While the WaPo article targets public companies, their challenge has been managing to stock value rather than running a company for the long term. I was fortunate to be in a public company where stock value was not one of our objectives, but we saw it as only a byproduct. I knew where our stock was trading but never considered it when making day to day decisions.
Many companies have been taken private just to get out of that mindset. They just no longer wanted to deal with the market. Meanwhile private companies try to go public to monetize their value.
Here's what a large company faces. Owners start the company with just themselves as shareholders. Need funds and bring a few others in to invest. Now their shares are worth $40 million. Technically, they're worth $40 million, but they don't have even $100,000 of it. It's not value they can personally access of use. They can sell half their shares though in a public offering and that gives them personally a lot of cash or they just offer new shares. They sell 30% of the company and now they have a publicly traded company and they can sell all or part of their shares in the market.
Small companies encounter similar. We've bought single stores from women who worked hard to build their business. They started with a $10,000 investment and over the years they've taken on some debt, perhaps $100,000 and built a nice boutique doing $800,000 in sales and earning $140,000 a year in combined pre-tax business profit and owner's salary ($80,000 profit and $60,000 salary). She's been told by her accountant what her business is worth but she's not seen any of that money. So, she sells for $425,000 and she pays off the debt and clears $325,000 and takes a job working for the new owners but only part time for $35,000. Now she has no debt, the stress is gone and she still gets to do what she loves when she wants while she has money in the bank (or investments). She cried when she sold but says she's so glad she did.
I don't fault Safe Harbor at all for selling, just know that was always their plan. They're investors, not boaters. I fear Sun, because we all fear the unknown and because I know the normal pattern. They feel they can improve profits and most companies try to short cut that through increased prices and reduced expenditures.
Normally, the consumer gets a vote as they can go elsewhere, but in terms of marinas that is often not the case as the marina purchased is the only one that fits their needs well.
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