Twisted Love and Money Read Online Free PDF

expect they are thin on the top
with about three key managers. Rumour is that they are looking for
an experienced financial man to back up the current FD who is the
boss’s daughter.”
    “O.K. Janet
let’s say I am interested. How do we hit them?”
    Janet smiled,
unsure, had she made a sale? Crawford sensed this. He could not
resist the opportunity. He patted her knee. She had no stockings on
and the momentary pat sent a shiver of excitement up his arm.
    “Well done
Janet, a fine research job.”
    “I need your
guidance Mr. Crawford.”
    Crawford
smiled. “That is what I like to hear. A youngster who realizes she
has a lot to learn. Good basic research Simmons. Now tell me how
could we hit them?”
    “We give them a
lot of business Mr. Crawford.”
    “What? If we
put up their profits the acquisition price will also go up. What
purchase price do you think we are talking here? A range of five to
ten times profits?”
    “That’s right
Mr. Crawford. Of course as a private unquoted company we would not
really go over five times profits, that is one hundred and fifty
million but we have to be aware they are growing fast and are
seeking a market quotation.”
    “And Simmons
are you suggesting we give them more business?”
    “O’Byrne’s are
expanding very fast. They are stretched financially as a
consequence. Margins in the fresh food end are very low compared to
turnover.”
    “So we build up
their account, the amount we owe them, through giving them business
with our Supermarket Divisions,” Crawford interjected, beginning to
catch on.
    “Yes.”
    Janet smiled;
pleased he was coming on to her wavelength. “Then we delay
payments, maybe one or two months. If we get it right they may
become overstretched financially. Their bankers are bound to be
jumpy. If we can create a crisis the banks may move in to protect
their loans.”
    “A
receiver?”
    “That would be
ideal. Then we could buy the lot very cheaply as a going concern
from the receiver. We would have to have a climate where it seemed
O’Byrne’s were in trouble and their growth days were over. In those
circumstances the price might be as low as fifty or sixty
million.”
    “Very good
Janet,” Crawford said, pleased at how Machiavellian his young
protégé could be.
    “Thank you, Mr.
Crawford.”
    “You are a
wicked girl, wicked Janet,” he remonstrated with a chuckle. “Janet
you are well aware that what you are proposing is highly illegal.
We can’t, as a major customer of a company, put them into
receivership on a pretext and then buy them out. There are all
sorts of fair trading regulations against that sort of thing.”
    “Unfortunately
Mr. Crawford, the line of approach I am suggesting has risks but
the prize is in millions and as through our Supermarket Division,
we are in fact a major customer of O’Byrne’s we are uniquely placed
to take advantage. My view is that they will not sell out to a
reasonable offer. Either we go after them or we have to forget
them.”
    Crawford
considered. “We would need to find out when they are at their most
vulnerable. When are they going to be most exposed?”
    “No problem,”
Janet said optimistically, “we just have to find out what they are
up to. Then suck them in with a promise of orders from us. Get them
to commit forward and then pull the plug.”
    “It is your
problem now Simmons.” Crawford smiled. “I will organize the trap
from this end. I will get our buyers in the Supermarket end busy as
discussed. However our plan must be secret. Only those on the team
who need to know. The Supermarket Divisions will be kept in the
dark as to our true intentions. This plan must never make the
public arena. Also I will contact the O’Byrne backers quietly. See
what I can find out. You Simmons have got to be my legman.”
    “Leg man?”
Janet stretched out a long leg and looked at it with raised
eyebrows. Crawford stared and resisted the impulse to fall to his
knees and lick the extended limb.