Vision & Perseverance

since 1980

History

2012
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Present

2012 --- Present

John Bryan became CEO of the largest secured creditor of the Camp Bird Mine in Ouray Colorado one year after Camp Bird Colorado Inc filed for Chapter 11. This gold mine was formerly managed and operated by Western Mining (NYSE:BHP) and Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD). Over 1.5 million ounces of gold has been mined and 14 miles of underground tunnels remain intact. Bryan turned around the case that was being badly managed and constructed an agreement with the DOJ and EPA that will allow full recovery of the value of the secured debt.
2010
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2013

2010 --- 2013

Copper King Mining Corporation was a Nevada Corporation whose stock was traded on the Pink Sheets under the trading symbol CPRK.PK. Through its wholly owned subsidiary Western Utah Copper Company, the company engages in mining activities that include exploration, development, extraction and processing of precious metals, including copper, silver and gold, from its extensive mineral resources. The company controlled approximately 60,000 acres of mineral rights, primarily in the Milford, Utah region. Watley was engaged to provide CEO/CRO services, Financial Forensics, and litigation management during the company’s Chapter 11 turnaround.
2010
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2012

2010 --- 2012

Sargent Ranch, LLC is a 6400 acre property near San Francisco with extensive mineral resources including liquid asphalt and the 2nd largest sand deposit in the State of California. Bryan was appointed CEO during the Chapter 11 case to raise DIP Financing and provide forensics, and litigation management during the Chapter 11.
2007
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Present

2007 --- Present

Watley was engaged by 360 Global, LLC to help in its turnaround efforts and those of its subsidiary Viansa.
2007

2007

The Watley Group, LLC, was appointed CEO and Chief Restructuring Officer of 360 Viansa on March 8th, 2007 and filed for Chapter 11 on March 8th, 2008. From 2001 to 2002 this Sonoma vineyard had been the premier destination in Sonoma, CA with annual sales of over $15,000,000 per year. The property was purchased in 2005 and was mortgaged with over $40,000,000 of secured debt from NY hedge fund Laurus. By 2007 sales dropped to just 4.3 million per year and Laurus estimated Viansa's value at approximately $10 million in March 2007. During the Chapter 11, sales increased 450% from $359K in March to $2 million in just 7 months. The wine club increased to the largest in the US with 12,000 members, and visitors increased from 50K a year to over 300K per year. In November, 2007 a Plan of Reorganization was filed and approved by the court and Viansa was sold for $42,000,000.
2005
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2006

2005 --- 2006

Watley was engaged by USDCC as investment banker and management consultant and advised the company on becoming a public company through a reverse merger with a bankrupt shell and also assisted the company in raising $10,000,000. Aper the reverse merger USDCC was valued at over $35,000,000.
2003
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2005

2003 --- 2005

Astrata Group, Inc. John Bryan was appointed CRO of Astrata Group Incorporated and raised over $13,000,000 to reoganize Astrada during a Chapter 11 case. The company owned one of the largest providers of GPS systems and services to mining companies in Africa and the middle east.
2003
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2005

2003 --- 2005

Watley was engaged by the largest licensee of GNC to advise GNC management and the licensees during the buyout by Apollo Partners for $750,000,000. The Watley strategy resulted in GNC being sold to Apollo for $125,000,000 less than the highest bidder.
2002
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2003

2002 --- 2003

Watley was engaged by FamilyMeds Corporation, a $300,000,000 private company that owns over 125 pharmacies in the eastern United States, to conduct a strategic planning seminar and for M&A services. Watley designed a reverse merger for the Anchor Drug Store chain and examined further acquisitions. Familymeds is owned by Goldman Sachs, United Healthcare, The Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Company, and a group of venture capital companies based in the US.
2001
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2002

2001 --- 2002

Watley was engaged by Cetalon Corporation (OTCBB: CETA) to finance the expansion into the US of Cetalon’s Sears Health and Nutrition Centers. Watley raised over $3,250,000 of equity and $1,250,000 of debt.
2001

2001

Watley was engaged and licensed by Sears Canada and Sears Roebuck & Co. to take over Sears Health Food and Fitness Shops (SHF&FS) for an interim period as the company was restructured and refinanced. Watley merged the company with an existing public company, raised over $5,000,000, increased sales by over 400%, negotiated and signed over 125 SHF&FS creditor agreements, built 10 new locations in the United States and Canada during the first 6 months of operations, and finally, negotiated a merger with Familymeds Direct, a $50,000,000 division of Familymeds, Inc. In November of 2001, Sears Roebuck approved a merger with Logic Nutrition.
2001
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2003

2001 --- 2003

Watley was engaged as a consultant by Enron’s Cook Inlet Energy Supply and Enron Corporation to represent Inupiat Energy Corporation, the Los Angeles based management team to buyout the division from Enron. The deal successfully closed with Harvard University Fund financing the management led buyout. This company grew from a $1.5 million annual profit to over $65,000,000 of profit and became one of the largest minority owned companies in the US with sales over $10 billion. Harvard’s returns were over 10X when the company was sold to the Australian Bank Macaurie. John Bryan worked with the management team for over 10 years on strategic planning and mergers and acquistiions.
2000
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2002

2000 --- 2002

Watley was engaged by Sears Health Food and Fitness Shops, a licensee of Sears Canada, to help turnaround the operations of the company and to help restructure 125 creditors.
1999
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2001

1999 --- 2001

Watley was engaged by Cook Inlet Energy Supply, a division of the Enron Corporation, to conduct a strategic planning seminar. After the 90-day assignment was completed and the plan presented to Enron senior management in Houston, Enron asked Watley to work with management for the next 2 years to implement the proposed strategy. This included working on 2 M&A assignments to complete the full plan. Division sales were approximately $1,000,000,000 with operating profits of $1,500,000 at the time of our engagement and now sales are over $1,000,000,000 with operating profits of over $65,000,000.
1999
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2000

1999 --- 2000

Watley advised Lee Iacocca on various private equity investments and strategic investment opportuni9es such as Koo Koo Roo Restaurants.
1998
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1999

1998 --- 1999

Watley started Netrust Lease Equities, Inc., a REIT financed and owned by Tinkham Veale and the former Vice Chairman of Gulf and Western. Board members and investors included the founder of EDS and former Chairman of RJ Reynolds.
1997
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1999

1997 --- 1999

Watley was engaged in September 1997 by Greenwood & Co. to raise $300,000,000 for a private company to purchase a major real estate portfolio and then to transition the company into a public REIT. Greenwood engagement includes a contract to manage and structure the company before and aper IPO. From this relationship Netrust Lease Equities, Inc. was formed.
1984
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1997

1984 --- 1997

John Bryan advised CEO Fred Smith and Members of the Board of Directors of Federal Express Corporation on a variety of opportunities for growth and expansion including M&A and international expansion.
1996
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1999

1996 --- 1999

Watley advised Microelectronic Packaging Inc. (NASDAQ MPIX) on a $2,800,000 equity offering. At the request of Slumberger Electronics and Intel Semiconductor, The Watley Group assumed control of MPIX in December of 1996 and reorganized the operations in the USA and Singapore in partnership with our principal customers Intel and Schlumberger. Staff cuts totaled over 30% of the work force and a $25,000,000 IBM joint venture multi‐layer ceramic semiconductor packaging plant in Singapore was liquidated. The company’s losses were stopped in 1997. MPIX went from a $35,000,000 loss in 1996 to positive cash flow and profits during second half of 1997.
1996
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1997

1996 --- 1997

Watley advised CinemaStar Luxury Theaters (NASDAQ LUXY) on a $2,000,000 equity offering in May and June of 1996. In August 1996 CinemaStar engaged Watley for 12‐month period as management consultants to turnaround the loss‐making operations. Developed strategic plan for 1997‐1998 and in March of 1997 nego9ated a $250,000,000 development agreement with the J. H. Snyder Company for the development of 20 new entertainment centers. In April through August of 1997, Watley designed a new equity offering and successfully raised $20,000,000 in an all common stock offering to Rust Capital in Austin Texas.
1995
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1996

1995 --- 1996

Watley raised $4,500,000 for Seracare Inc. A Watley senior managing director became CEO and the company was restructured under the protection of chapter 11. Watley purchased 10% of stock, and successfully raised the balance of the required capital. As a result the company became publicly traded in April-May of 1996. Investors achieved liquidity and gains of over 550% during first 20 months aper the initial investment. Eventually, the market cap grew from slightly over $1,500,000 to over $175,000,000 and an all cash buyout was agreed.
1995
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1996

1995 --- 1996

Watley was engaged by Work Recovery Inc., a US public company, to structure a corporate plan and to advise company on a hostile proxy fight. Transformed the hostile fight into a successful takeover of the company by new management after the ethics of the current management were called into question.
1994
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1996

1994 --- 1996

Watley was engaged by Siberia Italy International Trading Company (SIIT) to finance, restructure, and expand the Aluminum oeprations of Irkutsk and Bratsk smelters in Siberia, the largest aluminum smelters in Russia. Capacity was increased and over $200,000,000 million of aluminum was exported by SIIT.
1995

1995

Watley was engaged by Alan Paulson, owner of Gulfstream Aircraft, to finance the purchase and renovation and redevelopment of the El Rancho Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Watley received commitments to raise over $100,000,000 from Wasserstein, Perella for a take over of the project by Alan Paulson, the owner of Gulfstream. The CEO of El Rancho would not resign and transfer control to the new investor group and therefore the El Rancho was sold to ITC Group for a profit of $10,000,000.
1991
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1994

1991 --- 1994

The Watley Group initiated, developed, and managed a project to renovate and rebuild an 800 bed University Hospital in Mecklemburg Vorpomern, in eastern Germany. Developed a new concept in public/private financing and ownership in Germany and received commitments of 850,000,000 DM from Bayriche Veriensbank. The plan was approved by the federal government and s9ll awaits the approval of the state government and state parliament. Watley partners included Hospital Corporation of America (now Columbia/HCA) as the hospital manager and service provider and Debakey Medical Enterprises of Houston, TX as consultants.
1992

1992

Watley initiated, developed, negotiated, and successfully completed the licensing of the animation and merchandising rights to Budgie, The Little Helicopter to a UK public company (Sleepy Kids Plc). As a result, twenty six 11‐minute cartoons were completed, financed by a rights issue and the sale of the domestic UK broadcast rights to the ITV Television Network. As a result, the stock price of Sleepy Kids rose from 6 pence per share to a high of 125 pence per share in 20 months during which time no other transactions were consummated.
1992

1992

Watley was engaged by Harold Geneen (former chairman of ITT) to manage and direct the financial due diligence and political lobbying for the acquisition of 17 machine tool companies in East Germany from the Treuhandanstalt. Became 50% partner with Mr. Geneen, and developed long range plan for all 17 companies working with the factory management in 17 east German cities. Total turnover of the combined operations was over DM 10,000,000,000 and included over 30,000 employees.
1993

1993

Watley engaged by Forte Plc, the largest owned hotel group in the world, to advise and assist the Motorways and Restaurants division to enter the German market. Six-month engagement was renewed for an additional 6-month period while Forte expanded in Germany.
1992
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1995

1992 --- 1995

Watley negotiated and completed the sale of 27% of the equity of Oceonics (Deutschland) GmbH to William E. Simon and Sons. Company entered liquidation in 1995.
1991
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1995

1991 --- 1995

Watley acquired the German construction and property development subsidiary of Oceonics Group Plc.
1989
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1995

1989 --- 1995

Watley’s founder was on the board of Koppers Corporation. Watley worked with Lord Hanson, CEO of Hanson PLC, the buyer of Koppers Corporation, one of the largest aggregates and mining groups in the US. Environmental problems had forced a Chapter 11 filing. Lord Hanson bought Koppers.
1987
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1997

1987 --- 1997

Watley performed various consulting assignments globally Guy de Rothschild and his company Imetal (Paris) one of the largest mining groups in the world owned and controlled by Guy de Rothschild and other members of the Rothschild family. Rothschild was controlling shareholder of France’s largest private uranium mining company, the Compagnie Francise des Minerais d'Uranium. Guy de Rothschild took over as Chairman of Imetal S.A. His involvement marked the first time any Rothschild had personally participated in the management of the business. Among its holdings, the international mining conglomerate owned Société Le Nickel (SLN) in New Caledonia. In 1969, SLN acquired Penrroya, a Chilean based company which mined and processed lead, zinc and copper. Two years later SLN took over La Compagnie de Mokta, which specialized in iron, manganese, sand, gravel and uranium. Rothschild restructured the family's various mining interests, including Penrroya which became part of SLN.
1987

1987

Watley negotiated buyout of 75% of shares of fully listed London Stock Exchange Plc (Oceonics Group Plc). Deal was financed 120% by Kuwait Investment Office. John Bryan became Deputy Chairman and initiated and managed complete reorganization of the company’s opera9ons in 17 countries (Europe, Middle East, Asia, and USA) and was responsible for all company operations and financial controls. This was the second largest GPS and positioning company worldwide. The company was sold in 1991. Annualized rate of return for the participating investors exceeded 60%.
1987

1987

Watley bought the international division of the Hospital Corporation of America after the buyout of HCA by Drexal Burnham was completed. HCA International owned hospitals in South America and Europe, managed hospitals in South East Asia such as the Singapore General Hospital, and was the largest international medical recruiting company for hospitals in the Middle East. Company was restructured, UK and Australian hospitals were sold, and new ambulatory clinics were built in Moscow, Kiev, and St. Petersburg. The Watley interest was sold in 1997 to the partners of Grunthal & Co. in New York.

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