Giddings & Lewis

1) What forces are motivating Giddings & Lewis’s interest in Cross Trecker?

There were several motivating factors for Giddings & Lewis’s interest in Cross Trecker.

The US Machine Tool Industry was undergoing significant changes in the markets that Giddings & Lewis had dominated for several years. In 1985 Japan was selling machining centers to many U.S. customers at prices that were as low as half that of U.S. firms. Also, U.S. auto manufactures investments had fallen well below previous historic levels.

This combination of the depressed machine tool market and the 50% market share claimed by imports proved devastating to smaller U.S. machine tool makers. These smaller companies could not keep up with the rising development cost needed to compete with Japanese standards.

Giddings & Lewis recognized that if they were to survive they would have to grow their business. Many of the larger machine tool makers were successful in offering flexible machining centers that were custom engineered for the customer. Cross Trecker was well known for their name in transfer lines, milling machines and machining centers and provided an opportunity in this area if acquired.

Thus, acquiring them would make Giddings & Lewis a “full-line” machine tool company and would give them established alliances and production facilities in Japan and Europe to help them better compete. Additionally, an acquisition of Cross & Trecker by Giddings & Lewis would make Giddings & Lewis one of the top five machine tool companies in the world and provide a complete line of available machines. Access to the European markets and an already established presence would also come as a benefit for Giddings & Lewis. Both these objectives lined up with Fife’s strategic objectives.

Giddings and Lewis’s CEO felt the time was right because the stock price for Cross Trecker had dropped from a high of $15/share in the summer of 1989 to a low of $3/share in 1990.

2) Should Giddings & Lewis proceed without first arranging for the financing? Given that there may be some resistance, what steps should be taken to weaken/remove the resistance?

Giddings & Lewis had been advised that a successful acquisition could result in a sudden fall in stock price and that if the lenders and rating agencies did not pay attention to the new business plan they could conclude that the combined companies had a lower credit profile than investment grade. Thus, an attempt to have financing in place before proceeding should be made. Giddings & Lewis should try to work out an agreement with Cross Trecker. As stated by Ryker, Cross & Trecker’s CEO, this would put Giddings & Lewis at risk to be acquired by Cross & Trecker.

Entering into an unfriendly takeover rarely turns out positive. In the 1980s many firms’ management implemented defensive measures to secure their positions from a hostile raider.

3) What price should Giddings &