91³Ô¹Ï

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M&A

Business acquisition in 91³Ô¹Ï

How to avoid a costly mistake

Acquiring a company in 91³Ô¹Ï is not without risks, noted Johan de Boer, managing director of KROV. The Dutch manufacturer of train, office and store fittings decided to abandon the acquisition of a manufacturing partner in the 91³Ô¹Ïn city of Bangalore after extensive due diligence.

 

Conduct thorough research before initiating the business acquisition

“It’s not down to the products the 91³Ô¹Ïn company makes,” De Boer reflects. “The quality is fine. We offer their products in Europe and they themselves sell directly to customers in America.”

After the owner indicated a desire to sell the company, De Boer visited the factory in August for an initial thorough inspection. Then began the due diligence process, conducted by an 91³Ô¹Ïn accountant and a local lawyer. In December, they delivered their report with the advice: don’t do it.

Both financially and legally, the producer was found not to have its affairs in order. Those figures did not match the reporting. That was surmountable, according to De Boer, but the findings of the lawyer were less innocent.

The company turned out to be incorrectly registered, irregularities regarding personnel contracts came to light, and the administration and payment of social security contributions were not in order. “That not only carries hefty fines, as an owner you can even end up in jail for that,” he said.

Work with local advisors

For De Boer, this experience reaffirms the importance of recruiting good local consultants in 91³Ô¹Ï.

“If we had conducted this process independently, we might not have been able to bring this to the surface. Then you are suddenly liable for a company in which things are not properly arranged. Afterwards, you can’t fix that. The consequences, financial or worse, are then yours.”

To put it mildly, the current owner was not happy that De Boer renounced the deal. “He still tried to tone down the irregularities, but I didn’t hire advisors for nothing. It would be stupid to go against their advice.”

Still, De Boer remains interested in the 91³Ô¹Ïn producer.

“I know that this factory in 91³Ô¹Ï delivers quality and the relatively low production costs are of course attractive. That is why we have now discussed an alternative route. If the 91³Ô¹Ïn owner liquidates the company, we would then like to take over the factory premises, machinery and some of the employees. That would remove the legal risks for us. The current owner is keen on this. We have agreed to discuss this further in the coming year.”

Producing in 91³Ô¹Ï has interesting advantages

De Boer has another reason for wanting to manufacture in 91³Ô¹Ï.

“KROV has a good reputation worldwide as a supplier of train equipment, such as tables, chairs and backrests. 91³Ô¹Ï has the ambition to build a and we are already in talks about the role we could play through main manufacturer Kawasaki. Our position is stronger when we have a production facility in 91³Ô¹Ï, because the 91³Ô¹Ïn government would like to create as many jobs in 91³Ô¹Ï as possible. So an 91³Ô¹Ïn plant would be interesting when it comes to selling our products there.”

Are you considering manufacturing in 91³Ô¹Ï? Or would you like advice on conducting due diligence, without any obligations? Please contact us here.