WELCOMING NEW COMPANIES
In fact, since our inception in 2020, we have become known as an attractive home for craft businesses that want to be part of something bigger.
Our decentralized operating model offers local freedom and decision-making without complicated bureaucracy. But don’t let the word “decentralized” fool you: Our independent local companies support and trust each other to create a winning culture that positively impacts both pipeline and conversion.
In 2022 alone, we welcomed 35 new companies with a total turnover of around BNOK 2. And we are growing.
Culture is key
It’s not just about the numbers: Our culture is key. That’s why we carefully select companies that fit the Håndverksgruppen culture. The results speak for themselves: 98 percent of the companies having joined us say they’d recommend someone close to them to join HG too.
Local recommendations are becoming more and more important for building pipelines across all geographies. Being a group of more than one hundred local companies, it’s easier for us to get in touch with new companies and receive inbound requests. We have multiple sources and processes for identifying attractive companies.
So, what does it take to be a part of Håndverksgruppen?
The companies we talk to seem to instantly be convinced that joining Håndverksgruppen is the right option for them. It’s not just about financial gain, but rather to be part of the journey we are on. And what a journey it is!
At Håndverksgruppen we see significant potential for the future and believe we can continue to welcome up to 30 new companies per year, both in existing and new geographical areas. The firm pipeline as of year end consists of rock solid companies in Norway, Sweden and Denmark totalling around MNOK 450 in revenues.
We pride ourselves on our efficient transaction process, which is based on industry experience and continuously improved based on our own knowledge. It rarely takes more than two meetings to advance from loose dialogue to company mapping and indicative valuations. We’re able to act quickly when we talk to the current owner. On average, we spend about three months from first contact to closing.
Companies must have
- A good cultural fit with the rest of us
- Motivated managers
- A revenue of MNOK 20 or more
- An EBITDA margin of at least 10 percent
- Share of Renovation greater than 50 percent of revenue
- Employees with permanent contracts
- A good reputation in their local market—with happy customers!
Our independent local companies support and trust each other to create a winning culture.
Onboarding with limited impact on day-to-day operations
It’s important for us that the onboarding process has as little impact on the day-to-day operations of new companies as possible. We invest significant time in getting to know each other up front, as we believe that good cooperation starts with a solid foundation.
But don’t worry—the integration process is efficient. We make financial reporting and training in ethical guidelines and sustainability a priority immediately after joining. New companies report on financial figures already after the second month, thanks to pragmatic systems and processes. The largest part of the onboarding process is completed in three months, while environmental certification (such as ISO) and other more extensive processes are completed during the first year after incorporation.
Culturally, of course, the process starts with the first handshake and just keeps on going. That’s how we continuously become better as Håndverksgruppen—together.
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