Under the leadership of the then CEO Ing. Martin Štrupel, MBA, working with BM4U, Hamé underwent a transformation that moved the company from a local player to a regional leader in food production. Strategic expansion into new markets, new acquisitions and greater product diversification have led to growth in turnover, profit and company value.
After 2010, when Hamé was already a leading food producer in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the company expanded its portfolio to include new categories such as baguettes, pasta, frozen vegetables, chilled meals and mayonnaise. At the same time, the company expanded into the markets of Romania, Ukraine and Hungary and extended its exports to around 30 other countries.
“An important step in marketing and PR activities was a strategic change in sponsorship, when we switched from supporting a local sports hockey club to sponsoring a world-class biathlon to achieve better international visibility and overlap, especially in key markets,” explains Martin Štrupl.
Overcoming challenges such as rising raw material prices, labour shortages, barriers to entry into new markets and the dominance of retail chains required investment in automation and effective market entry strategies .
Before the sale to the multinational corporation Orkla in 2016, the Hamé Group had a turnover of over CZK 6 billion with an EBITDA margin of around 13%. The Group had production plants and sales offices in 6 countries and exported to approximately 40 countries. “This success shows how the right combination of innovation, strategic expansion and marketing can transform a company from a local player to a successful regional leader,” adds Martin Štrupl.