14 Aug 2008

Buyout terms renegotiated

12:04 pm on 14 August 2008

Strategic Finance says it has renegotiated the terms for a buyout to make sure the sale goes ahead.

The ailing finance firm expects to finalise the sale within weeks.

Strategic's owner is selling the company to a consortium made up of its original owners, senior management and BOS International.

Since announcing its sale, the company has struck trouble and frozen redemptions, stopping its 15,000 investors from withdrawing a total $325 million.

Chief executive Kerry Finnigan, who's part of the buyout consortium, says market conditions changed and the commercial terms needed to reflect that.

He says the commercial terms will remain confidential until the company finalises a sale and purchase agreement.

While some terms have changed, Mr Finnigan says BOS International will still have an initial 19.9% shareholding, with the ability to increase the stake to 49%.

He says the company will confirm its capital restructure once the sale agreement is finalised.

This week Strategic released initial details about its proposed restructure, saying it plans to pay 30% of debentureholders' money back over the next three years with the remaining 70% going into five-year listed bonds.