The above head line comes from ttela.se and I have reproduced the article below.
This is not just about Saab and bankers and money. Victor Muller made the right decision last Wednesday by putting into action the largest, best, and most creative dealmakers on the globe on this case.
This is no ordinary business deal to any of us. These icons of business understand that this is a special situation. This is indeed a sacred mission to all that are working on this around the clock 7 days a week and until this comes to swift conclusion.
What we all carry in our hearts as we work together through these nights, is the worry of an unnecessary demise and failure of Saab.
We imagine the day when the 4000 dedicated hard working men and women drive home from Saab for the final time, the thoughts that fill their minds and broken hearts as they try to put together the words before they face their anxiously awaiting partners, their loved ones, “that it’s over, and Saab has failed, they have lost their jobs, it’s over” and at a time when there are no jobs in Sweden or Europe. And the worry and sleepless nights begin for these families.
Assuming there are 4 people in a family, this directly devastates 16,000 people of the 45,000 that live, work and play in this beautiful village Trollhattan built by 3 generations of proud Saab families and employees.
No promises here, but this effort is worthy of, and calls for, all players that make up the mandala around Saab for a short period of time and space and value preservation to allow us to optimize the opportunity for the seemingly unlikely success of saving Saab.
So I want to address the key entities that make up this mandala: the Swedish authority, creditors who are owed and deserve payment, the employees of Saab, suppliers, banks and regulators, to please allow for a period of days, not weeks, of calm. So that we can assess and work on scenarios and deal structures under the premise of a stabilized Saab.
This will work in the interest of everyone involved especially creditors, suppliers, employees, and banks, because if Saab fails or succeeds we all know that we collectively did the best we could with what we have.
I urge the Swedish authority and regulators and the very deserving supplies and creditors to ask themselves what they lose if they allow for a number of days of calm, and also consider the damage they will do prematurely and at the expense of the very worthy process we are deeply involved in now.
And let it be on their conscious if they don’t allow the time, space, energy and value preservation it will take for this to come to an intelligent conclusion and have even a chance of a fully funded, viable, productive Saab.
No promises here, no speculation. I represent with my own voice the request to allow us the days to get this done right.
Mark Resnick, Endeavor Advisory Group
Thank you to Audun in comments for spotting this.
Thank you! And here it is in Swedish: http://ttela.se/asiktdebatt/debatt/1.1333113-ge-oss-kort-respit-for-att-radda-saab
Wow!!!
Wow! indeed.
In my opinion he has made a fool of himself and has done nothing to help Saab.
The wording is childish, he got the number of employees wrong, Trollhattan is a town not a village and most importantly an open letter is not the way to address the important stakeholders (Swedish authorities, creditors etc.). Taking all these errors into account I can imagine that this guy did not run this text pass Saab. I can imagine he will have some explaining to do.
Emotional and sounding as from the heart – but, wait! Isn`t he praising his own organisation “largest, best and most creative dealmakers” . I agree wholeheartedly with his sentiments, but the bottom line is – there`s no cash on the table yet!
That’s probably why they are asking for some peace and quiet to get their work done 😉
He is asking for some days to get this solved, and in another shorter news aticle about the same in TTELA it is told that he later mentioned 10 days.
That´s what I missed the whole time. Saab should be left alone to do their job, with out this media mess. Finally there is someone who claims this publicly. Very good statement !
So….this is THE week.
(Holy s**t, I feel like a nervous wreck!)
In the Swedish article they have asked him some additional questions. He said it would take up to 10 days, so either this or next week.
Gaaaah!!!
You´re not alone…
But I do my best to keep up a positive attitude amongst critics:
“- Of cause SAAB will survive!”
And I also convince some friends to join in Trollhättan 1 october!! Se ya there, fanatics 😉
I go back to sleep and wake up next week! My heart cant take this. 🙂
My sentiments exactly. More or less posted the same a week or 2 ago somewhere else.
My heart can’t take much more of this anymore. At SOC I was asked how I was dealing with this being on the Sales end. My answer was at this point just not paying attention to all the negative press(can’t do it anymore) and waiting for a POSITIVE outcome for Saab. It will come…..
VM, my prayers and support are with you……
Well looks like our roller-coaster ride is again heading downhill, lets just hope it picks up enough speed to make it over the next hump…!
Let me guess… di.se will have a negative spin on this today… but let us all stay positive today! 🙂
Saab up 🙂
All seems a bit desperate and publicity seeking to me, it also means that apart from some dodgy share based finance VM failed in his efforts to raise some proper short term funding.
He…could be worse.
They could have played you this one
Yes! I am not alone with Ozzy fanatism!:)
LOOOL, I assure you you’re not 😉
\m/
Or could it be just putting all pieces what VM has gathered, in a way together? I quess paperwork is pretty complicated if there are several investors. Well right now I´m starting to do speculation, just what there is no point to do now… “Wait and see” would be better 🙂
Yes, ““Wait and see” would be better 🙂 ” 🙂
My reaction to the letter (that’s not an ‘article’; it’s a letter) is: =/
@ GrumpyGriffin.
Mark Resnick sounds like a man that really cares about our brand and the people behind it.
You don’t.
+1
+2
@ Pedro — All respect, but nobody knows what any of this means. And without a real inside line on all of this, you really have no insight. Frankly, all the speculation in the world won’t make a bit of difference. Either Saab will get funding, or it won’t. I just don’t see the need to beat up on Mark Resnick when he really isn’t the issue.
I agree it was a very strange letter and childishly written too.
Hear, hear….
Clarification: My “hear, hear” was meant to support GrumpyGriffin’s remark. NOT klypp’s fantasy about Resnick.
I don’t know what a proper funding is, but I know that McLaren is quite happy about the money a well off man from Singapore has invested in the company, why has to be different for Saab?
Governments don’t have money, companies neither, so it’s only the private money that is over, and if the Endeavor Advisory Group can convince some private persons that investing in Saab is worth while, it makes this funding a proper funding to me.
I think it’s as much to do with the general hysteria in all directions.
Just like the rest of us, and those for whom it really, really matters, the employees at Saab, you will see on thursday.
@ Sadim – I am not familiar with the enforcement agency’s way of working as I do not live/work in Sweden, but I’m interested to know how it works: the enforcement agency has access to bank registries in this type of situation, or do they do something like what auditors do when confirming client and supplier balances, i.e, sent letters to all the banks asking for whatever SAAB’s position is? And do they then effectively take posession of the money, or do they somehow identify those accounts and SAAB is forced to use the money to pay what is due?
@Pedro August 23, 2011 at 12:19
Your suggestion that they send “letters to all the banks asking for whatever SAAB’s position is? And do they then effectively take posession of the money, ….” is the correct MO.
Of course it would make life easier if SAAB were to declare what accounts they have and what is in them. However, my feeling is this has not been done, and the EA is a “bit miffed” over this non-cooperation.
Thanks for the reply, Sadim.
Maybe I should have chosen paranoid by Black Sabbath as the song of the moment 😉
Good song….. point taken 😉
Correction: Maybe a former Swedish wife? However, a might-be daughter has father’s name.
An interesting note from Mr. Resnick’s public LinkedIn profile: ” If your company needs $40m to $1.5B in debt or equity funding and you have a seasoned management team and strong EBITDA margins, we will get you funded in under 6 weeks.”
Wow, that is indeed world shocking: “If you make a lot of money, we can re-finance you.”
Have never seen that before 🙂
Maybe we could check if the CEO’s of e.g. Goldman Sachs, or any other serious business banking CEO, has similar sign off’s in his linkedin profile.
Well Victor, you know what to do now. Get a seasoned management team up there and start making money…
On the other hand, it would really be an achievement to refinance a company that is as deep in trouble as SAAB is, in two weeks.
My thoughts exactly! 😉
And my 2nd thought was: “Wow! SAAB has strong EBITDA now? SAAB must have very incompetent Working Capital management, then, to burn so much money as not to be able to pay suppliers…”
This will not have been written by Saab’s PR department as there are far too many factual errors.
Beware of the tea-leaves. They are not, and have never been, a good source for credible news.
Incredible news, on the other hand can always be found there. 😉
Would you care to enlarge upon your tea-leaf comment?
My comment was not directed specifically at you. I just wanted to warn about the dangers of too much guessing. There has been a lot of guessing the last few days, and any news – good or bad – has been twisted this way and that. Often leading to bad news, bad temper and ill-founded comments.
I like this quote from Gene Kranz: “Let’s not make things worse by guessing“.
A question to ROBINM:
Did you receive the letter in English or in Swedish, and from whom? Why the reference to the ttela headline?
Not to answer for RobinM, but the letter is published at ttela.se in both english and swedish.
I think the last line says it all: “Thank you to Audun in comments for spotting this.” 😉
I have done some research into the names Mark Resnick and David Khalilzad + some of the companies they have founded / worked for. There is VERY little information to be found. Very little indeed. Virtually nothing ever published in media.
This tells me these guys are not even close to being “the largest, best, and most creative dealmakers on the globe”.
I would go along with “creative”, but not in the sence they originally have in mind. I would caution anybody to have any great hopes for any serious cash coming out of this trail.
I noticed that… Not even a portfolio page with their track record… =/
Not easy to find companies with a seasoned management team and strong EBITDA margins that need financing. From what appears to be a start-up.
These companies can go to “the market” and get money on normal terms with reputable partners.
It’s way cheaper to replace the person in charge of monitoring/managing their Working Capital than to fire an advisory firm if you have strong EBITDA and still need money (unless that money is for investing – but SAAB is not even producing, so the rest is a mute point).
Of course these guys apparently have good connections (or should have since names like Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, etc appear on their CVs on Endeavor’s website), but a proven track record is essential in these things.
I think what we have here is another large load of Bovine Excrement, TimR if i were you I would start work on the Obituary, here’s hoping you don’t need it but I see the Fat Lady is back waiting in the wings and is working on her breathing exercises!
It’s like you didn’t even read the letter. How hard is it to shut your trap for a few days and give them some space? Seriously man, tasteless.
Jeff I have read the letter, I just cant believe that anybody serious would want it published in the way it has been, you might send something less emotive to those creditors who have asked the Enforcement Agency to collect trying to get them to hold of for a week or two, but despite all the laudable sentiments expressed it seems very unprofessional !
At the moment the bovine excrements are flying faster from some commenters than most others
GrumpyGriffin,
It’s like you can’t wait, like a kid. And that’s very juvenile; and you speak of unprofessional.
Think about this: Must it be said? Must it be said now? Must it be said by me? Some of you guys stumble over each other to be the first shooting down a post here. Get a life.
I agree with you.
Don’t you guys ever get headaches?
I am personally not pinning anything on anybody, and I don’t care speculating over the credibility and track record of anyone.
If there’s money they will show, independently of your findings and the track record of Endeavour.
If not, we will also find out.
Oh BTW:
What you are implying is that everything is smokescreens, mirrors and fraud.
Why don’t just say that is your opinion and kick all the argumentation?
You take up a lot of space with “Much ado about Nothing”
@ Khrisdk. +1 ! Some comments are really fatiguing. %-\
+1
Yes, why not just wait and see?
I have a job, one that is paying me quite well and one in which I am actually having fun! So you don’t need to be concerned with my job situation. I do appreciate your concern, though; it warms my heart to know you’re so concerned with my career 🙂
Pedro
I welcome your insight in these matters, thank you. : )
Well, Pedro, since you seem to be quite good at what you do, why don’t you apply your talents to do something about improving the economic situation of Portugal? I gather it could use some expert input right now. The additional advantage for us would be your absence from SU as I don’t see any real added value in continuing your self-glorifying contributions here, not even where the humor content is concerned, even though you seem inclined to think otherwise.
Ivo
I hope his command of investment banking is Greer than his command of English.
That letter is amateur hour. Can you imagine Goldman Sachs , or any other major wall street bank putting something like that out?
…..better than…! His command of English. ( damn iPad!)
You don’t understand sarcasm, it seems, so I looked up the meaning of the word ‘sarcasm’ for you:
Sarcasm: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm
Have a wonderful day! 😉
Sorry, scand… That was meant at another conversation outside of SU… My apologies… Is there a blushing smiley in here that I can use?…. =/
Interesting. I thought the Trollkit of cut & paste insults was an urban myth.
sadim, or the money are transfered directly from an european bank. 🙂
Well, that would be quite interesting – to learn that SAAB Automobile AB doesn’t trust a Swedish bank with it’s liquid assets.
We will see….
More likely the fact that DEA has no access to other banks than the Swedish ones
Again since I am not familiar with the procedure, I pose a question to you, to Sadim or to whoever can provide an answer: can’t the DEA enforce a full disclosure of a company’s accounts, even those outside of Sweden? What I mean is these accounts have to be reflected in a company’s balance sheet even if they are outside of Sweden, so wouldn’t that fall into the DEA’s attributions?
Just asking, as (again) I do not know how the Swedish procedure works.
DEA can ask for information from Swedish banks. Noone else.
I see. Thanks, Khrisdk.
This past weekend I got to see the new 9-5 Sport Combi at the 2011 North American Saab Owners Convention in Parsippany, New Jersey. Saab MUST survive because I WANT THIS CAR!! Unbelievable lines and is, IMHO, the most luxurious Saab ever built. Long live Saab!
Ms Gunilla Gustavs said “-The plan is to pay out salaries.”.
From todays press release: “there is a risk of delayed payment of August wages”
Can I humbly remind everybody that a plan is a plan. Not reality.
I plan to be home by 18.00 this evening, but I don’t really know when I’ll be home. It might be later. Or sooner.
The plan was to sell x amount of cars during the winter, but they didn’t. Does that make anyone a lier?
Remember that ms Gustavs, Mr Muller, Mr Brunius and the others might not be able to be as forthcoming as they could. What if they were, and Saab loses a financier?
Beware of the tea-leaves! 🙂
@Hans H August 23, 2011 at 14:15
To use the word “plan” as you do to excuse SAAB as you are doing is a bit off-putting, I think. To pay out salaries is on a different level as compared to a “plan”. Salaries are part of an agreement, not part of a “plan”.
If paying out salaries at SAAB are now seen as a “plan” or maybe an “ambition”, employees are in deep trouble. And anyone trying to excuse this change of attitude is not helping the employees at all.
I was using the word plan generically.
Thank you, Ivo. that was quite well-written.
I’m sure you feel better now, ‘Cause that was a lot of air seeping out of you. I guess you will be excused for being a bit off-topic and hope the same generosity will be shown towards me. In response to your verbal flatulence I will turn to the good book for a quote and since you turn out to be an even greater Mr Know-all than I am, I suggest you “go forth and multiply”.
Hmm…I thought he made some good points.
I would have used a shorter version, as I am becoming an old man that do not feel to much for the lengthy discussions
But since you are quoting the Bible, I would like to quote someone else:
“One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed” Nietzsche.
Excellent and well reasoned. I really wish someone would stop allowing people who are here for only destructive purposes to continue here. There are those like GrumpyGriffin who really aren’t being levelheaded in my opinion but I do know they care about Saab so while get frustrated at what is said from such people at times I certainly do not want to see them leave this site. Sadim, leeloo, and boeboe however should be shown the door.
Guys why don’t you all grow up!
I always feel a little bit rebellious when someone is trying to tell someone my age to grow up.
I normally means that they feel superior to me.
I don’t really like that
I don’t really care who are using crystal balls.
What I care about when seeing your comments is that you are passing judgement on Saabs management indicating lies, fraud and general misinformation without other backing than speculation and opinion.
That is just generally annoying.
Yes, an exellent post, Ivo.
Exellent post!
Swade + 9000
Let’s hope things work out well, and we can keep flying our Saabs…
I mean driving, ofcourse…
Sadim, Doesnt have anything to do with trust but a strategy. The enforcement agency dont have the right to take money outside sweden.
Quite true.
But one might add, that any move that might be considered to be a direct evasion or obstruction of EA procedures would severly harm SAAB’s credibility
If it works and they can get the salaries paid by holding the money elsewhere then they should, it cant do any more harm than has already been done, it does buy them time and that,s what they need, whether the time will do them any good is a different issue!
Well, accordning to SR P4 Väst there will be no salaries to the employees this week.
SAAB says know that the salary will probably be late! What a F*ing joke. Poor employees!!
Saw that to.. 🙁
http://inside.saab.com/press-release-saab-automobile-informs-employees-on-salary-payments/
OK, I will stay calm and carry on until the 2nd of September and then I will drink beer, either as a celebration or as “gravöl” (literally translated: “beer for the tomb”) :-/
http://ttela.se/ekonomi/saab/1.1333781-saabloner-kan-bli-sena-igen
I just hope that the SAAB management manage to get the finanzing in place.
SAAB cars are just great to drive and have a fantastic safety track.
At this point, the Deal either happens and fixes these issues, or it does not happen.
Commentary on the topic is really superfluous. We all know the stakes and the short time frame for the current problems to get fixed.
Let’s see what happens. If Saab dies, there will be plenty of time to piss on the grave afterwards. Until then, it costs you nothing to be civil to those of us who persist in the belief that Saab still has a future.
Well said sir!
I’ll second that sentiment. Well said. 🙂
God save the Queen…..And SAAB too…….PLEASE!
I must say that it seems that the tone here in SU, is starting to get very hard and negative.
I thougt that this site was about to show support and passion for the brand Saab.
As an employee at Saab, i feel sad that our salary maybe be delayed, but not unexpected. The most of us that work here knows that this could happen, but we want to work here. I belive that the mangement are doing all they can to solve this, and i dont belive that there is someone here that would do a better job.
Driving to work this morning, I sat beside a white 9-5. What a beautiful car!
I hope you can start building them again pretty soon.
Griffin Up!
I agree 100% to saabworker. I still want to work at SAAB. I will never give up like most of you here att SU seems to do. Nowadays i feel sad that all of you SAAB supporters start to give up. We employees is soon left alone with our faith.