Corporate Renewal, Turnaround Strategy

This article shows a case study of how Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. (KKR) was able to create value at Sealy, the world’s largest manufacturer of mattresses and bedding products (not Luxury Mattress), through the implementation of Lean Thinking in the enterprise. One key element is the implementation of Standard Work, which allowed for comparable [...]

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This article shows a case study of how Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. (KKR) was able to create value at Biomet, Inc., one of their portfolio companies through the implementation of Lean Thinking in the enterprise. KKR acquired Biomet, Inc. in 2007 1.  Biomet designs and manufactures orthopedic medical devices.  At the time of acquisition, [...]

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This article shows a case study of how Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. (KKR) was able to create value in one of their portfolio companies through the implementation of Lean Thinking in the enterprise. In 2005, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. (KKR) acquired ATU, an automotive aftermarket company in Germany.  ATU was acquired for 27.2 [...]

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Many might argue against my claim, but I firmly believe that Private Equity and Leveraged Buyouts add value to the world economy.  More and more, acquisitions by Private Equity firms are focused on creating long-term value, rather than financial engineering.  That is very healthy. Of course not all Private Equity firms can be described as [...]

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When a Private Equity firm considers buying a company, the role Lean Thinking plays depends on the stage of the buyout deal. But, Lean Thinking is appropriately placed at the following steps: Lean and Pre Acquisition Due Diligence Lean and Post Acquisition Short Term Improvements Lean and Enterprise Broad Organizational Improvements Due Diligence The main [...]

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Having seen and helped various businesses in various industries, I agree with Carl Icahn’s assessment on corporate waste 1: I have observed first-hand the sheer amount of waste and inefficiency at a few companies that I have taken over. For instance, when I took over a rail freight car company called ACF during the 1980s, [...]

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