Shepherd Advisors

Shepherd Advisors has worked with hundreds of clients on projects spanning the scope of our services. Below is a sample of a few of our recent engagements:

Growing Manufacturing Company Develops New Corporate Growth Strategy

A steadily growing manufacturer engaged Shepherd Advisors to develop a strategically driven corporate growth strategy to drive future growth in a more proactive and effective manner. This client had historically served the automobile industry and had successfully diversified its business into other markets, including the clean energy markets. Yet its sales growth was largely opportunistic. Management wanted to be more intentional. This engagement first examined the "how" and "what" for the growth strategy, and then examined the "where" (which markets) for the growth strategy.

Building upon some prior work with the client, Shepherd used a multi-faceted approach to develop and deliver the client's growth strategy, including extensive primary and secondary market research and facilitated strategic brainstorming sessions with the senior executive team. Shepherd helped the client define its growth goals, assess its current situation including a detailed SWOT analysis, review and evaluate several different growth paths, and ultimately select a targeted growth strategy. Shepherd augmented its process with extensive market and customer intelligence of target markets, and assessed the client's organizational readiness to succeed in those markets. Shepherd then defined detailed action plans for management to implement the growth strategies.

This growth strategy is currently being implemented by the client and Shepherd is providing continued strategic and tactical support.

Client Wins Large Federal Clean Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit

In January 2010, the Federal government awarded $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy 48C Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the country. The tax credits were valued at 30% of the planned investment in advanced manufacturing equipment. Shepherd Advisors assisted a manufacturer in securing a $22 million tax credit under this program to support utility-scale wind turbine component manufacturing and assembly. This award was among the highest manufacturing awards.

Application for these tax credits was highly competitive. More than 500 applications were received with tax credit requests totaling over $8 billion. Overall, 183 manufacturing projects received awards.

Shepherd led the development and preparation of a successful application under an extremely tight timeline -- with only one month between "preliminary" and "final" application. The complex application required demonstration of both commercial and technological viability (with a focus on job creation), environmental impact, innovation, and commercial deployment. The application also required development of a detailed business plan and strong evidence of customer interest and commitment. Extensive interaction with the client, as well as the client's primary customer, was critical. Shepherd worked hand-in-hand with senior management to gather required data, conduct key analyses, prepare the application, secure letters of support, and marshal the process through to completion.

Manufacturer Diversifying into Wind Industry

A family-owned automotive component and system manufacturer engaged Shepherd to accelerate its efforts to diversify into supplying the wind industry. Shepherd Advisors provided strategic assistance in evaluating the wind opportunity, and tactical support for several initial market entry activities.

The company is a fourth-generation business that has been providing manufacturing solutions for more than 70 years. Its capabilities span fabrication, machining, engineering, assembly, and systems integration. Senior management sought to leverage these capabilities in the utility-scale wind industry. Shepherd's strategic services included an analysis of the large wind market and supply chain, an assessment of the company's core competencies and their fit with the wind industry, and identification of "go to market" options, along with a method for evaluating and selecting among these options.

In parallel with the strategic services, Shepherd provided tactical support to the client as it approached wind turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as potential customers. This included assistance with preparing and positioning for sales meetings with the OEMs. It also included facilitating connections with OEM supply chain personnel, leading up to and during a major wind industry annual conference.

Advanced Plating/Coating Company Wins Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing Award to Increase Production

A small, innovative plating company engaged Shepherd to lead efforts to secure funding from the State of Michigan's Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing program. Through this program $20 million was available as grants, loans, or some combination to manufacturers of renewable energy or energy efficiency systems or components. Shepherd's client has a specialized coating capability for high-wear metal components, and needed to expand production to meet growing demand by a Tier 1 European manufacturer of wind turbine braking systems.

Shepherd Advisors took the lead in preparing a successful proposal that led to an award of over $300,000 in grant and loan financing to purchase machinery to increase production.

Municipal Utility Implements Energy Efficient Lighting Program

Shepherd Advisors coordinated and launched Wyandotte Municipal Services' "Save a Watt for Wyandotte" residential, retail-based CFL program. The goal of the program is to distribute roughly 100,000 CFLs to its 10,000 customers over 3 years. The goal of the project was to quickly saturate the community with CFLs to accomplish the following:

• Give every Wyandotte resident a chance to reduce their energy costs today by installing approximately 10 CFL bulbs per household
• Evaluate the impact of the CFL saturation on residential energy demand
• Design a CFL distribution model that can be replicated by communities across the state

After 1 year of the program, Shepherd conducted a detailed analysis and evaluation of this innovative energy efficiency project, which is available here.

MSU Product Center to Publish 5 Bioeconomy Whitepapers

The Michigan State University's Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources (Product Center), under direction of MSU's Office of Biobased Technologies, engaged Shepherd Advisors to assist in the evaluation of Michigan's progress and evolving potential for advancing its bioeconomy. The project began with an extensive scenario planning effort that developed and examined characteristics of five distinct scenarios of Michigan's bio-economy future. The Product Center and Shepherd Advisors also refined an existing Shepherd/Product Center biofuel model for Michigan, which reflects the potential scenarios, and provides information on how Michigan compares with other Great Lakes states on bioeconomy potential.

Shepherd is now in the process of working with the Product Center to develop a paper on the scenarios for Michigan's bioeconomy as part of a white paper series entitled: "Status of Michigan's Bio-Economy: Progress & Evolving Potential." In addition to the Michigan Bioeconomy Scenarios Paper, the series will include four other papers:

• Advancing the Bioeconomy: Overview of Michigan's Progress
• Michigan's Position in the U.S. Biofuel and Bioenergy Market
• Michigan Bioeconomy Success Stories and Emerging Opportunities
• Advancing Bioeconomy Science and Markets: MSU's Contributions as a Global Bioeconomy Leader

These white papers will be published in the summer of 2010, and are aimed at helping industry, researchers, and decision-makers understand Michigan's position within this still emerging sector, and identify opportunities for capitalizing on Michigan's strengths so that the State might play a larger role in the global bioeconomy.