Paul-André Bloch

EMP Global focuses on global private equity investments in a variety of sectors including agribusiness, transportation, power and water, telecommunications, retail, diversified infrastructure, cement, paper, mining, synthetic fiber, basic material, restaurants, chemicals/petrochemicals and glass. Investments range from $10 million to approximately $100 million. The firm typically provides capital to growing companies at the expansion stage rather than at the start-up stage. They also consider investments in mature companies that offer restructuring opportunities. In addition, EMP considers investing in greenfield projects in conjunction with a strategic corporate partner or in certain regulated industries in which development risk is reduced through licenses or off-take agreements. The firm invests globally including Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. EMP looks for companies with an understandable business model and clearly identified drivers of growth and profitability. They look for companies with favorable long term prospects, especially those that benefit from high barriers to entry through licenses, high capital costs for any potential competitor or high switching costs on the part of customers. EMP considers minority positions in companies that are controlled by a reputable local sponsor or an international strategic investor. The firm prefers to invest in control positions, either as a sole investor or in partnership with other financial investors, including participation in LBOs in markets in which capital markets support such activities. EMP pays particular attention to downside risk and risk/return profile and employs a variety of techniques to alter the risk/return profile to mitigate risk. These include structuring investments as hybrid debt/equity securities, including preferred stock, mezzanine and convertible debt and debt with warrants. The firm also seeks to address illiquidity risk by negotiating put option agreements with partners that assure EMP of an exit within the timeframe of each fund.

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