The would-be acquirer of IBM’s typewriter, low-end printer and keyboard businesses centred on the 4,000-employee Lexington, Kentucky factory, was yesterday identified by the Wall Street Journal as leveraged buyout partnership Clayton & Dubilier of New York. The company has already helped finance the buyout of low technology units of Harris Corp, and in the deals that it has set up so far, employee shareholders have typically taken about 25% of the company. It also generally eschews the big sell-offs and sackings that have typically followed buy-outs so that it is in a position to reassure IBM on worries over employment protection. It has also said that it wants to participate in bigger buyouts than hitherto – above the $1,000m level. Word on the Street is that the deal will be of the order of $2,500m to $3,000m, implying that some other IBM units will be included.
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