Fyns Kran Udstyr A/S acquires majority shareholding in the Swedish company Cranemech AB
- thereby gaining a strong local partner in the Swedish market.
"It's a bit of a dream come true" , says the CEO; Carsten Møller Sørensen on Fyns Kran Udstyr's basis for embarking on the foreign adventure.
The family-owned company with head office in Odense also has branches in Copenhagen, Esbjerg and Aalborg and employs +100 employees. Fyns Kran Udstyr has been working for a long time on a strategy that will take them beyond the Danish borders, and a partnership with a Swedish company is the first step in a more long-term plan for internationalisation.
"We have been looking for a strong business partner in Sweden, and it has been important for us to find the right match;" , says Carsten. The result of this search will be a partnership with Swedish Cranemech – Fyns Kran Udstyr recognizes that the need for a local partner was critical in relation to creating a good starting point for a Swedish collaboration.
"We look forward to the collaboration with Cranemech, and are delighted to have found such a strong and well-founded business partner in Sweden, who has the same set of values and goals as us; it will be a pleasure to collaborate with our new Swedish colleagues", says Carsten smiling.
Local base in Sweden
Fyns Kran Udstyr has just entered into a partnership with Swedish Cranemech, which is a strong locally rooted partner on the Swedish market. Cranemech is located in Ängelholm, approx. 30 km. North of Helsingborg, which is a central location in relation to servicing the southern part of Sweden. It has been important for Fyns Kran Udstyr to enter into cooperation with a Swedish company with local knowledge and a good network, which can create a local base and be the starting point on which Fyns Kran Udstyr expand in Sweden.
"We have long been looking for a strong business partner in Sweden, and in that process, it has always been important for us to find the right match; i.e. a company that has the same set of values as ourselves; where there is a focus on creating good customer experiences, which includes a focus on customer service, speed and flexibility as well as a focus on the most important element; our employees. They are our most important asset, and at the same time they are also the biggest and most important difference compared to our competitors" , says Carsten.
The result of this search was a partnership with Swedish Cranemech, which is the perfect match for both parties – Fyns Kran Udstyr recognizes that the need for a local partner was a crucial in relation to creating a good starting point for a Swedish collaboration.
Carsten says, "In Cranemech we have found an ambitious partner with a competent and dedicated management and employees, who at the same time has a strong local position and has a good reputation in the industry. We look forward to exchanging a lot of know-how and knowledge with Cranemech, and collaborating with them on product development as well as digitization and marketing initiatives; and the synergy that arises through this partnership is something that both companies get a lot out of," says Carsten, and continues, "it's a win-win situation for the companies" .
Partnership with like-minded people
Cranemech is also very excited about the new partnership with Fyns Kran Udstyr, and they look forward to the collaboration and the many advantages it will bring to the company in Ängelholm.
Martin Nilsson, who is the CEO of Cranemech, says "We are very happy about our new collaboration with Fyns Kran Udstyr, and we look forward to becoming part of a strong brand and to having a skilled business partner who can add value to us both in in the form of proven concepts and know-how, but which can also give us the necessary financial 'muscles' for our further development", he explains.
Cranemech was established in 1998, and over the years has created a solid business on the basis of good craftsmanship, quality products and a good reputation locally and in the industry in general, just as the company has had skilled and committed employees who have contributed to Cranemech today stands as a healthy and strong company with a steadily growing customer base.
Cranemech on the 'hook'
For Martin and Cranemech's other co-owner, Viktor Gibrand, it has been incredibly important to find a business partner who also has the same set of values as themselves. The two gentlemen have run Cranemech together for 2.5 years, and they both want the company to grow and become part of something bigger, while they themselves can be part of this growth and development journey.
Even though Cranemech gets a new main shareholder, both Martin and Viktor will continue in their current leading positions in Cranemech, and since Cranemech will now become part of the Fyns Kran Udstyr family, they will therefore also get a new logo with the well-known 'Fyns Kran Udstyr-hook', which has so far only graced the company in Denmark, but which will now also be found in the Ängelholm area.
In connection with entering into the partnership with Fyns Kran Udstyr, Cranemech has just entered into a new agreement for a significantly larger commercial lease, located only a few hundred meters from the existing location, as the company's growth over the past few years has created a need for more space - and entering of the partnership with Fyns Kran Udstyr now provides the opportunity to realize the desire for more space in larger and more usable premises.
"We look forward to the collaboration with Cranemech, and are delighted to have found such a strong and well-founded business partner in Sweden, who has the same set of values and goals as us; it will be a pleasure to collaborate with our new Swedish colleagues" , says Carsten smiling.
Digital concepts become international
Over the past few years, Fyns Kran Udstyr has developed various market-adapted digital concepts, both to meet customers' requirements, but also to make it simple and worry-free for customers to comply with regulations, laws and requirements in the area, especially in the areas of documentation, safety and data management.
This applies in particular to the EasyCert system, which Fyns Kran Udstyr has developed in-house, and which they offer their customers. It is a certificate management system on an online platform for both large international companies and small businesses. Here, the handling of certificates and service inspections is made simple, easy and clear, while at the same time complying with requirements and regulations in relation to marking, availability and tracking.
"For example, if you are a crane operator on a large construction site and are in doubt as to whether a chain sling has been inspected and is ready for use, you simply take your mobile phone out of your pocket, scan the QR code from the marking on your chain sling, and then the unique inspection certificate arrives on the screen with all the necessary information", explains Carsten with great enthusiasm.
The EasyCert system can be used by anyone; both by the crane operator on the construction site, by the quality manager in the office and the foreman in the workshop, and the certificates are always at hand; also if you need to be able to present documentation to the Working Environment Authority or in connection with an Audit. "And it is precisely the user-friendly platform, the accessibility and the online overview that have made EasyCert so popular with our many customers", says Carsten.
The future of Fyns Kran Udstyr in Denmark
In relation to the future, Carsten states that Fyns Kran Udstyr will continue to be a strong and visible player on the Danish market with a local presence, branches and service fitters throughout the country as well as online availability. "Our international strategy will not affect our customers on the Danish market; they will continue to experience good solutions, fair prices and high customer service - exactly as they usually do" , says Carsten.
Now Fyns Kran Udstyr's international growth journey has started with the acquisition in Sweden, and the plan is to continue the expansion in the coming years. "It cannot be ruled out that in the long term there will be other areas that could also be interesting for us to take a closer look at," concludes Carsten with a smile.
The parties have entered into an agreement not to publish the purchase price and share distribution.
