The Branch-Shelton Company provides consulting and transactional services to clients in the following areas:

• Private Equity and Debt Placement

• Mergers and Acquisitions

• Strategic Financial Advisory Services

Private Equity and Debt Placement

At Branch-Shelton, we use our extensive experience and relationships to help companies develop capitalization strategies and identify and place equity and debt from regional, national, and international sources.

We start by helping clients understand the various types of providers and instruments in the private equity and debt markets and analyze the best alternatives for each situation. Our engagement then includes developing valuation models, preparing the company for discussions with various capital sources, and establishing and negotiating terms for each type of financing needed.

Mergers and Acquisitions

The Branch-Shelton Company represents companies in both buy-side and sell-side merger and acquisition engagements.

In both types of engagements, we help our clients analyze their strategic alternatives and develop a plan that best meets their needs.

In sell-side engagements, we lead clients through the process of positioning their companies to receive maximum value and otherwise achieve the goals of shareholders and management. We help companies complete any preliminary positioning initiatives. Then, we develop valuation models to indicate likely pricing and structural options for strategic or financial acquisitions and craft an offering memorandum to be used in the sale. We analyze the universe of likely buyers and then manage the appropriate marketing strategy – a competitive or negotiated process to achieve a timely and optimized sale of the business.

In buy-side engagements, we first work with acquirers to develop the value case for the acquisition and the parameters for qualifying targets. At the same time, we help management develop preliminary financing alternatives and model the likely financial impact of the acquisition. Once the strategy and parameters are established, we work with management to identify, analyze and approach specific target companies. We then support financial due diligence and development of a specific negotiation strategy. The process is completed by final negotiation of terms, placement of necessary financing and consummation of the transaction.

Strategic Financial Advisory

The Branch-Shelton Company advises companies, their management and significant shareholders on a range of strategic and tactical issues, including:

• Business growth strategies
• Restructuring of a company’s balance sheet
• Strategic options for maximizing shareholder value
• Valuations and fairness opinions for mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, management buyouts, financings and minority shareholder buyouts

© The Branch-Shelton Company, LLC 2005