Dorchester, Ltd. Proposal

Order Description

Read the Chapter 18 Mini Case 1: Dorchester, Ltd.

Using the material developed for Weeks One through Five, write a proposal to Dorchester, Ltd.’s management team. In your proposal, advise them of an acquisition target based on research previously conducted. Your proposal should also include:

An economic assessment of the country chosen,
A risk mitigation plan,
A financing plan on how to finance the acquisition, and
A concluding recommendation using supporting rationale derived from the above mentioned items.

Mini Case 1

Dorchester, Ltd.

Dorchester, Ltd. Is an old line confectioner specializing in high quality chocolates.  Through its facilities in the United Kingdom, Dorchester manufacturers candies that it sells throughout Western Europe and North America (US and Canada). With its current manufacturing facilities, Dorchester has been unable to supply the US market with more than 225,000 pounds of candy per year. This supply has allowed its sales affiliate, located in Boston, to be able to penetrate the US market no farther west than St Louis and only as far as Atlanta.  Dorchester believes that a separate manufacturing facility located in the US would allow it to supply the entire US market and Canada (which presently accounts for 65,000 pounds per year).  Dorchester currently estimates initial demand in the North American market at 390,000 pounds, with growth at a 5 percent annual rate.  A separate manufacturing facility would, obviously, free up the amount currently shipped to the US and Canada.  But Dorchester believes that this is only a short run problem.  They believe the economic development taking place in Eastern Europe will allow it to sell there the full amount presently shipped to North America within a period of five years.

Dorchester presently realizes ?3.00 per pound on its North American exports.  Once the US manufacturing facility is operating, Dorchester expects that it will be able to initially price its product at $7.70 per pound. This price would represent an operating profit of $4.40 per pound.  Both sales price and operating costs are expected to keep track with the US price level; US inflation is forecast at a rate 3 percent for the next several years.  In the UK., the long run inflation is expected to be in the 4 to 5 percent range, depending on which economic service one follows.  The current spot exchange rate is $1.50/?1.00.  Dorchester explicitly believes in PPP as the best means to forecast future exchange rates.

The manufacturing facility is expected to cost $7,000,000.  Dorchester plans to finance the amount by a combination of equity capital and debt.  The plant will increase Dorchester’s borrowing capacity by ?2.000.000. and it plans to borrow only that amount.  The local community in which Dorchester has decided to build will provide $1,500,000 of debt financing for a period of seven years at 7.75 percent.  The principal is to be repaid in equal installments over the life of the loan.  At this point, Dorchester is uncertain whether to raise the remaining debt it desires through a domestic bond issue or a Eurodollar bond issue.  It believes it can borrow pounds sterling at 10.75 percent per annum and dollars at 9.5 percent.  Dorchester estimates its all equity cost of capital to be 15 percent.

The US Internal Revenue Service will allow Dorchester to depreciate the new facility over a seven year period.  After that time the confectionary equipment, which accounts for the bulk of the investment, is expected to have substantial market value.

Dorchester does not expect to receive any special tax concessions.  Further, because the corporate tax rates in the two countries are the same-35 percent in the UK and in the US- transfer pricing strategies are ruled out.

Should Dorchester build the new manufacturing plant in the US?

Dorchester, Ltd. Proposal

Order Description

Read the Chapter 18 Mini Case 1: Dorchester, Ltd.

Using the material developed for Weeks One through Five, write a proposal to Dorchester, Ltd.’s management team. In your proposal, advise them of an acquisition target based on research previously conducted. Your proposal should also include:

An economic assessment of the country chosen,
A risk mitigation plan,
A financing plan on how to finance the acquisition, and
A concluding recommendation using supporting rationale derived from the above mentioned items.

Mini Case 1

Dorchester, Ltd.

Dorchester, Ltd. Is an old line confectioner specializing in high quality chocolates.  Through its facilities in the United Kingdom, Dorchester manufacturers candies that it sells throughout Western Europe and North America (US and Canada). With its current manufacturing facilities, Dorchester has been unable to supply the US market with more than 225,000 pounds of candy per year. This supply has allowed its sales affiliate, located in Boston, to be able to penetrate the US market no farther west than St Louis and only as far as Atlanta.  Dorchester believes that a separate manufacturing facility located in the US would allow it to supply the entire US market and Canada (which presently accounts for 65,000 pounds per year).  Dorchester currently estimates initial demand in the North American market at 390,000 pounds, with growth at a 5 percent annual rate.  A separate manufacturing facility would, obviously, free up the amount currently shipped to the US and Canada.  But Dorchester believes that this is only a short run problem.  They believe the economic development taking place in Eastern Europe will allow it to sell there the full amount presently shipped to North America within a period of five years.

Dorchester presently realizes ?3.00 per pound on its North American exports.  Once the US manufacturing facility is operating, Dorchester expects that it will be able to initially price its product at $7.70 per pound. This price would represent an operating profit of $4.40 per pound.  Both sales price and operating costs are expected to keep track with the US price level; US inflation is forecast at a rate 3 percent for the next several years.  In the UK., the long run inflation is expected to be in the 4 to 5 percent range, depending on which economic service one follows.  The current spot exchange rate is $1.50/?1.00.  Dorchester explicitly believes in PPP as the best means to forecast future exchange rates.

The manufacturing facility is expected to cost $7,000,000.  Dorchester plans to finance the amount by a combination of equity capital and debt.  The plant will increase Dorchester’s borrowing capacity by ?2.000.000. and it plans to borrow only that amount.  The local community in which Dorchester has decided to build will provide $1,500,000 of debt financing for a period of seven years at 7.75 percent.  The principal is to be repaid in equal installments over the life of the loan.  At this point, Dorchester is uncertain whether to raise the remaining debt it desires through a domestic bond issue or a Eurodollar bond issue.  It believes it can borrow pounds sterling at 10.75 percent per annum and dollars at 9.5 percent.  Dorchester estimates its all equity cost of capital to be 15 percent.

The US Internal Revenue Service will allow Dorchester to depreciate the new facility over a seven year period.  After that time the confectionary equipment, which accounts for the bulk of the investment, is expected to have substantial market value.

Dorchester does not expect to receive any special tax concessions.  Further, because the corporate tax rates in the two countries are the same-35 percent in the UK and in the US- transfer pricing strategies are ruled out.

Should Dorchester build the new manufacturing plant in the US?

Dorchester, Ltd. Proposal

Order Description

Read the Chapter 18 Mini Case 1: Dorchester, Ltd.

Using the material developed for Weeks One through Five, write a proposal to Dorchester, Ltd.’s management team. In your proposal, advise them of an acquisition target based on research previously conducted. Your proposal should also include:

An economic assessment of the country chosen,
A risk mitigation plan,
A financing plan on how to finance the acquisition, and
A concluding recommendation using supporting rationale derived from the above mentioned items.

Mini Case 1

Dorchester, Ltd.

Dorchester, Ltd. Is an old line confectioner specializing in high quality chocolates.  Through its facilities in the United Kingdom, Dorchester manufacturers candies that it sells throughout Western Europe and North America (US and Canada). With its current manufacturing facilities, Dorchester has been unable to supply the US market with more than 225,000 pounds of candy per year. This supply has allowed its sales affiliate, located in Boston, to be able to penetrate the US market no farther west than St Louis and only as far as Atlanta.  Dorchester believes that a separate manufacturing facility located in the US would allow it to supply the entire US market and Canada (which presently accounts for 65,000 pounds per year).  Dorchester currently estimates initial demand in the North American market at 390,000 pounds, with growth at a 5 percent annual rate.  A separate manufacturing facility would, obviously, free up the amount currently shipped to the US and Canada.  But Dorchester believes that this is only a short run problem.  They believe the economic development taking place in Eastern Europe will allow it to sell there the full amount presently shipped to North America within a period of five years.

Dorchester presently realizes ?3.00 per pound on its North American exports.  Once the US manufacturing facility is operating, Dorchester expects that it will be able to initially price its product at $7.70 per pound. This price would represent an operating profit of $4.40 per pound.  Both sales price and operating costs are expected to keep track with the US price level; US inflation is forecast at a rate 3 percent for the next several years.  In the UK., the long run inflation is expected to be in the 4 to 5 percent range, depending on which economic service one follows.  The current spot exchange rate is $1.50/?1.00.  Dorchester explicitly believes in PPP as the best means to forecast future exchange rates.

The manufacturing facility is expected to cost $7,000,000.  Dorchester plans to finance the amount by a combination of equity capital and debt.  The plant will increase Dorchester’s borrowing capacity by ?2.000.000. and it plans to borrow only that amount.  The local community in which Dorchester has decided to build will provide $1,500,000 of debt financing for a period of seven years at 7.75 percent.  The principal is to be repaid in equal installments over the life of the loan.  At this point, Dorchester is uncertain whether to raise the remaining debt it desires through a domestic bond issue or a Eurodollar bond issue.  It believes it can borrow pounds sterling at 10.75 percent per annum and dollars at 9.5 percent.  Dorchester estimates its all equity cost of capital to be 15 percent.

The US Internal Revenue Service will allow Dorchester to depreciate the new facility over a seven year period.  After that time the confectionary equipment, which accounts for the bulk of the investment, is expected to have substantial market value.

Dorchester does not expect to receive any special tax concessions.  Further, because the corporate tax rates in the two countries are the same-35 percent in the UK and in the US- transfer pricing strategies are ruled out.

Should Dorchester build the new manufacturing plant in the US?