Stakeholder Preparation Briefs | KPOP Unicorn Hunters

Incident: Gideon Benson (production worker) suffered severe hand injury today. Several fingers severed in chain installation machine. Emergency services responded. He is receiving medical care.

If Asked About the Incident (All Meetings)

"We had a serious workplace incident this morning. One of our team members was injured and is receiving medical care. Our immediate priority is his wellbeing and supporting his family. We've secured the equipment, launched a full investigation, and are reviewing all safety protocols. We take worker safety extremely seriously."

DO NOT:

Speculate on cause or blame
Discuss details of injury
Comment on potential liability
Discuss with journalist unless directly asked

Key Point: This reinforces why we need strong systems, training protocols, and operational excellence - core to our mission of returning Maywood to its roots as a technology-driven company.

Our Mantra

"Maywood started as a tech company. We're returning to our tech company roots."

Context

150 years ago, Maywood was at the cutting edge of transportation technology. Bicycles were the innovation. We're reclaiming that identity by:

Entering e-bikes (the new technology frontier)
Modernizing operations (SAP, lean manufacturing)
Investing in R&D (carbon fiber chain, CYLO X)
Building systems and processes (not just assembling bikes)

Use this framing across all stakeholder conversations.

MEETING 1

Jean Davenport - Local Commercial Banker

EMERGENCY BRIEFING: If Jean asks about the workplace incident, use the standard response above. Frame our investment in systems and safety as part of returning to tech company discipline. This incident underscores why operational modernization matters.

You will NOT have time to work on it in the morning - use time before daily debrief to prepare.

What She Wants to See

13-week cash flow statement
Financial policies for working capital management

Source: work_journal.md line 224

Current Cash Position

Cash on Hand

£175k

Operating Cash Flow

£1.64M

Net Cash Flow

-£396k

Source: 01-Due-Diligence-nd.md lines 174, 188

Banking Facilities

Barclays Overdraft £500,000

Barclays Invoice Discounting £5,000,000 (85% advance, 4% fee)

NatWest Mortgage £4,800,000 (repayable on demand post-acquisition)

Source: 01-Due-Diligence-nd.md lines 13, 353-354

Critical Cash Flow Concerns

Director loans (£1M) were PAID OFF in the sale - no longer a working capital concern.

Borrowings may be close to limits for first 6 months of CY+1
Bank deposit account postings not kept up to date
51% of revenue earned in first 5 months (seasonality risk)

Upcoming Cash Requirements

June CY+1: Seller Note (30%) £3,000,000

Fork equipment repair £50,000

Environmental waste solution £75,000-100,000

Pension catch-up £120,000

Prepared Talking Points

Q: How will you manage the first year cash crunch?

A: We are exploring sale of Victoria House (valued at £3M, not in production use) and/or negotiating expanded banking facilities.

Q: What is your working capital policy?

A: Just-in-time purchasing for tubes, invoice discounting at 85% advance rate, implementing tighter bank reconciliation processes.

Q: How will you service the seller note?

A: Operating cash flows of £1.5M/year, supplemented by asset sales if needed. First payment of £3M in June is our highest priority.

MEETING 2

Alex Schonsteinweg - Large Retail Customer

CMO Objective: Use this conversation to validate strategic assumptions and gather market intelligence. Frame plans as exploration questions, not assertions.

What They Want to Know

New product strategy
Customer personas
What problems we solve
What solutions we offer
At what price

Source: work_journal.md line 229

Market Intelligence (Reference Only)

Global Market

$83.5B

E-bikes Share

51.25%

E-bike CAGR

12.76%

Children CAGR

10.61%

Source: Mordor Intelligence, Statista

Our Product Contribution

Road (33% vol) £14.96M

MTB (29% vol) £12.18M

Race (8% vol) £8.09M

City (9% vol) £2.21M

Children (20% vol) £1.62M

Products in Development

Note: "Acoustic bike" = non-electric (traditional). CYLO extends existing portfolio. CYLO X is NEW e-bike category.

CYLO (City bike) In development - extends acoustic portfolio

CYLO X (E-bike) In development - NEW category (51% of market)

Exploration Questions

E-Bike Market Entry

"What demand are you seeing for e-bikes in your stores?"

"If we were to develop an e-bike line, what price points would resonate?"

"Which e-bike features matter most - range, weight, design, or brand?"

"How much shelf space are you allocating to e-bikes vs traditional?"

Context: CYLO X is highest strategic priority. E-bikes = 51% of market.

Children's Bikes

"How is the children's segment performing in your stores?"

"Are you seeing growth in premium children's bikes like junior MTBs?"

"What role do movie tie-ins play in your children's bike sales?"

Context: Children's = fastest-growing segment (10.61% CAGR). We invested £905k in assembly line.

Online Channel

"How do you view the relationship between physical stores and online sales?"

"Are customers researching online and buying in-store, or vice versa?"

"What would make you more likely to promote our products digitally?"

Context: Online = fastest channel (13.55% CAGR). We are underweight at 5%.

Product Modernization

"How important are disc brakes to your customers vs traditional cantilever?"

"Are customers asking for features we don't currently offer?"

"What product improvements would make Maywood more competitive?"

Context: Product modernization identified as strategic need.

Partnership Terms

"What credit terms are you seeing from other suppliers?"

"What service levels matter most - lead times, fill rates, or flexibility?"

"How can we structure our partnership to grow together?"

Context: Halfords demanding 150-day credit (from 90). Need market norms.

Information to Gather (Not Share)

Competitor e-bike offerings and pricing
Credit terms competitors are offering
Which categories growing/declining in their stores
Their expansion or contraction plans
Pain points with current suppliers

MEETING 3

Jamie Halden - BBC East Midlands Journalist

Depending on schedule, some of you will have the interview early in the morning.

Interview Topics

The new acquisition
Why we did it
What we plan to do

Source: work_journal.md lines 234-235

The Story

Who we are KPOP Unicorn Hunters - 5 executives taking over 150-year British icon

What we acquired Maywood Cycles Ltd - mid-sized UK bicycle assembly company

Who backed us DratLink Capital - PE firm focused on sustainable transformation

Why We Did It

Heritage preservation: 150-year history resonates with consumers
Market opportunity: Cycling rising globally (urban congestion, health, environment)
Transformation potential: Family businesses slow to adopt modern practices
Sustainable differentiation: Energy-efficient assembly, transparent labor practices

Source: DratLink_Investment_Memo.md lines 49-71

What We Plan to Do

Short-term (First 100 days)

Stabilize operations and meet customer commitments
Retain key staff and maintain quality standards
Begin planning for CYLO e-bike launch

Medium-term (Year 1-2)

Launch CYLO X e-bike (51% of global market)
Implement lean manufacturing improvements
Expand online sales channel (currently 5%)

Long-term (5-year)

Revenue growth: 10-15% CAGR
EBITDA improvement: 200-300 basis points
Environmental: Reduce energy consumption and waste

Local Impact Messages (Key for BBC)

Jobs: 210 employees in Nottingham area maintained (43 admin, 167 production)
Manufacturing: Assembly remains in Birmingham - not offshoring
Community: 1000 CYLO bikes for city council sharing program with job creation requirements

Sensitive Topics

Q: Redundancies?

A: We are committed to maintaining the workforce. Our business plan is built on growth, not cuts.

Q: Foreign ownership?

A: DratLink is our financial partner. Management control remains with our UK-based team. Manufacturing stays in the Midlands.

Q: Competition from cheap imports?

A: Our heritage brand, quality manufacturing, and Tour de France pedigree differentiate us. We compete on quality, not price.

Sound Bites

CEO Tommy "We're here to write the next chapter of a 150-year British success story."

CFO Ali "The business has strong fundamentals - we're investing for growth, not cutting for survival."

COO Jessica "Manufacturing stays in the Midlands. We're committed to British assembly quality."

CMO Joshua "Our Tour de France heritage gives us credibility that can't be bought."

CHRO Liza "Our people are our greatest asset. We're investing in skills, fair wages, and excellence."

Action Items

CFO Ali (before Jean Davenport)

Complete 13-week cash flow statement with actual numbers
Prepare working capital policy document
Document bank reconciliation improvement plan

CMO Joshua (before Alex Schonsteinweg)

Finalize product strategy presentation
Prepare customer persona profiles
Research competitor pricing

CEO Tommy (before Jamie Halden)

Review and approve key messages
Coordinate executive sound bites
Prepare for sensitive topic questions

For All

Review this brief before meetings
Align on consistent messaging
Prepare questions for each stakeholder

Key Data Points (All Stakeholders)

Revenue (CY-1)

£49.7M

Employees

210

Deal Structure

£10M + £10M

Key Markets

UK/DE/USA

Markets UK 23%, Germany 16%, USA 12%

Deal £10M equity (DratLink) + £10M seller note

Products Race, Road, MTB, City, Children

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