VIA

About

Company:

VIA (“VIA”) is a manufacturer of high quality office seating and is the industry pioneer of the 48-hour “quick-ship” program. VIA’s motto “every chair, every option, every fabric, every leather, ready in 48 hours” well describes the company’s positioning in the market.

Background:

Clearview acquired VIA in an auction run by a brokerage group known for running less efficient sale processes. Clearview was selected by the seller, despite not proposing the highest price, based on a strong recommendation from management, with whom Clearview forged a strong relationship during the sale process.

Investment Date: June 2000
Investment Status: Exited September 2005
Fund Equity Invested: $5.5 million
Process Type: Auction

Post Acquisitions Initiatives

Management Augmentation:

  • Added a Vice President of Sales located on the East Coast to drive sales in undeveloped regions.
  • Hired a Director of Purchasing to manage complex component inventory sourced from multiple regions around the globe.
  • Hired a Director of Product Development and Marketing to expand into a lower priced segment.
  • Transitioned the CEO role from the Founder to a qualified internal employee.

Organic Growth:

  • Introduced a full value-oriented product line (VIA Basics) to respond to industry demand. Which accounted for 39% of volume at exit.
  • Purchased and staffed two mobile showrooms to drive demand at dealers.
  • Tripled sales and marketing expenditures to respond to an industry downturn. This effort resulted in significant share gains in a declining market during the life of the investment.
  • Expanded sales representative force resulting in 67% sales growth in the underdeveloped east and central regions.

Tracking Critical Metrics:

  • Implemented the Clearview summary model to track critical statistics.
  • Implemented a system to track on-time performance and the causes of delays to allow for corrective action.

Operating Results

Revenue and EBITDA increased 58% and 18%, respectively.

Outcomes

It was sold to a financial sponsor in September 2005.

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