Middle East - Acquisitions and Due Diligence Services
The experience and forensic skills of its senior commercial managers supplement the Company's industry sector knowledge. This combination places Knowles in a unique position to provide advice on acquisitions, either existing or prospective, carrying out full due diligence services, supplying concise, practical, incisive reporting to maximise negotiating positions and to enable future performance to be enhanced. Its impressive track record includes major client organisations throughout the world.
By bringing together an in-depth knowledge of the construction and engineering sector with commensurate experience as market leaders in dispute avoidance and resolution and its inherent forensic challenges, Knowles can offer a unique service to all parties involved in acquisition and construction management and development, striving to maximise the Client position by the provision of accurate, relevant analysis.
Some past case study examples of this service are given below:
Due Diligence Audit
The Client Contracting organisation, a global player amongst the top five organisations in the world, was preparing to acquire another major global contractor. Knowles (Holdings) plc was appointed to carry out due diligence on the acquisition target in a very tight programme, identifying potential overvaluations and/or under provisions for use in negotiations as to the purchase price.
The exercise involved multiple companies in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Within one day of appointment, Knowles had mobilised a team of over 20 experienced construction professionals across the globe and provided a comprehensive report within three weeks.
After acquisition, Knowles is providing support for the Client to implement change to the acquisition organisation to improve performance, based upon the findings and recommendations of the initial report.
In this instruction, Knowles accessed the unique global resource of construction and engineering professionals, many dual qualified, within a tight programme, to bring experienced forensic analysis to a complex global organisation, allowing the client to enter negotiations, minimise the purchase price and improve the performance of the acquired organisation.
Company Aquisition
The Client, a specialist engineering sub-contractor operating in Spain and South America, wished to acquire a larger organisation, operating in the United States and Europe, offering complementary engineering services and the ability to operate in a wider global market. Knowles analysed the client organisation and identified the prospective acquisition offering the required experience and expertise.
Knowles instigated negotiations on a "no-names" basis initially, bringing the parties together once interests were confirmed. A course of negotiations had been put in place together with a programme of events to further explore compatibility between organisations, and to establish the change process necessary to ensure the potential of the combined organisation is achieved.
Once the parties agree to join organisations, Knowles will carry out the required due diligence on behalf of the original Client to establish areas of risk within the acquisition target, ensure the accuracy of the reported accounts system and make recommendations for future improved performance.
