Private equity's benefits
By TOM SMITH and KEVIN KENEALEY
Posted: Aug. 20, 2007
TPG Capital, a private equity investment firm, with backing from Northwest Airlines Corp., reached an agreement to acquire Midwest Airlines on Thursday.
It appears Midwest will keep its name and remain in Milwaukee, where it has been a point of civic pride.
Some may question, however, whether Midwest's fate is any more assured in the hands of a private equity firm than it would have been with a publicly traded, low-cost airline like AirTran Airways. Here's a glimpse at some of the benefits of private equity ownership.
Under the public microscope, companies are held to short-term growth goals measured quarter to quarter. After AirTran made its first takeover bid, this pressure for instant gratification only increased for Midwest.
A private equity firm such as TPG, on the other hand, typically looks for its investments to pay off over five to seven years. This longer-term approach allows more flexibility to make strategic decisions and follow through, which is in line with the steady-growth plan Midwest CEO Timothy Hoeksema has touted in recent months in response to the AirTran bid.
During AirTran's quest, CEO Joe Leonard made regular mention of his company's potential to add economic might to Midwest in Milwaukee. But Midwest will potentially gain an even stronger financial partner.
With a private equity firm, the airline will have a ready source of additional equity to pursue opportunities as they occur, and it'll be able to access that money more quickly and reliably than it would have been able to through the public markets.
Midwest also will be free from the burdensome costs of public regulation, which, we can attest, saves money based on our recent public-to-private transformation of Milwaukee's Oilgear Co. Oilgear will save nearly $1 million per year in paperwork, legal and accounting fees and other costs after making the switch. For a company the size of Midwest, those savings will go far beyond $1 million.
"The cookies stay," Hoeksema said Thursday in announcing the TPG deal.
He was highlighting one of the biggest benefits of private equity involvement in Midwest. The airline can remain independent, preserving its significant legacy of high-quality service that's made the airline so special to employees, management and the community.
Private equity involvement often comes in the form of strategic planning and providing additional resources to grow the business. In addition to capital, a private equity firm may have a network of other resources - such as experience and expertise in a given industry - to assist management teams in achieving their objectives.
The Midwest deal also showcases the high degree of flexibility in a private equity transaction. This flexibility is one reason private equity can offer prices comparable to and, in the case of the AirTran bid, higher than those of competitors. As a cash transaction, the TPG bid had the advantage of being a more dependable offer than AirTran's cash-and-stock offer, especially given the recent wild fluctuations in the stock market.
Some are expressing concern about Northwest's involvement in the TPG bid. The decision to partner with another airline, and one that's a major player in the same market, is an unusual deal structure, to say the least. But given all the other benefits this private equity buyout can bring to Midwest, spirits should be hopeful for the airline, its many fans and its hometown.
Tom Smith and Kevin Kenealey are managing directors at Mason Wells, a Milwaukee-based private equity firm.