After a project duration of just under a year, our team successfully initiated the restructuring of a leading beverage manufacturer, thereby ensuring the strategic realignment of the company. The client is a leading supplier of beer-based and non-alcoholic beverages with a focus on the DACH region and Eastern Europe. The company also has an international presence in over 50 countries.

At the time the project was launched, the company was faced with declining demand for beer-based beverages, which in turn had led to overcapacity in production. In addition, the situation was exacerbated by growing overcapacity in the market as a whole. As a result, there was massive price pressure on the market, which also presented the company with major challenges. The beverage market is a very capital-intensive business that is characterized by high material costs. In addition, the existing production facilities have to be maintained, which in turn is very cost-intensive.

Inefficient processes and a lack of focus on core products

In addition to these external challenges from the market, the company was also confronted with a number of internal problems. These included many very inefficient processes, caused for example by unclear process responsibilities, a lack of digitalization and a weak reporting structure. In addition, there was a lack of focus on the main core products, which in turn resulted in a high number of products with even negative contribution margins in some cases.

In view of the company's already strained overall situation, Haselhorst Associates Consulting was commissioned as an external consultancy firm to draw up a comprehensive restructuring concept. The aim was to restore the future viability of the beverage manufacturer through the subsequent operational management of the restructuring process. To this end, a restructuring concept was first developed and presented to the company owners.

Appointment of Sabrina Hirniak as CO-CEO, CFO and CRO

Our colleague Sabrina Hirniak was then appointed to the company's management board. She is an Associate Partner at Haselhorst Associates Consulting and held the role of CO-CEO, CFO and CRO in the company during the project. In addition, she was supported by a well-established team of three consultants who took on the role of project management office. The implementation of the restructuring concept began immediately after the appointment.

Specifically, this included improving the sales strategy, including strategic price adjustments and portfolio optimization. In addition, working capital and liquidity were optimized and tracked. In terms of personnel, the organizational chart was reorganized and processes and personnel structures were adjusted. Ongoing digitalization efforts within the organization also played a key role in the company's realignment.

Following completion of the project, our client is not only on a firmer footing operationally. Thanks to consistent process optimization, new sales can now be generated through strong sales. Nevertheless, the company's market environment remains challenging, meaning that it is essential to continue the restructuring measures that have already been initiated.