Recently Bellevue SME Advisors found a target company for a European Private Equity aiming to invest into manufacturing SMEs.
The SME company is active in plastics manufacturing with a solid history in the European market.
While we were analyzing the sales documentation it did strike me that all expansion plans touched only company’s home market.
Now here is this SME trying to find investors and showing plans relating only to its domestic market. More importantly it already has operations in North America.
That didn’t impress the high aiming Private Equity guy, so they PE dropped that idea.
Let’s take a different case. Leatherman, the American multi-tool manufacturer, came to Europe and acquired majority of Zweibrüder Optoelectronics (manufacturer of highly efficient Led torches) in 2011 in Europe. Zweibrüder is also responsible for the distribution of Leatherman multi-tools in Germany.
Columbus embarked on finding a shorter route to East, got lost and found America! He could have done worse!
SME owner, embark on your own odyssey and find new business partners, investors and new opportunities for your SME.
Finding the growth path for a company is about strong leadership.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf said: “When placed in command, take charge. Even if the decision is bad, you have set change in motion. It is better than being stagnant.”
Take charge and set things in motion in a globalized world. Even if you got lost, you could have hit the jackpot.
