Industrial Development

Corporate restructuring 

In numerous developing countries, corporate restructuring has become necessary due to structural changes in the economic and political requirements. In the so-called tran­sition countries in Eastern Europe, companies face this need after the privatisation process and are compelled to adapt their structures if they wish to become competi­tive on international markets. 

GFE has addressed this need by transferring their knowledge of companies in market economies to private sector companies in transforming countries, providing advisory services in the field of organisational restructuring, financing, product development, quality management advice, marketing and sales, and international co-operation. GFE's experts involved in corporate restructuring are all senior management staff with an extensive executive background in the private sector. They are capable of imple­menting a hands-on approach to transform the target companies into internationally competitive businesses.

Within the framework of the TRANS­FORM programme implemented by the German Agency for Reconstruction (KfW) the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, GFE has been advising private industrial companies across a wide range of sectors in the ex-command countries in Eastern Europe. In Lithuania, companies have received technical assistance in organisational restructuring, marketing and financial advice and have been supported in facilitating joint ventures and co-operation with other European companies. In Latvia, private industrial companies have received Quality Management Advice, which involves the reorientation of internal processes and organisational structures, the implementation of a Quality Management System, includ­ing the preparation of the certification according to ISO 9000ff. In addition, since 1996, GFE has been providing management and marketing advice to the shoe industry in Slovakia.

 Business-planning

Business-planning is a vital element of company restructuring and is designed to analyse company-specific needs and to devise strategies for upgrading businesses. GFE provides business-planning expertise to both private clients and within Promotion Pro­grammes designed to improve the performance of the private sector. GFE pursues the approach of preparing concise business plans to give private sector companies a practi­cal guideline for the development of their business, with a focus on the implementa­tion of the strategies addressed in the plan.

Recent business-planning assignments assumed by GFE include the development and implementation of business plans for private trade fair organisers within the Egypt Pri­vate Sector Development Programme, the elaboration of business plan and credit scheme for a shoe producer in Kyrgystan on behalf of the European Bank for Recon­struction (EBRD), as well as business planning for the St. Petersburg based trade fair organiser LENEXPO.