FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tara Perkins, AVP | 203-418-9049 | [email protected]
HJ Sims Partners with Westminster Village as Investment Bank and Swap Advisor Helps Community Accomplish a Refinancing
FAIRFIELD, CT– HJ Sims (Sims), a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm founded in 1935, is pleased to announce the successful June 2021 Direct Bond Placement in the amount of $60,515,000 for Westminster Village (WVWL) in West Lafayette, IN.
WVWL was established in 1976 and subsequently formed into a not-for-profit Life Plan Community (LPC) in 1981. Located off of Cumberland Park in West Lafayette, IN, WVWL held a long-standing reputation for producing quality services to middle-class retirees. Historically a partner with Purdue University, WVWL’s reputation and mission grew into today’s 346-bed LPC.
Given WVWL’s financial strength, the community sought to take advantage of the low interest rate environment in 2020 to refinance its outstanding Series 2014 tax-exempt and taxable Direct-placement Bonds (Series 2014 Bonds). The incumbent bank proposed a refinancing opportunity that struck WVWL’s management team as an above-market proposal. WVWL engaged Sims to analyze the proposal. Sims was chosen based on experience, market-depth and culture. Sims solicited banking partners based on engagement and initial analysis.
WVWL went into the market seeking to refinance the Series 2014 Bonds. Tied to the Series 2014 Bonds were two swaps that were largely out-of-the-money; WVWL also had a legacy forward-starting swap that was originated in 2010 and became effective in 2020 during COVID-19.
Sims constructed a plan of finance to generate adequate debt service savings despite the expenses associated with refunding the Series 2014 Bonds and terminating all of WVWL’s Swaps. The plan of finance conformed to the terms provided by any potential banking partners via the bank solicitation.
Sims found a banking partner with terms that would offer flexibility and savings for WVWL. The partner offered a proposal that provided material savings. The plan of finance Sims tailored for WVWL generated enough savings to for the community to reconsider a new-money. The $15 million project repurposed some of WVWL’s existing independent living units into assisted living and memory care units that were in high demand on campus.
Sims, in conjunction with the new banking partner, crafted the $60,515,000 plan of finance (Series 2021 Bonds). The financing included the refinancing escrow for the Series 2014 Bonds, the termination of all existing swaps (including the forward-starting swap), and a draw-down facility for the new-money project. The terms provided by the banking partner and the structure formulated by Sims allowed for WVWL to comfortably execute the Series 2021 Bonds without increasing residents’ monthly service fees. This was accomplished via aggressive pricing, a 12-year term, and a 30-year amortization provided by the new banking partner.
Sims closed the Series 2021 Bonds for WVWL via Direct Placement Bonds for the tax-exempt refinancing, a Term Loan for the taxable refinancing, and a draw-down facility for the new project money. After pricing the new swaps for the refinancing debt, Sims captured a taxable interest rate of 3.19% and a tax-exempt interest rate of 2.54% for WVWL. The credit spread for the refinancing portion was 100 bps lower than the incumbent bank’s original refinancing proposal. The new-money project funds were kept variable and will utilize a draw-down feature that allows WVWL to materialize capitalized interest savings. Sims generated a plan of finance that accomplished all of WVWL’s objectives, including $15 million in new-money, without increasing maximum annual debt service against the refunded Series 2014 Bonds, resulting in an efficient capital structure for the community that generated savings and a new product offering for campus residents to enjoy.
“As I was relatively new to my position, the thought of handling a refinancing seemed like a daunting task. Thankfully, after careful consideration our Board of Directors chose to partner with Sims. Sims understands the complex procedures involved with refinancing and made sure to provide extensive education during the entire process. Lynn and Brady took great care in ensuring each step was broken down into understandable components. I truly enjoyed working with Sims and look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come,” said Jessica Argerbright, Director of Accounting and Finance, WVWL.
Financed Right® Solutions—Lynn Daly: [email protected] or 312.505.5688 | Brady Richardson: [email protected] or 240.207.1362.
ABOUT HJ SIMS: Founded in 1935, HJ Sims is a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, Sims has nationwide investment banking, private wealth management and trading locations. Member FINRA, SIPC. Testimonials may not be representative of another client’s experience. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram.
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