Ten Cate
Integrating 22 Companies into One Global Brand
Situation
When we first met Royal Ten Cate (AMS:KTC) they were a holding company with a number of loosely connected operating companies. They had acquired many companies that were, or could be developed to be, leaders in niche markets. The companies had great stories, and many had strong brands, but the companies weren’t benefiting from each other in any way other than access to capital and improved supplier negotiations. Unfortunately, common ownership didn’t give the companies strength forward in their value chains, strength entering markets like China nor an appropriate valuation on Euronext.
Solution
We approached the management board with a belief that the companies would be stronger if they were more united. They agreed our hypothesis had merit and hired us to evaluate it further. We proved the hypothesis made sense at each point in their value chain. Then, we developed the positioning strategy and managed the process of consolidating the brand portfolio, anchoring the strategy internally and re-launching the company with a united approach to its markets. Directly following the launch, internal collaboration and cross selling increased significantly, as did the valuation.
