Reverse Takeover - Examples

Examples

In all of these cases - except for US Airways and America West Airlines - shareholders of the acquiree controlled the resulting entity. With US Airways and America West Airlines, US Airways creditors (not shareholders) were left with control.

• The corporate shell of REO Motor Car company, in what amounted to a reverse "hostile" takeover, was forced by dissident shareholders to acquire a small publicly traded company, Nuclear Consultants. Eventually this company became the modern-day Nucor.
• ValuJet Airlines was acquired by AirWays Corp. to form AirTran Holdings, with the goal of shedding the tarnished reputation of the former.
• Aérospatiale was acquired by Matra to form Aérospatiale-Matra, with the goal of taking the former, a state-owned company, public.
• The game company Atari was acquired by JT Storage, as marriage of convenience.
• US Airways was acquired by America West Airlines, with the goal of removing the former from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• The New York Stock Exchange was acquired by Archipelago Holdings to form NYSE Group, with the goal of taking the former, a mutual company, public.
• ABC Radio was acquired by Citadel Broadcasting Corporation, with the goal of spinning the former off from its parent, Disney.
• Frederick's of Hollywood parent FOH Holdings was acquired by apparel maker Movie Star in order to take the larger lingerie maker public.
• Eddie Stobart in a reverse takeover with Westbury Property Fund allowing transport by ship, road, rail or boat to and within the UK, using only one company.
• Clearwire acquired Sprint's Xohm division, taking the former company's name and with Sprint holding a controlling stake, leaving the resulting company publicly traded.