Strategic Planning Made Simple

Posted in Case Studies on Jul 16,2012

Strategic Planning Made Simple℠ Helps Improve Company Valuation by More Than $300,000,000

In February 2004 the senior leadership team of US Unwired approached Boyer Management Group about facilitating its first ever strategic planning retreat. Boyer Management Group had been providing curriculum design, training, and human resources services to its New England subsidiary Independent Wireless One since 2000, and its Gulf Coast properties since 2002.

A primary objective of the 2004 strategic planning project was to help the company realize significant improvement in its financial performance, in preparation for its acquisition by Sprint corporate in 2005-2006. The acquisition price paid by Sprint to US Unwired was tied to certain US Unwired performance metrics.

During the summer of 2004 thirty seven directors, VPs and C-level executives participated in a three-day strategic planning event facilitated by Hank Boyer, President and CEO of Boyer Management Group. An aggressive plan for the remainder of 2004 and 2005 was developed during the planning session and immediately implemented.

As a result of its execution of the strategic plan, US Unwired enjoyed a record-setting finish to 2004, which carried over and continued to build throughout 2005.

In late summer 2005, Sprint Corporation announced it had reached an agreement to acquire US Unwired for $1.3 billion, which represented a significant increase in value over the previous year, as a result of the strong improvement in the sales, profits and key performance indicators for US Unwired.

“As Executive Vice President of Human Resources I had the privilege of collaborating with Hank Boyer, President of Boyer Management Group on multiple strategic planning and organizational development initiatives at US Unwired, the Sprint affiliate in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Albany, New York. These initiatives contributed to quite favorable growth in revenue, income and shareholder value. Specifically, Hank’s strategic planning leadership, short and long term business planning expertise and leadership development initiatives improved organizational competency and operational performance leading to Sprint’s $1.3 Billion acquisition in late 2005.” – Joseph Travis, Executive Vice President of Human Resources

About US Unwired, Inc.

Founded in 1999, US Unwired, Inc. primarily operates as a network partner of Sprint PCS and has the exclusive right to provide digital PCS services under the Sprint brand names within the its service areas, including portions of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. The company offers wireless phone service, which is sold under the Sprint brand name; provides roaming service to both Sprint and non-Sprint subscribers traveling through its service area; and leases property for switching centers in Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. The company sells its services through retail stores, mass merchandisers, and independent agents. In July 2005, it had nearly 40 retail outlets and kiosks, in excess of a half-million customers, and 660 employees. US Unwired is headquartered in Lake Charles, Louisiana.