Potential clients and intermediaries can often gain a useful insight into the work of Secantor associates by reading appropriate case studies. A selection of our case studies is listed below.
Revitalisation of a Chocolate Manufacturing, Wholesaling and Retailing Business
The client is a husband and wife team, former solicitors, who took time out to tour South America. This gave them the inspiration to return to the UK to start a new business. Nine years later they now make chocolate organically and trade fairly through hundreds of shops via wholesalers, multiple retailers eg. Waitrose, their own five stores in SE England and online retailing. A complex business for a two Directors to micro-manage.
Property developer
This client provides a total property package from concept to completion, creating impressive, quality homes and buildings for sale to the private owner, institutions, industrial or commercial clients. The company was an established and highly respected developer with a turnover of £24m and a healthy level of profit, before Secantor was invited in.
AIM listing of a recruitment company
In July 2007 the client was looking for someone with the experience to help him float his Soho based advertising recruitment business on AIM.
Aviation Turnaround
The company started operations in 2004 and made significant losses in the first three years. The three-year Budget prepared before Secantor was called in anticipated a further year of losses before break-even.
Provider of vocational training programmes
The business is one of the UK's leading providers of vocational training programmes within the power generation and supply industry.
Baby goods - new business start-up
This client was a new business established by a mother of three, who was so frustrated by the limitations of pushchairs and double buggies that she invented a clip-on foldaway sidecar which attaches to most pushchairs, expanding child carrying capacity to accommodate a weary toddler. The company was awarded a SMART grant from the DTI to support the development of the innovative product. Secantor was chosen to help the company formulate and implement a business strategy.
Turnaround of a retail chain
A family owned firm of opticians with 80 outlets across the south of England from Kent to Cornwall, with its own lens manufacturing and spectacles production plant was in significant difficulty. The company, which has a distinguished history going back over 100 years, was in danger of failing.
Internet retailer of dance music
A team of three young people used their passion for dance music and knowledge of IT to establish an on-line retail business offering vinyl records to DJs and dance music enthusiasts. They were very good at what they did and after seven years their turnover had grown to £5m, distributing over 40,000 items each week to a global market-place from a London warehouse operated by 90 staff.
