American Chemical Corp.

William E. Fruhan Jr.; John P. Goldsberry III

Case | HBS Case Collection | March 1980 (Revised December 1995)

American Chemical Corp.

by William E. Fruhan Jr. and John P. Goldsberry III

Abstract

A large chemical manufacturer divests a plant that is acquired by a small specialty chemicals manufacturer. The acquisition decision is viewed from the vantage point of the small specialty chemicals manufacturer.

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Chemicals; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Decision Making; Manufacturing Industry; Chemical Industry;

Language: English

Format: Print

14 pages

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Citation:

Fruhan, William E., Jr., and John P. Goldsberry III. "American Chemical Corp." Harvard Business School Case 280-102, March 1980. (Revised December 1995.)

Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2018

Burton Sensors, Inc.

William E. Fruhan and Wei Wang

Burton Sensors presents a realistic situation where a small, rapidly growing, and profitable temperature sensor original equipment manufacturer (OEM) reaches its debt capacity and seeks equity financing to sustain high growth. The president of the company must decide whether to purchase thermowell machines (a positive NPV project), whether to issue common stock to a private investor at depressed prices to alleviate financial pressure, and whether to acquire another sensor manufacturer in an all-stock deal. All three decisions are interrelated and require different techniques to assess. In particular, the acquisition decision must be analyzed as both an investment and a financing opportunity, as the acquisition could be used to resolve the financial constraint problem. This case thus shows students how corporate investment and financing decisions often interact. The case offers a comprehensive overview of key issues in a typical corporate finance or financial management course, including capital budgeting, debt capacity analysis, security issuance, and acquisitions. It can be used in a first-year MBA course in corporate finance or financial strategy or in an elective MBA course in mergers and acquisitions. It can also be used in upper-year undergraduate finance courses that cover capital budgeting, security issuance, and mergers and acquisitions. The case can also be used as a take-home final exam.

Keywords: Financing and Loans; Acquisition; Investment; Financial Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions;

Citation:

Fruhan, William E., and Wei Wang. "Burton Sensors, Inc." Harvard Business School Brief Case 918-539, June 2018. View Details

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