As engineering contractor RCR Tomlinson seeks to squeeze some fresh funds out of its banking syndicate, it is interesting to see who is holding interim CEO Bruce James' hand.
Street Talk understands James has had McGrathNicol's consultants and bean counters working on his restructuring agenda, including help with RCR Tomlinson's impending earnings downgrade and funding squeeze.
Sources said McGrathNicol had been in the RCR Tomlinson camp since about the time James took the reins as interim CEO and executive director in August.
That means the firm has been there for last round of talks with the company's banks, its deeply discounted $100 million equity raising and efforts to cut costs, including a management restructure.
And now the issue is about a deterioration in RCR's earnings outlook and implications for its funding. RCR's problem is converting its order book - worth $3.8 billion at June 30 - into cash-generative projects, which is either not happening or taking longer than forecast.
So the engineering group is asking its lending syndicate, spearheaded by Commonwealth Bank of Australia, for fresh funds to help cover the gap.
Those discussions are said to be be playing out while the company's shares are suspended from trading.
The funding would be expected to be on top of RCR's existing debt, which included a $431.1 million senior debt and working capital facility and insurance bonding facilities worth another $250 million at June 30.
McGrathNicol is well known to the banks. The firm specialises in financial restructuring and advisory work, including turnarounds and insolvency. It'll be interesting to see exactly which services RCR requires in the short and medium terms.
Meanwhile RCR shareholders are asking when it will be their turn for a meaningful update. Even the firm's institutional investors - including those that stumped up meaningful cheques into the recent rights issue - have been left in the dark and can't get time in James' diary.
Shareholders,
who gave the company a strike against its remuneration report only three weeks ago, are certainly hoping that changes this week with RCR Tomlinson due to be back trading on the ASX-boards. However, the timing hinges on the company getting a deal out of its banks, and it is understood the banks are yet to put pen to paper.
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