WOLFFKRAN

In July 2005 Dr. Hans-Peter Koller and Dr. Peter Schiefer as partners of M2Capital took over the then MAN subsidiary WOLFFKRAN. With a history stretching back over 150 years, WOLFFKRAN is one of the leading manufacturers and hiring companies for tower cranes. The structuring of the takeover was carried out by M2Capital together with a German regional bank.

After the takeover of WOLFFKRAN, Hans-Peter Koller and Peter Schiefer held overall responsibility jointly, including the managerial functions of operational management. The German company was restructured and reorganised, the company headquarters were moved from Heilbronn to Zug in Switzerland and given a modern structure, geared towards international expansion. It was gradually expanded into an international group structure.

In the original home markets of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, a new sales strategy and structure was consistently and sustainably implemented to improve market penetration. Subsequently, expansion took place in new attractive markets, such as the Middle East, also focussing on some hot spots in Asia and South Africa as well as the more traditional markets in Europe with the Netherlands and Belgium.

Extensive investments were needed in the considerable double-digit millions. In particular the expansion of the infrastructure was driven forwards, initially by expanding the production base with a new state-of-the-art factory in Brandenburg as well as restructuring and modernising the Heilbronn manufacturing site. Further investments were made in a targeted manner in operational procedures and logistics, the development department, the expansion of the distribution network and the business accounting system. In order to respond better to these ever increasing corporate needs, M2Capital arranged a new comprehensive refinancing of the three-digit group balance sheet total in 2009.

Continuing efforts in the following years focused on the optimisation of the operational processes, building-up a professionally structured group management and the introduction of corresponding integrated EDP management and information system (SAP-R/3-based). Since taking over from MAN, WOLFFKRAN was able to quadruple its turnover to a three-digit million figure in 2013. Hans-Peter Koller disposed of his 50% holding in WOLFFKRAN at the end of 2013.