Will create the best IT environment for the utility industry
After Credo Partners became a shareholder in SYSCO earlier this year, the company has been provided with a rare combination of capital and expertise. SYSCO has set ambitious goals for growth and development in the years ahead, and this fits in with the plans of the company’ s new majority shareholder.
Credo Partners is an investment company that specializes in investments and development of companies in the SME segment. In practice this means companies with a turnover of between 100 and 500 million NOK, but there are still a large number of criteria that must be met for the Fund to enter as an investor.
-Credo Partners is a financial investor who enters growth companies in a critical phase, and provides all the resources necessary to develop companies in the direction where we see the greatest potential, explains Gudmund S. Killi. He is the CEO and partner of the Oslo-based investment company.
Credo regularly get presentations on investment opportunities in different companies and spend a lot of time and resources to analyze and map the market, competitors and internal conditions before they decide on possible ownership. It has so far resulted in several successful investments and a leading position in the Norwegian SME market.
-In the initial stage we look at everything from the companies’ products and services, customer portfolios and profitability to the composition of management, explains Killi. The process with SY- SCO was ongoing for about half a year before the Credo had the information they needed to make a decision. Another important aspect in this phase is to create mutual trust between the investor and the management of the company they invest in. This is a crucial factor to the success of the process of developing the company to new heights.
Killi says that there are several repeated patterns of expanding companies. The company grows from being a keen entrepreneurial environment, to establish a position in which both the operation and development are dependent on other structures and new competencies.-Often we see that companies” become too big for themselves,” says Killi adding that this is where their strength as experienced investors and active owners come in handy. As the representative from SY- SCO ´ s new major shareholder, Killi took over the chairmanship of the company earlier this fall. Time so far has been used to map out details of the company’ s business, and he makes it no secret that he sees great opportunities for SYS- CO in future years.-Many often fear what happens when we as financial operator enter as an owner, tells Killi, but stresses at the same time there is no reason for fear neither from employees or customers. Credos clear aim is to strengthen SYSCO for further growth, and this means taking care of all the good qualities that are developed so far, and provide necessary resources where they see a need for improvement. It also applies to strategic considerations.
Where an entrepreneurial company might be opportunistic in relation to strategic direction, Credo sees that clear strategic focus is a prerequisite for successful growth beyond the state of the small business. One can no longer afford to spread across too many areas and have to choose what one has the best condition to be good at. Killi has seen this several times before. By defining the focus, distracting elements are also eliminated. This usually provides a direct impact on the company’ s bottom line, and strengthens the possibility for further growth, he says.
Both technology and power industry is developing rapidly. It will keep changing, and this requires focus and discipline at all levels of the company’ s operations.
SYSCO- good stories 2016 5