Blackstone's Julia Kahr at the Summit

Paul A. Gompers; John D. Dionne; Amram  Migdal

Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017

Blackstone's Julia Kahr at the Summit

by Paul A. Gompers, John D. Dionne and Amram Migdal

Abstract

In 2009, Blackstone, the New York-based alternative asset and financial services firm, committed to invest up to $750 million into Summit Materials, a new company in the aggregates sector (i.e., construction materials, such as crushed stone, sand, gravel, cement, asphalt, and ready-mix concrete). Summit intended to execute a roll-up strategy by consolidating smaller companies acquired at relatively low multiples into an integrated company that would trade at a higher exit multiple and have a greater total enterprise value (TEV) than the sum of the acquired parts.
The case study is set in 2012, when, after deploying $483 million of capital toward acquisitions, Summit was not performing as well as forecast. Blackstone’s investment committee gave Blackstone then-Managing Director Julia Kahr, along with Summit CEO Tom Hill and the deal team, one month to report back with a recommendation for the investment’s future. In the case, Kahr is faced with the decision to recommend to: 1) continue the roll-up strategy, funding additional Summit acquisitions; 2) pause the roll-up strategy in order to invest in operations, upgrade the management team, improve due diligence and underwriting processes, and enhance finance and IT systems while waiting for the market to pick up; or 3) exit the investment.

Keywords: Roll Up; Private Equity Roll Up; Aggregates; Aggregates Materials; Construction Materials; Business Ventures; Acquisition; Leveraged Buyouts; Business Growth and Maturation; Engineering; Construction; Finance; Capital; Equity; Private Equity; Financial Instruments; Investment; Housing; Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Personal Development and Career; Management Teams; Planning; Problems and Challenges; Value; Valuation; Value Creation; Construction Industry; Financial Services Industry; United States;

Language: English

Format: Print

28 pages

Educators

Citation:

Gompers, Paul A., John D. Dionne, and Amram Migdal. "Blackstone's Julia Kahr at the Summit." Harvard Business School Case 218-002, September 2017.

Since its IPO in 2007 and following the global financial crisis, Blackstone largely outpaced its alternative investment firm peers in assets under management, new business launches, profitability, and market capitalization. Under the leadership of Stephen A. Schwarzman, chairman and CEO, and president and COO Hamilton ("Tony") James, Blackstone's growth derived from substantial horizontal expansion into new alternative asset products and services, both organically and through acquisition. These included businesses in private equity, real estate, funds of hedge funds, alternative credit, opportunistic transactions ("Tactical Opportunities"), and secondaries investments. The firm has also innovated in sourcing capital from a variety of limited partners. Blackstone's culture of centralized investment processes and risk management coupled with entrepreneurial leadership contributed to its growth in important ways, but the firm faces important external and internal challenges as it seeks to continue its growth.

Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2018 (Revised August 2018)

Blue Haven Initiative: The PEGAfrica Investment

Vikram S. Gandhi, Caitlin Reimers Brumme and Amram Migdal

This case examines Blue Haven Initiative (BHI), an impact investing fund and family office, and one of its investments, PEGAfrica (PEG). BHI founder Liesel Pritzker Simmons’ motivations for using her family wealth to start a family office focused on impact investing, as well as BHI’s approach and strategy, including direct and indirect investments, fund manager selection, total returns, sourcing and due diligence of direct investments, and other aspects. The case explores a specific investment decision in depth. In May 2017, Pritzker Simmons and BHI Director of Private Investments Lauren Cochran were considering whether to invest an additional $1 million in PEG’s upcoming $5 million Series B round, at a $20 million pre-money valuation. PEG offered pay-as-you-go (PAYG) financing plans that allowed customers to make small payments via mobile money to pay off financing for the solar equipment over time. The case details PEG’s business model, growth strategy, financial structure, and the landscape of investment capital in West Africa during the time of the case.

Keywords: impact investing; Family Office; Development; International Development; International Development Investing; Development Fund; sustainability; Solar Energy; solar; Pay as you go; PAYG; Microfinance; MFI; social venture; Business Ventures; Acquisition; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Economics; Development Economics; Energy; Energy Conservation; Energy Sources; Renewable Energy; Social Entrepreneurship; Finance; Assets; Asset Pricing; Capital; Capital Budgeting; Capital Structure; Venture Capital; Cash; Cash Flow; Currency; Currency Exchange Rate; Equity; Private Equity; Financial Instruments; Debt Securities; Stock Shares; Financing and Loans; Microfinance; International Finance; Investment; Investment Return; Investment Activism; Investment Funds; Investment Portfolio; Price; Geography; Geographic Location; Emerging Markets; Ownership; Ownership Stake; Private Ownership; Social Enterprise; Value; Valuation; Value Creation; Energy Industry; Financial Services Industry; Green Technology Industry; Africa; United States;

Citation:

Gandhi, Vikram S., Caitlin Reimers Brumme, and Amram Migdal. "Blue Haven Initiative: The PEGAfrica Investment." Harvard Business School Case 318-003, February 2018. (Revised August 2018.) View Details

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Blackstone's Julia Kahr at the Summit

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