By Howard Wheeldon
Hostile takeover bids have thankfully become a rarity these days and I live in hope rather than anticipation that the heavily contested £8.1bn battle that was fought out between Melrose and GKN back in 2017 will have been the last for some considerable time.
Agreed bids and deals are a however a very necessary part of business life and long may that continue. Where the decision is based on taking over a competitor to expand, industry consolidation, diversification or potential seller recognising that merging with another is the only way to get round product maturity, benefits for both sides of an agreed deal most often make good sense for those involved including employees.
It doesn’t always work out like that of course and it can be very expensive if a buyer gets it wrong. Due diligence is crucial and even then, some get it wrong. Different cultures and system of operation can often be a problem and sad to say that a great many companies that have acquired co...
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