[:de]

► Manager: Mr. M.H.
► Industry: Building Materials
► Customer: Former market leader in natural stone processing
► Location: Southern Germany
► Time frame: 24 months
► Role: Managing Director / Project Manager
► Turnover: ca. EUR 25 million
► No. of employees: 2011: 150/2013: 110

► About the customer:
The customer was a major brand in the natural stone processing industry with more than 80 years of tradition. Since the beginning of the 2000s, it has continually been shaken by the lack of investment and mistakes made by management and it has permanently lost its competitiveness.
At the beginning of 2010, insolvency was declared. In the middle of 2010 the company was taken over by a new investor.

► Situation (Challenge)
The company was outdated in almost all areas. In the meantime, the brand-name  and the reputation had faded and the brand core watered down. Due to the multiple changes in the management, the employees had worked almost without leadership during these years, and had (mis)used the freedom in their sense. The customers had recognized the weakness of the company as well and used it for their purposes, i.e. they placed orders which the competitors were not willing to supply or asked for very low prices.

► Solution (Achievement)
As a first step clear leadership had to be demonstrated and an efficient organization structure with clear tasks and responsibilities had to be introduced.
The entire order processing has been significantly streamlined and made more efficient by implementing an integrated new IT-infrastructure
A completely new production layout with continuous process orientation has been developed. At the same time, the product range has been streamlined and the sales team was restructured.
The brand has been reloaded. A clearly defined customer focus was created. In addition, a premium / exclusive label has been established that generated transactions with higher margins and caused a positive effect to the mother brand. The exclusive label received nominations for the German Design Award and the German Award for Brand Excellence.

► Customer Feedback
Investor:
During this period, the company was completely restructured, realigned and guided back to former strength. It has, besides others, set new trends in the market, which are still to be pushed further on, and therefore is well prepared for the future.

[:en]► Manager: Mr. M.H.
► Industry: Building Materials
► Customer: Former market leader in natural stone processing
► Location: Southern Germany
► Time frame: 24 months
► Role: Managing Director / Project Manager
► Turnover: ca. EUR 25 million
► No. of employees: 2011: 150/2013: 110
► About the customer:
The customer was a major brand in the natural stone processing industry with more than 80 years of tradition. Since the beginning of the 2000s, it has continually been shaken by the lack of investment and mistakes made by management and it has permanently lost its competitiveness.
At the beginning of 2010, insolvency was declared. In the middle of 2010 the company was taken over by a new investor.
► Situation (Challenge)
The company was outdated in almost all areas. In the meantime, the brand-name  and the reputation had faded and the brand core watered down. Due to the multiple changes in the management, the employees had worked almost without leadership during these years, and had (mis)used the freedom in their sense. The customers had recognized the weakness of the company as well and used it for their purposes, i.e. they placed orders which the competitors were not willing to supply or asked for very low prices.
► Solution (Achievement)
As a first step clear leadership had to be demonstrated and an efficient organization structure with clear tasks and responsibilities had to be introduced.
The entire order processing has been significantly streamlined and made more efficient by implementing an integrated new IT-infrastructure
A completely new production layout with continuous process orientation has been developed. At the same time, the product range has been streamlined and the sales team was restructured.
The brand has been reloaded. A clearly defined customer focus was created. In addition, a premium / exclusive label has been established that generated transactions with higher margins and caused a positive effect to the mother brand. The exclusive label received nominations for the German Design Award and the German Award for Brand Excellence.
► Customer Feedback
Investor:
During this period, the company was completely restructured, realigned and guided back to former strength. It has, besides others, set new trends in the market, which are still to be pushed further on, and therefore is well prepared for the future.[:]