We consider the closing of each transaction the beginning of a longer-term partnership with the management team. Together, we then seek to build the value of our shared investment. While the exact role that we play varies depending on the needs of each company, we believe that the extensive experience of our partner group can significantly enhance the value of these companies.
Typically, two of our partners maintain an active involvement at the board of directors level of each company. In this capacity, we essentially become a working partner alongside management. Our involvement includes:
After assisting with the establishment of these objectives, we seek to work with management to monitor progress toward execution of these objectives.
In most cases, we provide or arrange for all of the capital necessary to close a transaction. We maintain many active relationships within the financing markets and are fortunate to have forged strong relationships with leading lending institutions. We believe that these relationships, which have been built as a result of our many years of successful experience, help ensure that each company's capital structure is properly designed. In addition to the financing, we typically coordinate all of the other external professional services required to close a transaction (legal, accounting, environmental, insurance, etc.).
Our portfolio companies have completed numerous complementary acquisitions. In these cases, we typically are heavily involved in the identification, analysis, negotiation and financing of these transactions.
We work with our management teams to develop appropriate incentive compensation plans that encourage and reward performance. We believe that properly structured incentive plans enable companies to attract and retain superior talent.
Following the establishment of an initial capital structure, we continually monitor financial markets and seek to ensure that each company maintains an appropriate balance sheet (as changes may occur in the company's condition and financing markets).