TPG, Onex Are Said to Circle Bankrupt Hertz’s Donlen Unit
TPG, Onex Are Said to Circle Bankrupt Hertz’s Donlen Unit
(Bloomberg) -- Private equity firms TPG and Onex Corp. are preparing bids for bankrupt Hertz Global Holdings Inc.’s car leasing business Donlen, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
TPG and Onex are working on offers that could value Donlen at about $1 billion, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Rivals of Hertz are also considering bids, the people said.
A representative for TPG declined to comment. Representatives for Onex and Hertz didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Donlen performs fleet management functions such as vehicle leasing, maintenance and registration, according to its website. Hertz sees the business as non-core and is willing to sell it to help pay down debt, the people said.
Hertz listed $24.4 billion in debt when it filed for bankruptcy in May. The company is negotiating with its creditors for financing after months of funding itself during bankruptcy, people with knowledge of the talks said last month. It’s considering two tentative loan offers of $1 billion to $1.5 billion, which could help bolster operations that have been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and slump in travel, according to one of the people.
Donlen made about $100 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization last year, Bloomberg News has reported. Hertz bought the Bannockburn, Illinois-based business for $947 million including debt in 2011.
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