financial and business decisions, the better advice professional athletes can receive from their team. Tax-advantaged investments should take on an even more prominent role in their financial plans and should be approved by the CPA, financial advisor, and the athlete.” Financial advice for professional sportspeople ProSport CPA works with many professional athletes from the UK and continental Europe who compete in America. ProSport CPA’s top position among foreign professional athletes came about from the experiences that the firm’s management team all gained while working at Big 4 accounting firms in Europe. The specialty niche of international personal taxation combined with professional athlete taxation has proven especially valuable for those professional athletes using ProSport CPA, as the world of professional sports becomes more global. ProSport CPA, a quality boutique accounting firm that caught our eye, is truly living up to the slogan, THE Tax Pro for the Pros®. ProSport CPA PLLC is a rapidly-growing, boutique firm providing expert tax, accounting and financial education services exclusively to professional athletes. This specialty firm, founded just six years ago, by a former PricewaterhouseCooper’s international tax manager is becoming increasingly well-known as the preferred tax and accounting firm for professional athletes. ProSport’s Founder and President, Dr John Karaffa, a former professional athlete and coach, in Germany and New Zealand, is a 24-year industry veteran and seasoned tax and personal finance expert with unmatched credentials: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®), National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Registered Player Financial Advisor, and Registered Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA) Financial Advisor. Dr Karaffa is also a published author and distinguished college professor. ProSport serves over 300 clients with leading positions in several professional sports leagues, including over 120 professional basketball players, including 60 in the NBA and WNBA; three Gold, one Silver and one Bronze Medallists in the 2012 London Summer Olympics; over 100 professional American football players; top UFC contenders with upcoming title fights, and professional athletes in all the major American sports leagues. The firm’s entertainment clientele include actors, models, musicians, authors and speakers. 20 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
Dr. John Karaffa’s Top 9 Tips for Professional Athletes: 1. THE CAREER IS SHORT. As they say, the NFL really stands for Not For Long. With the average pro career lasting only three to five years, peak earning years are few and can end instantly with a bad fall or hard hit. 2. TAKE IT SLOW. BE CONSERATIVE. Pro athletes should live frugally, like they did when they were in college. You will have many, many years (see point number one above) to spend your wealth. Focus on your sport instead of blowing away your money. 3. CONSULT ONLY TRUSTWORTHY PROFESSIONALS. Carefully check out your advisors and select only the best qualified ones. Take advantage of the background checks the leagues offer. Only pick advisors who are credentialed by professional organizations, which monitor their members. 4. BUDGET AND SAVE. You can only save what you don’t spend, so use a budget as an effective tool to control what goes out the door. Set goals, beat them, and watch your wealth grow. 5. EDUCATE YOURSELF. You’re only good at what you spend time at. If you’re blessed to have earned a lot of money, you should want to learn how to manage it, in order to keep your money longer. 6. JUST SAY NO. And not just to drugs, but also to family and friends’ requests for money. Taking care of family is often a high priority. Include it in your plans, be reasonable, but make sure your other financial goals are met. Turn down requests for money. 7. THERE’S LIFE AFTER SPORTS. Prepare for your next career, because it’s going to last a lot longer than your playing career. Start thinking about what you want to do later. It will help your transition. 8. STICK TO SAFE INVESTMENTS. You can’t go wrong investing in your team pension plan, high-quality bonds, and a modest home, condo, or apartment. Don’t invest in anything until you fully understand it. 9. WAIT TO SELECT A MATE. It doesn’t matter if you save a lot and invest wisely, if you have to give away half of everything when you’re done playing. There’s plenty of time to find the right partner.
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Higher tax rates, the new Obama-care surcharges, personal exemption phase-outs, and itemised deduction reductions are being felt in the pocketbooks of most all professional athletes.
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Personnel Profile
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 21
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Feature
Playing the
Markets
Who could traders be rooting for in this year’s Super Bowl? Colin Cieszynski, Chief Market Strategist at CMC Markets, looks at whether past results have had any impact on market sentiment and if there’s a correlation between the winner and market movements.
22 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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Feature The NFL’s Championship game, the Super Bowl, occurring early in the year has long been studied by analysts and traders looking for any signs of whether the result has had any impact on market sentiment and if there is a relationship between the Super Bowl winner and market returns. For a time between the 1970s and the 1990s, there appeared to have been a correlation between teams from the original NFL winning and positive years for the Dow, when a bull market coincided with an NFC winning streak. Although this relationship has disappeared since the turn of the 21st Century, comparing market returns following the 48 Super Bowls to date has uncovered some interesting results that traders may want to consider when deciding who to cheer for. Previous Super Bowl Winners and the S&P 500 Over the last 48 calendar years, the S&P 500 has returned 8.4% on average, but returns have varied significantly when compared with where the Super Bowl winners have been located. This year both teams are from the North and from the Union, factors which have favoured bulls in the past. Past conference results and the East West split suggests that bulls may favour the Seattle Seahawks (NFC champ and a western team) while bears may prefer the New England Patriots (AFC champ and an eastern team). Past appearances by this year’s teams or their divisions and the S&P 500 Seattle Seahawks and the NFC West Seahawks in the Super Bowl
Year
Result
Average Market Return
2006
Lost
13.62%
2014
Won
11.34%
Average
12.48%
NFC West in the Super Bowl
Average Market Return Wins
7
13.87%
Losses
5
13.82%
Total
12
13.85%
Source: CMC Markets, Bloomberg L.P. Seattle has been in the Super Bowl two times previously winning once and losing once. In both cases the market has gained over 10% that year, so just having Seattle in the big game could be cause for cheer for bulls. Similarly, the market has done very well on average in years that NFC West teams have appeared in the Super Bowl, and it hasn’t mattered if they win or not, posting greater than 10% gains in both winning and losing efforts. New England Patriots and the AFC East Patriots in the Super Bowl
Year
Result
Average Market Return
1986
Lost
14.62%
2002
Won
(23.37)
2004
Won
8.99%
2005
Won
3.00%
2008
Lost
(38.49%)
2012
Lost
13.41%
Pats play
(3.64%)
Pats Win
(3.79%)
Pats Lose
(12.54%)
AFC East in the Super Bowl
Average Market Return Win
6
(11.64%)
Loss
11
10.55%
Total
17
2.72%
Source: CMC Markets, Bloomberg L.P
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 23
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Feature New England’s return to the Super Bowl suggests we could be in for a volatile year. Following the teams previous six appearances, the S&P fell more than 20% twice and gained more than 10% twice. Although returns following Patriot Super Bowl appearances have been negative on average, traders may note that the two best results were in years New England lost the big game. The street doesn’t seem to like the AFC East very much. On average the S&P has declined in years someone from that division has won while markets have posted 10%+ gains on average in years that the division has lost in the final. Returning Super Bowl Champions This year, Seattle is back to defend the championship it won last year. Super Bowl Champs Defend Following Year Average Market Return Win
8
4.66%
Loss
3
13.47%
Total 11 Source: CMC Markets, Bloomberg L.P.
7.06%
Although returning winners have historically tended to win again, the street hasn’t shown as much enthusiasm the second time around with the S&P posting a positive but below average return on average in years with a repeat champion. Trades appear to be eternally looking for the next big thing it seems. Markets have posted over 10% gains on average in years where the challenger knocked the champ off the top of the heap. How have markets acted in the days surrounding the big game? We took a look at how the S&P 500 has acted day by day in the two weeks before and the two weeks after the Super Bowl since 2004 which showed some interesting results. Day around game
Daily Return SPX
-10
0.03%
average return
0.10%
-9
(0.55%)
pre-game avg
0.11%
-8
1.04%
post-game avg
0.09%
-7
(0.29%)
-6
(0.33%)
-5
0.63%
week 2 pregame
(0.02%)
-4
0.50%
week 1 pregame
0.23%
-3
0.25%
week 1 postgame
0.07%
-2
(0.49%)
week 2 postgame
0.10%
-1
0.25%
1
(0.24%)
2
0.08%
Days -5 to -3
0.46%
3
(0.25%)
Days -2 to +3
(0.13%)
4
0.37%
Days +4 to +9
0.23%
5
0.40%
6
0.08%
7
0.00%
8
0.49%
9
0.05%
10 (0.12%) Source: CMC Markets, Bloomberg L.P. The results show that the strongest days for the S&P were the Monday to Wednesday of the week before the game with an average return of 0.46%. The game itself appears to be a distraction to markets (pregame preparations and postgame hangover) as the last two days of the week before and the first three days after the big game have historically been choppy and had a negative return on average. By the Thursday after the game (Day +4), spirits have apparently improved with the S&P historically going on a one week winning streak on average starting that day.
24 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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Feature
Number of Winners
Average S&P 500 Return
AFC wins
22
5.1%
NFC wins
26
11.1%
E of Mississippi River wins
26
6.8%
W of Mississippi River wins
22
10.2%
North wins
25
10.0%
South wins
23
6.5%
Union based team wins
39
9.4%
Confederacy based team wins
9
3.8%
AFC vs NFC
East vs West
North vs South (Based on the Mason-Dixon Line 39°N)
Union vs Confederacy
Source: CMC Markets, Bloomberg L.P January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 25
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City Focus /Austin
City
Focus
26 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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City Focus /Austin Brought to you by:
Austin, Texas Austin is regularly cited as one of the best places in the United States to start a business. The city has a high number of college students, artists, technologists, and many other groups of creatives who help its culture to thrive. It also means there are plenty of talented people to fill roles in all sorts of industries and sectors. The city is diverse and extremely open to new ideas. Austinites are also famously supportive of local businesses, so if you have an idea that’s new, adventurous and a little bit out there it’s the perfect place to start out. The Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) adopted the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” in 2002 and it certainly seems to be working. There are hundreds of cool businesses in Austin which made this list extremely difficult to create. However, after months of research we have settled on our favorites for 2014. Here are the companies we chose.
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 27
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City Focus /Austin
Amy’s Ice Creams is a chain of stores famous for their innovative and delicious artisan ice-creams. They have over 350 flavors in rotation so there’s always something new for people to try. The key to the success of Amy’s Ice Creams is the quality of the product, but there’s so much more about the way the business is run that makes visiting one of their stores a great experience for customers. A trip to Amy’s is unlike any other. The staff are always smiling, and they perform different tricks and stunts while they serve. At some of the stores the staff will even throw ice cream across the street for customers to catch in a bowl. It has to be seen to be believed. The company’s headquarters are in Austin, along with the majority of its stores, but they also sell ice cream in San Antonio and Houston. They have recently opened their first bakery called Baked By Amy’s, which is also in Austin. Founded: 1984 Founded By: Amy Simmonds Industry: Retail - Food and Drink Store locations: Austin, Houston, San Antonio Website: amysicecreams.com Special Feature: The Application Process Anyone who wants to work at Amy’s has to complete what is known as a white paper bag application. Potential employees pick up one of these plain bags from any Amy’s store, and are asked to bring back something creative. The idea is to have fun with it, and create something that reflects your personality and creative interests. They’re not looking for the best piece of artwork, but for something that’s interesting, different and fun – just like the brand. 28 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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City Focus /Austin
Mass Relevance is a social media business. Their impressive platform allows businesses to bring social content from various platforms to their owned media for engagement and analysis. In the company’s own words, Mass Relevance is “the premier platform for showcasing the world’s best social content.” The product is a massive part of what makes Mass Relevance cool. Businesses can gain so much insight by using their platform. You only have glance at the list of the brands they work with (which includes Universal, P&G, HBO and Ford) to get a feel for the great work they do. Mass Relevance was also the first Certified Twitter Partner to bring social content to live events and television, which is a pretty cool claim to fame by anyone’s standards. Founded: 2010 Founded By: Sam Decker, Brian Dainton and Eric Falcao Industry: Internet - Technology Area served: Worldwide Website: massrelevance.com Special Feature: Staff Benefits It’s hard to find a Mass Relevance employee who has a single bad word to say about the company. It has a fantastic culture. Lunch is made fresh every day and provided for free. If you need a break from your work at any point you can play on one of the in-office foosball or ping pong tables, or relax on one of the many sofas of comfortable chairs. Lots of tech companies offer similar staff benefits, but Mass Relevance do it better than most. In 2013 the company was listed as one of the best places to work by the Austin Business Journal. The combination of the super-interesting work and the amazing company culture means it is easy to see why. January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 29
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City Focus /Austin
The Black Star Co-Op is a Brewpub on a mission, “to apply the models of co-operative ownership and worker self-management to create the best venue in Austin for the production and enjoyment of high-quality beer.” They are definitely succeeding. First and foremost the beer is great. The combination of house beers and guest taps means there’s always something different and exciting for customers to try. The food is also delicious, and they use sustainable, local produce wherever possible. But perhaps of even more interest than the food and drink is the co-operative nature of the business. Black Star is directed and owned by its members, with each member having equal voting power to elect the board of directors which sets the company’s goals. Membership is open to anyone over the age of 21. How many of us would love a say in how our local bar or pub is run? This is what’s happening at the Black Star Co-Op. Opened: September 2010 Founded By: Steven Yarak and Jeff Young Industry: Hospitality - Brewpub Location: 7020 Easy Wind Drive, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78752 Website: blackstar.coop Special Feature: Environmental Sustainability Black Star has put a lot of work into its environmental policy. They purchase local, organic produce wherever possible which helps the business keep a small carbon footprint. Black Star wants to be a zero-waste business by 2015. All compostable materials are sent to a local composting company and the spent brewing grains go to a local rancher who re-uses them for animal feed. You can read more about Black Star’s environmental policy on their website. 30 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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City Focus /Austin
Freestyle Language Center is Elizabeth Mack’s exciting start-up where people come to learn languages in a way that’s totally unique. The business has enjoyed rapid growth in the last 18 months. They now have more than 100 students learning French, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese at their classes, which are held in The Khabele School in Austin. The Freestyle Language Center makes learning languages fun and relevant. The classes are intimate, with an average size of 12 students. Every session is extremely interactive and students are encouraged to converse and express themselves in their second language in a variety of different ways. These classes are also supported by regular social events, which are the key to the businesses popularity and success. Founded: 2012 Founded By: Elizabeth Mack Industry: Education Location: The Khabele School, 801 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 78701 Website: freestylelanguagecenter.com Special Feature: Social Learning Freestyle Language Center’s model brings language learning into the 21st century. Their interactive classes are supported by regular social events where students can interact and converse in the second language they’re learning in an entertaining way. Studies have shown that students need to be put in dynamic social situations where they’ll use the language in order to learn effectively, and this is what Freestyle Language Center does. They run museum tours, wine tastings, book groups, movie nights, karaoke parties, conversation cafes and many other events which help the students immerse themselves in the languages they are learning. January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 31
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City Focus /Austin
Gourdough’s Donuts is perhaps the smallest business on this list. They have been selling their signature “big fat donuts” out of vintage Airstream since 2010, and in 2012 they opened a bar/doughnut restaurant called Gourdough’s Public House. You won’t find donuts like this anywhere else. They offer more than 20 different flavors. There are sweet donuts, savory donuts and even concoctions like the Mother Clucker (topped with fried chicken strips and honey butter) that combine the two. They’re doing great things in an extremely competitive market. Founded: 2010 Founded By: Paula Samford and Ryan Palmer Industry: Retail - Food and Drink Store locations: 1503 S 1st ST, Austin, TX, 78704 Website: gourdoughs.com Special Feature: Marketing Excellence Marketing your business is significantly easier when you have a great product that’s unique and desirable, which Gordough’s do. But Paula Samford and Ryan Palmer have gone the extra mile to create a brand that’s fun and that customers want to interact with. They are extremely active on social media and have a very engaged group of fans on Facebook and Twitter. You can even buy Gordough’s t-shirts on their website. They’re a cool brand with a cool product that people want to part of, and they’re great at getting people involved. 32 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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City Focus /Austin
Software Advice helps companies find the right software solutions for their business needs. There are so many options on the market these days which is why the input of a company like Software Advice (who have reviewed over 1000 systems) is invaluable to a business. The best (and coolest) thing about Software Advice is that it is completely free for software buyers to use. There are hundreds of reviews to read through on their website or you can call them for a free fast-start consultation. The company gets paid by software vendors when they make a good match with a buyer. Founded: 2005 Founded By: Don Fornes Industry: Business Services Area Served: Worldwide Website: softwareadvice.com Special Feature: Work Abroad Program Being an employee of Software Advice has many benefits, but the company’s work abroad programme is one of the best ideas we have ever read about. Every year each employee is entitled to spend one month working remotely from any location in the world. You need to work for the company for a full year to earn eligibility and choose a place with great internet access, but these are the only restrictions. Many employees have used the opportunity to spend a month working near family or friends in other parts of the United States. Others have gone further afield, to locations including Vietnam, Australia, France and Argentina. It is rare to find a company that will go to such lengths to keep their employees happy. January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 33
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City Focus /Austin
You don’t have to be a technology start-up or an artisan ice-cream manufacturer to be one of Austin’s coolest companies. The world’s largest online sign retailer is based here and in our opinion it’s definitely one of the city’s coolest businesses. BuildASign.com is a leading online custom printing provider of signage and home decor items. Products include signs, canvas, apparel, business cards, car wraps and more. They have served more than 1 million customers to date, which is extremely impressive for a company founded in 2005. The coolest thing about BuildASign.com is the culture of philanthropy that runs through the business. Dan Graham, the founder and CEO, is extremely passionate about giving back to the community and the entire BuildASign. com team does a great deal to give back. As an example, through the BuildASign.com Giving Program the company has contributed more than $800,000 to over 1,700 local and national nonprofit organizations. The company was a winner of the 2012 Austin Gives GeneroCity Award (Big Hearts Category) and the 2013 Greater Austin Business Awards for Community Relations. Founded: 2005 Founded By: Dan Graham, J.R. Kraft, Blake Borgeson Industry: E-commerce Operating locations: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany Website: buildasign.com Special Feature: The Troops Program BuildASign’s Troops Program is special. Since 2008 the company has donated more than 325,000 banners and signs to military friends and families to help them welcome their loved ones home from deployments. The total market value of these donations is more than $9.5 million. A soldier coming home is a really big moment, and BuildASign’s generosity has helped thousands of families and friends celebrate is a truly special and fun way. 34 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
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City Focus /Austin
When Tim and Karrie League opened the Alamo Drafthouse in 1997 their only qualifications were that they both loved movies. As it turned out this passion was all they needed to create one of the coolest movie theaters in the United States. The Alamo Drafthouse is a movie lover’s theater. All the staff members recognize that a trip to the movies is as much about the experience as it is about the film you see. Each seat comes with a cabaret style table and customers can order food and drink which is served to them in their seats. They put on loads of great events including the Rolling Roadshow, where they show famous movies in famous locations. Think The Shining at The Stanley Hotel and you’ll get a feel for the sort of shows they organize. They also put on screenings where the food and drink served matches what’s being eaten by the characters in the movie. So it’s no surprise that Entertainment Weekly named the Alamo Drafthouse has the number 1 theater in America. The Alamo Drafthouse brand has expanded significantly since the first theater opened in 1997. They now have many venues across Texas (including 5 in Austin) as well as branches in other states including Colorado and New York. Founded: 1977 Founded By: Tim League and Karrie League Industry: Hospitality - Entertainment & Leisure Theater locations: Texas, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Virginia Website: drafthouse.com Special Feature: Behavior Policy The Alamo Drafthouse is famous for its policy of zero tolerance towards mobile phones. Anyone caught taking a call or texting during a movie will be removed from the cinema (after one warning). They also do not allow children younger than 6 years old into their theaters, and older children must be accompanied by an adult. It takes courage for a business to take such a hard line and risk alienating customers. Normally we wouldn’t think a brand is cool for excluding people from their service (the customer is always right after all) but in this instance we could not agree more with their stance. The poor etiquette of just one audience member can ruin the experience for everyone else. So it’s good that movie lovers can choose a brand that identifies with them and their needs. January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 35
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Corporate America /Deals
Deals
36 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
Here at Corporate America, we like to keep you up to date with what’s happening in your industry, giving you the lowdown on the need-to-know sales, mergers and acquisitions taking place across the US. Which is why we’d like to welcome you to our regular monthly roundup of the biggest, most newsworthy deals from the past month.
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Corporate America /Deals Energy & Resources/Acquisition
Energy Transfer Partners to buy Regency unit The numbers: $11bn
Pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners LP has announced it will buy affiliate Regency Energy Partners LP for about $11bn, the latest example of master limited partnerships (MLP) trying to simplify their structures and lift returns. The deal, essentially an in-house merger, is similar to one carried out by pipeline operator Williams Cos. for its Access Midstream Partners unit in October.
Mike Bradley, Regency’s Chief Executive, said:
“In light of the current volatility in commodity prices and the changes in the capital markets, it became apparent over the last several months that Regency needed more scale and diversification.”
Unlike the $44bn deal industry leader Kinder Morgan Inc led last year to fold all of its units into a traditional C-Corporation, Energy Transfer will remain an MLP with several units. MLP mergers are often held when a unit in a group is underperforming its peers, or to scale back incentivized distribution rights that can divert more cash returns to general partners.
Consumer/Acquisition
Real Estate/Acquisition
Shareholders approve Reynolds’ acquisition of Lorillard
Information Services Corporation to acquire econveyance online solution
Camel cigarettes maker Reynolds American Inc’s (RAI.N) shareholders have approved its $25bn acquisition of Newport menthol cigarette maker Lorillard Inc, a deal that would combine the No.2 and No.3 U.S. cigarette companies.
Information Services Corporation has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with OneMove Technologies Inc., OneMove Online Systems Inc. and related parties, (collectively “OneMove”) to acquire econveyance, a proprietary online conveyancing solution, and related operating assets of the OneMove business. ISC will complete the transaction through a wholly-owned subsidiary using existing cash to finance the acquisition. The transaction is valued at C$10.0 million, subject to working capital adjustments.
The numbers: $25bn
The deal, announced in July, has attracted intense antitrust scrutiny as a successful merger would result in a market 90 percent dominated by just two companies. The combined company would control about 40 percent of the U.S. cigarettes market. Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc leads the market with a 49 percent share. Lorillard’s shareholders also approved the deal, with about 80 percent of outstanding shares voted in favor. Reynolds said in November that it expected the Federal Trade Commission to announce its decision in late January or early February.
The numbers: C$10m
econveyance is a subscription based solution that offers a secure and efficient means of managing real property transactions. It simplifies and expedites the process of buying and selling real property by connecting legal professionals, lenders and insurers throughout the property transfer process. econveyance is available in British Columbia, Alberta and most recently, Ontario.
Jeff Stusek, ISC’s President and CEO, said:
“This is ISC’s first acquisition since our public offering and expands our business outside the province of Saskatchewan. This product allows ISC to extend its reach across the value chain while leveraging our knowledge of the land transfer and registration business to support the future growth of econveyance. We are excited about the prospect of bringing the econveyance™ solution to Saskatchewan and believe this transaction positions us for other synergistic opportunities that may be available in the future.”
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 37
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Corporate America /Deals TMT/Acquisition
BroadSoft Acquires Leonid Systems The numbers: undisclosed
BroadSoft, Inc. has acquired Leonid Systems, Inc., significantly enhancing Unified Communications (UC) service management and the delivery of a superior user experience for telecommunications service providers that leverage the BroadWorks platform. Leonid, a leading hosted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) OSS provider based in Falls Church, VA, has developed a purpose-built, intuitive web portal for BroadWorks service provider customers that allows enterprise IT administrators and end-users to simplify the configuration and management of their BroadWorks-based hosted Unified Communications services. Leonid’s web portal improves the overall navigation, accessibility, presentation and performance of BroadSoft’s UC-One application, enhancing business collaboration and productivity by making real-time communications services such as instant messaging, presence, voice calling and video calling accessible through a single interface from any
Internet-supported desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Michael Tessler, CEO, BroadSoft, said:
“BroadSoft recently unveiled a new corporate identity built around enhancing the user experience at each phase of the Unified Communications customer lifecycle -- from upfront service messaging, to the sales and service implementation process, to service adoption and usage. As service providers increasingly demand a superior front-end UC services experience that is intuitive and modern, we recognized that Leonid had the expertise and experience to help BroadSoft better meet the evolving service delivery needs of our customers.”
Support Services/Acquisition
Industrials/Acquisition
Blackstone Said in $1.7bn Deal to Buy Apartments The numbers: $1.7bn
Blackstone Group LP, the biggest owner of U.S. single-family houses, agreed to buy 36 apartment properties across the country for about $1.7bn as it expands its rental business, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction. The low-rise, garden-style properties are being sold by Praedium Group, a New York-based real estate investment firm, and contain about 11,000 apartments, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deal is private. About half of the buildings are in California, Washington, D.C., and Boston, with the rest located around the U.S., they said. The deal would increase the number of apartments managed by Blackstone’s LivCor multifamily real estate unit to about 43,000 at a time when demand for rental housing in the U.S. remains robust. The national apartment-vacancy rate was 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter, hovering near the lowest level in 13 years, 38 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
Graco announces acquisition of High Pressure Equipment company The numbers: $160m
according to property-research firm Reis Inc. Three of the four cities with the highest annual rent growth last quarter are in California, with San Jose in first place, followed by Oakland in third and San Francisco in fourth, according to Reis. Denver was second. Peter Rose, a spokesman for New York-based Blackstone, declined to comment. Floyd Lattin and Russell Appel, the founding principals of Praedium, didn’t reply to requests for comment. Evercore Partners Inc. and Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. advised Praedium on the sale, according to the people with knowledge.
Graco Inc, a supplier of technology and expertise for the management of fluids and coatings, has closed the stock acquisition of the High Pressure Equipment (HiP) company for $160m.
Based in Pennsylvania, HiP manufactures valves, fittings and other flow control equipment engineered to perform in ultra-high pressure environments from 10,000 to 150,000 psi. Also, it maintains an engineering and production base in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK, the company added.
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Corporate America /Deals Support Services/Fund raising
TMT/Acquisition
AT&T closes acquisition of Mexico wireless provider Iusacell The numbers: $2.5bn
AT&T has closed its $2.5bn acquisition of Mexican wireless provider Iusacell from Grupo Salinas. AT&T acquired all of Iusacell’s wireless properties, including licenses, network assets, retail stores and approximately 9.2 million subscribers. The Iusacell wireless network currently covers about 70 percent of Mexico’s approximately 120 million citizens. With its acquisition of Iusacell, AT&T plans to create the first-ever North American Mobile Service area covering more than 400 million consumers and businesses in Mexico and the United States.
Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO, said:
“The quick approval of this deal is one more example of why Mexico is an attractive place to invest. We look forward to bringing more wireless competition to Mexico along with an improved mobile Internet experience for customers. Expanding and enhancing Iusacell’s mobile network to cover millions of additional consumers and businesses is our top priority.”
Momentum Funding scores $30m from VPC The numbers: $30m
Momentum Funding LLC, a premier legal finance company specializing in non-recourse funding to personal injury plaintiffs, has announced the completion of a $30m round of financing by Victory Park Capital. Investment proceeds will allow Momentum Funding to meet the underserved needs of clients experiencing financial hardships while pursuing a personal injury claim. Founded in 2015 by Pekin and Co-founder Elisa Moss, Momentum Funding is headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., with regional offices in Clearwater, Fla., and Chicago, Ill. The two female entrepreneurs founded the company to help plaintiffs secure funding via a product that is easy to understand with proceeds that are available in as little as 24 hours.
Elizabeth Pekin, Esq., Co-founder and President, Momentum Funding, said:
“Momentum Funding is fortunate Victory Park recognizes and shares our vision of helping personal injury clients move their cases, and their lives, forward. The available capital will allow Momentum to grow and expand our legal funding network nationwide.”
Financial Services/Fund raising
TPG leads $186m round for lynda.com The numbers: $186m
Leading online learning company lynda.com, Inc. has announced an investment of $186m led by TPG, a global private investment firm with $65bn of assets under management. Accel Partners, Spectrum Equity and Meritech, existing lynda.com investors, also participated in the round. The financing will be used to accelerate acquisitions, growth and new content initiatives, and to continue to build the world-class team that supports those efforts. As the leader in online learning, lynda.com is committed to providing its members with up-to-date content covering business, creative and technical skills delivered by experts who are passionate about their fields. With this investment, the company plans to further increase its sizable library of more than 5,700 courses and 255,000 video tutorials (inclusive of English, French, German and Spanish content). It also plans to further grow its customer base — already comprised of half of
the Fortune 50, 30 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities (including all of the Ivy League), numerous state governments and all branches of the U.S. military — both in the U.S. and internationally.
Eric Robison, CEO, lynda.com, said:
“This investment is a tremendous vote of confidence in lynda.com’s ability to empower more people everywhere to learn the skills they need to succeed. We are thrilled also to have David Trujillo join our board and look forward to drawing on his operational expertise to build on the success of lynda.com and to help grow the company.” January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 39
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Corporate America /Deals TMT/Fund raising
Energy & Resources/Acquisition
Khosla Ventures leads $22m round for Scribd
ALLETE to Acquire U.S. Water Services, Inc.
Scribd, the leading subscription book service, has closed a $22m financing led by Khosla Ventures with reinvestment from existing backers including Redpoint Ventures, Charles River Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank. Seasoned entrepreneur Keith Rabois will join Scribd’s board as a board observer. This brings Scribd’s total funding to date up to $48m.
ALLETE, Inc. has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase U.S. Water Services, Inc., an integrated industrial water management company. ALLETE will initially purchase 87 percent of U.S. Water for $168m, based on a total implied enterprise value of $194m. Current employees and management of U.S. Water will continue to own the remaining 13 percent. ALLETE will purchase the remaining 13 percent interest in the future for a contingent amount based on U.S. Water’s future earnings. The transaction is expected to close upon satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including compliance with Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust clearing requirements.
The numbers: $22m
Scribd, which launched in 2007, now has more than 80M monthly readers accessing their books and documents worldwide. The new capital resources raised will be used to reinvest in the business to further accelerate hiring, content acquisition efforts and international expansion. Since the launch of the company’s subscription book service in October 2013, the subscriber base has grown an average of 31% per month. Scribd readers have spent more than 17M hours reading half a million premium e-books and have logged 180,000 listening hours in the first 60 days since launching its audiobooks service.
Trip Adler, Co-Founder and CEO of Scribd, said:
“We had a fantastic 2014 at Scribd. We launched audiobooks with 30,000 titles from publishers like Blackstone and Scholastic. We also doubled our e-Book titles, adding content from 1,000+ publishers – including Big 5 publishers Harper Collins and Simon & Schuster – along with industry leaders like Harlequin, Houghton Mifflin, Lonely Planet, Perseus and Wiley. This new funding round will enable us to work towards achieving our goal of creating the most comprehensive library of the future for our millions of users around the world.”
TMT/Acquisition
Enstar acquires US insurance firm Companion The numbers: $218m
Bermuda-based Enstar Group subsidiary has completed the acquisition of insurance group Companion Property and Casualty Insurance Company from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina, for around $218m.
of Companion will be included in its subsidiary, Torus National Insurance.
Dominic Silvester, CEO, Enstar Group, said:
Based in South Carolina, Companion provides property, casualty, specialty and workers compensation services, in addition to fronting and third party administrative services. Enstar financed about 50% of the transaction through borrowings under a bank loan facility provided by National Australia Bank and Barclays Bank, while the remaining 50% was funded from cash on hand. The company has reported its total assets as $1.12bn and total liabilities of $877.2m, as of 30 September 2014. Enstar will include the major portion of the acquired business into its property and casualty legacy business, while certain business 40 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
“We are pleased to announce our agreement to acquire Companion, which continues the successful expansion of our property and casualty business in the US.”
The numbers: $168m
Al Hodnik, Chairman, President and CEO, ALLETE, said:
“Just as with energy, regulation and social expectations will increasingly drive water conservation, especially as water scarcity becomes a growing challenge. We believe the demand for sustainable water management solutions will increase over time as large users seek ways to enhance efficiency and improve their bottom line.”
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Corporate America /Deals Real Estate/Acquisition
TMT/Series A financing
The Hermitage Club purchases assets of The Inn at Sawmill Farm
Apervita Nets Series A Funding to Democratize Health Analytics
The Hermitage Club at Haystack Mountain, a full-service private ski club in Southern Vermont’s Deerfield Valley, has announced the acquisition of the assets of The Inn at Sawmill Farm, one of the first businesses in Dover dating back to the 1790’s.
Apervita, Inc., formerly known as Pervasive Health, Inc., the first health analytics marketplace, has announced it has completed an $18m Series A round of funding. The capital will support its goal of empowering enterprises across the globe to transform health knowledge and data into computable insight, addressing healthcare’s most pressing challenges.
The numbers: undisclosed
The Inn resides on a 20 acre property and includes 21 guest rooms which includes two private cottages, and the former innkeeper’s estate home. With this acquisition, The Hermitage Club now offers more than 100 rooms for members and their guests. Just minutes from The Hermitage Club main entrance, this manicured property boasts two ponds, a heated swimming pool, snow shoe and hiking trails, outdoor tennis courts, spa services and much more.
Jim Barnes, Hermitage Club Founder and President, said:
“We needed more rooms to accommodate our members and prospective members and the Inn at Sawmill Farm serves as the perfect location to do that. We started work two weeks ago repainting, removing wallpaper, installing new carpet, bedding and flat screen TV’s. We took most rooms off the market and expect to re-open certain rooms this coming weekend.”
The numbers: $18m
With this funding, Apervita will accelerate the development of its platform, giving health professionals access to thousands of analytics at a fraction of the time and cost of today’s proprietary analytics solutions. The growth capital will also be used to expand Apervita’s sales and marketing team to promote the platform and address growing market demands.
Paul Magelli, Founder and CEO, Apervita, said:
“Apervita facilitates the capture and diffusion of health insight by making it easier than ever to author, connect and collaborate. The Apervita self-service platform enables authors to share their evidence-based research as computable insights and publish them to a marketplace, allowing users to subscribe, and connect them to their workflow. Apervita faces unprecedented demand, and this investment will accelerate our mission to empower the world’s leading community of health professionals to solve thousands of global challenges by connecting their trusted knowledge to practice.”
Ardian acquires private equity portfolio from PSERS The numbers: $1.75bn
Ardian has announced that it signed a sale and purchase agreement with the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) for the acquisition of a $1.75 billion portfolio of limited partnership interests in private equity funds. With assets totalling nearly $52 billion, and with around 477,000 active and retired members, PSERS is one of the largest public pension funds in the United States. The deal represents one of 10 completed by Ardian during 2014. The PSERS deal was the second largest after similar transactions with an unnamed sovereign wealth fund ($2.38bn), an American financial institution ($804m), an Italian financial institution ($696m), an American pension fund ($627m) and another American financial institution ($510m).
James Grossman, CIO, PSERS, said:
“PSERS is endeavouring to reduce its exposure to private equity to 15 per cent of the fund’s size, and the depth of the secondary market makes possible a large asset sale that will bring us closer to our long term target.”
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 41
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Out of Office
A Tradition of Aloha
Hawaii is home to so many exquisite beaches – and resorts connected to them – that it’s almost impossible to pick the best. But, with stunning architecture and fantastic dining options, the newly renovated Mauna Kea Beach Hotel may just be it.
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Out of Office Founded by venture capitalist and passionate conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel was the first resort built on Hawaii’s raw and stunning Kohala Coast. The striking mid-century modern style that earned the resort a place in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) top 150 “America’s Favorite Architecture” list, is newly refreshed throughout, returning all 252 guest rooms and suites in two buildings to original condition. Designed to blend into the natural environment, the resort boasts corridor-less floors that appear to float over an ocean-facing atrium, complete with suspended airways rising throughout, with each guest room overlooking the natural white sand of Kauna’oa Beach – rated the best beach in the Hawaiian Islands by top travel authorities. With a timeless tradition of aloha, the beachfront Mauna Kea Beach Hotel welcomes guests to be inspired by the past, embraced by the moment, enchanted by warm tropical days and exciting possibilities ahead. Believing that less is indeed more, everywhere possible three rooms have been re-mastered to become two, allowing each of the 252 newly refreshed guest rooms to feature a spacious floor plan. Today nearly one-third of the guestrooms feature a full-length bath inclusive of spacious ante-room with separate vanity areas fronting the personal spa. Inside, the soaking tub and rain-shower are bathed in natural light. The new, contemporary furnishings boast crisp, clean lines, cloud white and bold sunset colors, along with the unchanged wow of wonderful views from the wide lānai, all supported by hi-tech bells and whistles such as large flat screen TVs, media hubs, bedside iPod dock with clock radios, updated bedding, and L’Occitane amenities, to produce a luxury guestroom experience that is both ultra-high quality and ultimately comfortable. Grab a bite With a delicious mix of steadfast tradition and new attitude, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel restaurants are designed with a creative combination of cultured international cuisine and fresh, local Kohala Coast ingredients prepared with “lokomaika’i” (sharing with kindness from within). Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar: This ocean view, openair restaurant features a lavish breakfast buffet or a la carte selections. Sunday Brunch is a cherished island tradition with spectacular choices and a relaxing setting. In the evening the exhibition kitchen showcases Kohala Regional Cuisine. A state-of-the-art Enomatic wine system dispenses 48 wines by the glass. Nightly music by Karl Kasberg on keyboard and Manta Ray viewing in the ocean waters just below adds to the dining experience. Hau Tree: Quench your thirst beachside with a tropical drink, refreshing smoothie, Froth or signature Mauna Kea “Fredrico” cocktail. Traditional favorites include Caesar salad, freshly made sandwiches and burgers straight from the grill. Number 3: Thirsty golfers seeking a mid-round oasis or anyone hungry for a satisfying lunch will love the tasty menu of our golf clubhouse restaurant “Number 3.” Enjoy grass-fed burgers or a classic Crab Louis in a relaxed, casual atmosphere along with cold beer on tap, signature Mauna Kea cocktails or frosty fruit smoothies.
January 2015 • CorporateAmerica • 43
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Out of Office
44 • CorporateAmerica • January 2015
www.corporateamerica-news.com
Out of Office Kauna’oa Bar & Grill: Good food, good drink, nightly entertainment and unparalleled views of the bay make this the perfect destination for a fun, casual evening with friends and family. Mauna Kea Lu’au: Celebrate a traditional Hawaiian Lu’au with music, dance, legendary elegance and style. Hawaiian dishes include Waipio Valley Poi, Poke, Lomi Lomi Salmon and Pipikaula (smoked beef). Clambake at the beach: A Saturday night tradition, our Clambake features Hawaii Island’s finest seafood buffet outdoors, under the stars. For culture vultures Mauna Kea curators had nearly a half-century head start on what has since become The Pacific Century. Imagine their findings back then as they combed Asia and Oceania for art. By design, Mauna Kea is far more gracious, more open beach house than museum. The collection of better than 1,600 pieces roams freely – a surprise around the corner, a what’s that at the end of the hall or a Hawaiian quilt of a thousand meticulous stitches mounted just outside your door. It does a soul good to stroll among the genuine. Art tours are offered weekly to inform guests and locals of the resort’s renowned collection and the resort’s “Artist in Residence” program furthers the commitment by attracting local artists to the property each week to activate and share tips with guests. For children, Mauna Kea Resort offers Hawaiian cultural activities six days per week. Activities include hula lessons, lei making, ukulele lessons and more. One hour per day is dedicated as “keiki hour” for children and includes conch shell blowing, tide pool exploration and lauhala bracelet weaving. A full or half-day children’s program is available upon request and by advanced reservation. Business and pleasure With 252 updated guestrooms and unique meeting spaces for executive retreats to the Big Island or an energetic incentive group vacation, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel offers even the busiest of meeting planners a little beach time. From traditional to exotic, Mauna Kea Resort offers twelve different spaces for meetings from intimate indoor conference rooms to idyllic outdoor locations such as mature tropical gardens and a canopy of trees create natural outdoor theaters, which are enriched by soft trade winds and golden sunsets. In addition, three of the dining options feature amazing ocean views alongside Hawaii-inspired cuisine with international flair. Hit the links Since 1964, the award-winning Mauna Kea Golf Course has led the way in standards of course beauty and design, solidifying its place in Hawaii’s history as one of the most scenic and favored golf courses for its signature par-2-over-the-ocean third hole. Avid golfers and guests of Mauna Kea Resort continue to enjoy this Robert Trent Jones, Sr.’s golf course and its recent restoration and beautification by Rees Jones. Guests can take advantage of the golf course’s superior amenities including world-class practice facilities that feature a driving range and putting green with epic views of the Kohala Coast’s rolling waves. For more information, visit www.princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-beach-hotel
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February 2015 / Planner
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