The Turnaround Podcast with Fexingo: Distressed Businesses, Restructuring, and Recovery

Episode 32 of The Turnaround Podcast takes us inside the restructuring of a beloved 85-year-old coffee chain that was blindsided by the third-wave coffee revolution and then nearly finished off by the pandemic. Lucas and Luna walk through how the company slashed its footprint from 2,400 locations to 1,500, renegotiated supply contracts with Ethiopian cooperatives, and bet everything on a single st...

When a mid-tier aerospace parts supplier lost 90% of its revenue after the 737 MAX grounding and then COVID grounded global fleets, most analysts wrote its obituary. This episode tells the story of Triumph Group — a company founded in 1950 with roots in military aircraft — that was drowning in debt by 2020. We trace how a new CEO slashed 25% of the product lines, renegotiated union contracts in Wi...

Episode 30 of The Turnaround Podcast digs into the story of WR Berkley, a 90-year-old specialty insurer that faced a crisis after record hurricane losses in 2017-2018. Lucas and Luna unpack how CEO Robert Berkley rebuilt the company's underwriting discipline, cut exposure to volatile catastrophe-prone regions, and returned to profitability. They discuss the hard lessons from the insurance cycle, t...

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Lucas and Luna examine how a 72-year-old Swiss watchmaker — founded in 1954 — survived not one but two existential threats: the quartz crisis of the 1970s and the smartwatch disruption of the 2010s. Using the specific case of a mid-market brand that refused to abandon mechanical movements, they break down the three strategic decisions that kept the compan...

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Lucas and Luna examine the remarkable recovery of Caterpillar, the 80-year-old machinery giant that saw its stock plunge 70 percent between 2012 and 2016. They explore how a perfect storm of commodity bust, Chinese slowdown, and a failed mining bet nearly broke the company, and how a radical restructuring under CEO Jim Umpleby—including plant closures, le...

Episode 27 of The Turnaround Podcast explores how Bumble Bee Foods, a 106-year-old seafood company, emerged from Chapter 11 in 2020 after a price-fixing scandal that landed its CEO in prison. Lucas and Luna break down the restructuring playbook: how the company shed $1.2 billion in debt, rebranded around sustainability, and returned to profitability by focusing on shelf-stable tuna and seafood sna...

Lucas and Luna explore the turnaround of a classic television brand that was nearly wiped out by the shift to streaming. Facing collapsing sales of cable-based hardware, the company bet everything on a new operating system platform, licensing its tech to budget rivals. With the S&P 500 at 7,600 and inflation still squeezing consumers, the hosts break down how a single software bet transformed a le...

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Lucas and Luna revisit the story of a 50-year-old toy manufacturer that filed for Chapter 11 in 2024 and emerged leaner within six months. They break down how the company shed unprofitable licenses, renegotiated supply contracts, and focused on their core brand to return to profitability. With the S&P 500 hitting record highs in June 2026, they discuss wh...

Leica Camera AG was on life support in the early 2000s — digital disruption nearly killed the rangefinder legend. This episode traces how a tiny German optics company, best known for its red dot logo and $5,000 M-series cameras, reinvented itself by doubling down on luxury, licensing its brand to smartphones, and turning its heritage into a premium moat. Lucas and Luna walk through Leica's near-co...

Episode 23 of The Turnaround Podcast: Lucas and Luna examine how a century-old regional railroad, the Wisconsin & Southern, restructured after losing 40% of its freight volume in two years. They break down the specific operational pivot—contract switching, asset-light leasing, and niche grain hauling—that pulled it back from the brink. With the S&P 500 at 7,580 and the Dow at 51,032, the hosts exp...

Lucas and Luna examine the remarkable turnaround of Toys 'R' Us, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2021 and has since rebuilt its U.S. store base to over 400 locations. They drill into the specific strategy: smaller format stores, experiential retail, and a licensing model that avoids the debt trap that sank the original chain. With the S&P 500 at 7,580 and the Dow at 51,032, they discuss how the b...

Episode 21 of The Turnaround Podcast explores how one of America's oldest shipyards, founded in 1924, navigated the boom of World War II, the decades-long decline of U.S. shipbuilding, and the sudden surge from the Iran conflict. Hosts Lucas and Luna walk through the yard's near-collapse in the 1980s, its pivot to naval repair contracts, and how the recent $2.6 billion NASA ETF frenzy — linked to...

In this episode of The Turnaround Podcast, Lucas and Luna examine how Stanley Black & Decker navigated a catastrophic 2025 that saw its stock drop 40% and its CEO ousted after a failed billion-dollar bet on connected tools. They break down the three specific missteps—the Cobalt acquisition, the robotics warehouse play, and the inventory miscalculation—that brought a 90-year-old icon to the brink....

The electric bike boom went bust in 2024, leaving dozens of brands bankrupt or liquidated. But one company that helped pioneer the industry — a 50-year-old Dutch bicycle manufacturer — found a way to survive. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into how the company navigated a 40 percent sales plunge, built a direct-to-consumer channel in 90 days, and used its century-old supply chain to weather t...

On May 29, 2026, Blue Origin's rocket exploded during a ground test, but the real story is how a smaller drone startup, Skydio, recovered from a factory fire that destroyed its only production line in 2023. Lucas and Luna walk through the three decisions that saved the company: emergency cash preservation, rapid retooling with contract manufacturers, and a pivot to defense contracts. They tie it t...

Episode 17 of The Turnaround Podcast examines how a struggling regional pizza chain, once buried under debt and store closures, executed a surprising turnaround. Lucas and Luna break down the specific moves: shedding underperforming locations, renegotiating supply contracts, and betting on a stripped-down menu and delivery-only kitchens. They tie the story to today's economic signals — with core i...

Episode 16 of The Turnaround Podcast examines how Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024 and has quietly engineered a comeback in a sector dominated by Walmart and Aldi. Lucas and Luna walk through the specific moves: closing 200 underperforming stores, investing in private-label margins, and leveraging localized i...

Episode 15 of The Turnaround Podcast. Lucas and Luna examine the stunning resurrection of Hudson's Bay Company, the iconic Canadian retailer that filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and has since orchestrated one of the most impressive retail comebacks in recent memory. They break down the specific moves: how CEO Helena Foulkes slashed debt by $1.2 billion, closed 40 underperforming stores while investin...

When Gannett emerged from its 2024 prepackaged Chapter 11, most media analysts wrote it off as a zombie — too much debt, too few readers, and a local-news business model that had been gutted by Google and Meta. But in this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how the company quietly used the restructuring to shed $1.9 billion in debt, consolidate its printing operations, and build a digital subscriptio...

Micron Technology just crossed a one-trillion-dollar market cap, an almost unthinkable milestone for a company that nearly went bankrupt in 2012 and again faced an existential crisis during the 2023 memory chip downturn. Lucas and Luna break down how a cyclical commodity semiconductor maker transformed itself into an AI-infrastructure darling. They examine CEO Sanjay Mehrotra's dramatic restructur...

Lucas and Luna dive into the restructuring of a 50-year-old DIY retailer that nearly collapsed under debt and competition. They trace how a 2024 rescue plan—backed by a private equity consortium and a controversial store-closure strategy—brought the company back from the brink. With the S&P 500 at 7,473 and small caps surging 3.4% in five days, they explore what the retailer's recovery says about...

When the pandemic emptied offices, Steelcase's revenue collapsed 35% in a single quarter. But instead of filing Chapter 11 like many peers, the 131-year-old furniture maker bet big on reconfigurable modular walls and a pivot to home offices. CEO Sara Armbruster chopped $300 million in costs without killing R&D. Now with the S&P 500 at 7,473 and commercial real estate still shaky, Steelcase has cla...

Nearly two years after the mid-air door plug blowout that sent Boeing into crisis mode, the ripple effects are still reshaping the aerospace supply chain. This episode of The Turnaround Podcast looks at how small and mid-sized parts manufacturers — companies you have never heard of — are restructuring their own finances after Boeing's production slowdown slashed their revenue by 30 to 50 percent....

Lucas and Luna break down the remarkable turnaround of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. After years of declining market share and activist pressure, the company fought off a hostile takeover bid from Carl Icahn in 2021, then reinvented its business model. Lucas digs into how Goodyear cut $1.5 billion in debt, pivoted to high-margin fleet services, and doubled down on airless tire technology. They a...

Department stores were supposed to be dead. And yet, one of America's oldest retailers — founded in 1876 — is still standing, still profitable, and still public. But with sales flat for three straight years and an activist hedge fund circling, the board faces a familiar choice: restructure now or get restructured by someone else. Lucas and Luna unpack the retailer's turnaround playbook: closing un...