Lending Limit - Harrison

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Auburn University *

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Apr 3, 2024

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________ © 1996-2017 Jeanne M. Brett. Distributed by Negotiation and Team Resources (NTR). To request permission to reproduce contact negotiationandteamresources.com By Jeanne M. Brett Lending Limit Role of S. Harrison You are S. Harrison, the Vice President of The First Bank of New York and Manager of the South African office. The First Bank of New York is a U.S. bank headquartered in New York City, but with substantial foreign lending activity that is done through its many overseas branches. A week ago, R. Fletcher, the worldwide commercial lending officer for Dax Pharmaceuticals, refused your proposal for a $10 million loan to Dax for a recombinant DNA plant. Fletcher is responsible for monitoring the bank's exposure to the Dax account. Dax is a U.S. pharmaceuticals firm headquartered in Chicago, but with many subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. Fletcher indicated that the bank's exposure on Dax was close to the current lending limit, but that even if the executive committee increased the limit, there were better sites than South Africa for loans to Dax. You think that Fletcher neither understands the political situation in South Africa nor the bank's policy toward South Africa. Explaining both in a remote call was impossible since Fletcher did not want to listen to you anyway. As you see it, the political situation in Africa, in general, is volatile. South Africa is no worse, even better, than many countries. There are a variety of reasons why Dax wishes to build this plant in South Africa. First, disease, most recently AIDS, is one of Africa's major problems, thus providing a ready market for inexpensive drugs. Second, Dax has an important AIDS drug that the company believes can be produced at low cost using the recombinant DNA process. Third, the process requires skilled employees. Dax believes, and you agree, that only in South Africa is a work force with the required skills available. Dax's South African subsidiary would represent new business for your office. Since it is a U.S. company with an excellent balance sheet, you believe that it would meet nicely the bank's policy of continuing to lend in South Africa. Fletcher either has information about a change in bank policy toward doing business in South Africa or has concocted one. Several of the bank's major customers are South African mining companies. The bank's current exposure in South Africa is around $75 million. If the bank stops making loans in South Africa, or even refuses to participate in future development of South Africa, it is likely to lose such customers. You realize that loans in South Africa are being scrutinized carefully, but you did your homework on this one. This is a solid loan proposal and Fletcher knows it. You also know that although the Dax lending limit is $95 million, the bank has only $90 million in outstanding loans to Dax. $5 million is not sufficient to get this business, but if Fletcher would work with you, you think that together you could get Marks, the Executive Vice President for Commercial Lending, to go to the bank's executive committee to increase the limit by $5 million. Instead, you went over Fletcher's head and took the case directly to Marks. The Dax situation is likely to be repeated with other companies wishing to do business with the bank in South Africa unless the corporate account officers get the word about the bank’s policy towards Africa. You think that there is no one better than Marks to tell them because Marks is their boss, has had international experience, and sits on the bank’s executive committee. Marks suggested the three of you meet when you are in New York next week. You are not sure what good it will do to have Fletcher there, but you couldn't tell Marks no.
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