Our added value

Opportunities to do even better.

The market segments you operate in are doing reasonably to very well, and your company is in good shape. Still, you want it to perform even better. Or to put it another way: will it stay this solid if nothing changes? Strange as it may seem, companies that already perform well often have even greater potential to improve further. They have created a position from which they can innovate, improve their products, rethink their marketing approach and concentrate on new growth opportunities.

The strategic challenge for these companies is to focus on the initiatives that will create the most value, and to stay focused. Food & Fun Invest is a partner that can help you with this, by supporting you in taking the right strategic steps.

A broader view of your options

The Food & Fun Invest team consists of highly experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals. They can offer a broader view of your company, taking into account the specific characteristics of your industry. Our improvement strategies are based on in-depth analysis, to direct your efforts towards the end goal. In this supporting role, we have helped many companies with a wide range of innovation, operational, marketing, sales and expansion projects.

We are pragmatic in our approach and therefore quick in our decision-making. We bring all parties involved together and set actions in motion: from drawing board to operation. This lets you build on the foundation you have already laid. Based on the right choices, and with additional funding, on the way to new success together.

Inspiration and funding for a growing company.

Your company has grown well since it was founded. But you increasingly ask yourself how to move forward: how do you strengthen and expand the organisation? Can the company keep growing on its own, or does it need external funding for the expected growth? And how risky are the ever-larger investments? They can make or break your business, so they must be made carefully to ensure your expansion plans really create more value. At the same time, you do not want to lose momentum. This means your partner needs the analytical skills and decisiveness to understand your plans and turn them into action.

Doing the right things

Over the years, the Food & Fun Invest team has been involved in numerous growth investments, such as new production facilities, locations, markets, distribution channels and technology.

During these expansions, we have always worked closely with the management teams to quickly understand the key drivers of the business. Our approach is analytical and pragmatic, and allows us to make fast and transparent investment decisions together with you.

Found an acquisition candidate to grow with?

There are many reasons to make an acquisition: gaining new customers, technology and knowledge, achieving economies of scale, or securing a position in a foreign market. But whatever the reason, acquisitions are challenging and exciting. The future development of your company may even depend heavily on finding the right target and being able to integrate it into your organisation.

Because this is so important, it pays to have a partner with successful acquisition experience at your side, supporting you from the first analyses to the final integration. Seizing opportunities together to improve your business.

The annual accounts are only part of the story

On paper, an acquisition target can look very promising, but the figures only tell part of the story. That is why we find it essential to understand your position and analyse the specific pros and cons of an acquisition. What are the value-creating aspects, such as customers, the business model, distribution channels, culture, cost savings, the role of the owner, people and processes? We are happy to get to the heart of the matter for you.

Once we have jointly decided to invest, the Food & Fun Invest team supports you throughout the entire acquisition process. We also help you fully integrate the acquired company into your organisation, avoiding unnecessary complexity. An acquisition as a pleasure, not a burden: that is what we strive for.

Give yourself the freedom to grow with your company.

The step from employee to shareholder through a management buy-out is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As a future owner, you see opportunities and value potential in the company that have not yet been realised under the current shareholder and/or management setting.

That freedom lies not only in being your own boss and taking responsibility, but also in choosing a partner who will be decisive for your success. Do you choose a purely financial sponsor, or a team that offers added value on top of money and understands you as an entrepreneur?

A participating partner on the way to your goal

A buy-out team is under great pressure at the start. It is a great opportunity, but there is also a lot at stake. From various positions, we have supported several management teams during buy-outs. Tact, market knowledge, calm and transaction expertise, alongside funding, are where our added value has proven itself.

After your company has been ‘carved out’, we act as sparring partners to make the transition run smoothly. We also know how to deal with the financial pressure a buy-out puts on the new owners. That is one of the reasons we have become a trusted party for executives and owners. In this way, we help the new owners move their company forward in a trusted and successful way.

Family traditions and the company.

The choice you face as an owner is not an easy one. What is at stake is your own life’s work and tradition, full of fascinating stories of founders who started a business and generations of sons and daughters who helped it grow. Today, continuing such traditions is no longer a given. Who has the qualities to successfully take over your role, and can and do you want to burden your children with it? A transition to a new owner or director can be risky, and most financial parties will hesitate to invest. After all, it is no easy task to replace someone who is so intertwined with the business and fulfils so many roles.

The right people for your life’s work

At Food & Fun Invest, we have the experience and the food network to tackle the challenges of arranging your succession. We help you select potential candidates and find suitable new management. We also guide you and the new management through the transition, integrating tradition and new energy step by step.

In many cases, the selling (family) shareholders are interested in keeping a stake in the company, which we are happy to support. We like to team up as a connecting partner between parties, with the aim of further building the company.

The ambition to become a strong market player.

There are many reasons why a buy-and-build strategy can be attractive, such as economies of scale, a broader product portfolio or access to new markets. At the same time, such a strategy is very demanding: it takes a lot of attention and patience to complete transactions and integrate them successfully. At Food & Fun Invest, we know from experience how to realise such a route successfully, using our experts and funding. Focused, and working together to become a strong market player.

Better and faster than the competition

We know from experience that developing a joint buy-and-build strategy deserves a lot of attention. We are prepared to provide additional funding to keep the organisation ahead, by strengthening its structure and systems. Together, we also scan the market for suitable acquisition candidates.

Once a positive decision has been made on an add-on acquisition, we help with the transaction, from completion to integration. Because our goal is for the acquired companies to truly function as one, and together form a strong market player.

Knowledge, competence and the drive to change.

We live in a society of constantly changing markets, changing customer needs and ever fiercer competition. That is why companies must be able to adapt to changing circumstances, even if it means changing their existing organisation and business model on many fronts.

Transforming a company is no easy task, however. It often involves major changes across a wide range of managerial, operational, commercial and financial aspects. As a result, it can be challenging to find a partner with the knowledge, the finances and the drive to support your plans for change.

In it together, all the way

The Food & Fun Invest team has supported a range of business transformations. Our extensive experience means we are well equipped to understand and assess the key implications of the changes involved.

Besides arranging the funding needed to carry out the project, we can help you meet all the requirements for successful execution. Sharing the effort and the risk, before the joint benefits arrive.

The product is there. How do you get more out of it?

Little or no export sales yet? We are happy to make our worldwide network of food distributors available to you. Our high-level product marketing knowledge, combined with a hands-on approach, can also give your own brand a boost. Knowledge and experience in financial management (including tax and subsidy opportunities) can have a major impact on your bottom line. We are curious to hear your insights into operational ‘wins’ in your organisation.