The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has written a letter to the co-chief executives of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts outlining their concerns over the private equity firm’s planned ini
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has written a letter to the co-chief executives of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts outlining their concerns over the private equity firm’s planned initial public offering of Dollar General.
In the letter, Teamsters general secretary-treasurer C. Thomas Keegel highlights the heavy debt burdens placed on Dollar General which are exacerbated by the fees KKR will take out of the company; concerns over the corporate governance structure of the company; wasteful executive compensation perks; and lack of disclosure on potential regulatory risk.
"Long-term investors, including Teamsters pension funds, need assurances that Dollar General will have a sustainable profitable business plan that does not involve using all of its cash to pay down its approximately USD9bn in obligations that is in large part due to KKR and its partners leverage buyout of the company in 2007 as well as other fees to KKR," Keegel said.
KKR stands to reap a sizeable portion of the USD64m in proposed transaction fees. Combined with the USD75m paid to KKR and investors upon the initial Dollar General buyout in 2007, KKR and its partners will withdraw USD385.9m in cash from the company’s coffers over two-plus years of stewardship – approximately 51.5 per cent of the total IPO value. The Teamsters believe there is unnecessary uncertainty caused by lack of disclosure in the Dollar General SEC filings.
"The initial SEC filings lack much needed information on the structure of the board of directors and risk disclosures and left out information pertaining to possible regulatory risks from Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations," Keegel said.
The union offered several recommendations it believes are in the best interest of future Dollar General investors.
"If Dollar General is to be a good sustainable investment for its potential shareholders and not be merely a cash register for KKR and its investor partners, there must be critical changes made to the structure of the offering," Keegel added.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million working men and women throughout the US and Canada.
