Medium-sized businesses: Almost 300 large family businesses are looking for successors - an opportunity for private equity.
In the past, the sale of a company or parts of it was considered a sacrilege. This has fundamentally changed. Can private equity funds benefit from the trend reversal?
Ulrich Grillo, CEO of the Grillo-Werke family business in Duisburg, appeared before Handelsblatt reporters at the company's headquarters, which resembles a scaled-down version of Mannesmann-Haus in Düsseldorf. The building impresses with its massive stone walls, large windows, high ceilings, a chandelier, and a family gallery showcasing the Grillo lineage.
Grillo, 67, has been the chairman of Grillo-Werke for ten years and also serves as the supervisory board chairman at Rheinmetall. Recently, he had to make tough decisions, selling shares of the company and losing numerous employees to stabilize the business. Grillo compared his approach to the challenges faced by the German government and CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz in light of the growing influence of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The AfD's recent success in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has caused concern among investors and businesses, with potential consequences including job losses and economic decline. Grillo expressed optimism about the future and urged the government to implement necessary reforms, including the pension reform, which he considers crucial.
He believes Chancellor Merz should seize this opportunity and lead the reforms confidently, despite the potential criticism.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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