In the post-recession economy of southern Europe, many companies are struggling to stay competitive, and remain reluctant to outsource services that are core to their daily operations.
For the Swedish industrial equipment maintenance company Quant, this offered a unique opportunity to expand by assisting businesses that are keen to save on maintenance costs.
Equipped with an expansion plan, Quant embarked on a journey to Spain. The main challenge was to get in touch with decision makers who would not be concerned by long sales cycles. And three years later, Quant’s business is thriving.
Quant has more than 25 years' experience in the industrial equipment maintenance industry in Sweden and abroad. The company has a well-earned reputation for helping companies streamline productivity, improve worker safety, and reduce costs within industries that range from pulp and paper to food and beverage.
Business Sweden was a game-changer in this market, because they really opened doors for us.Confident that its business solutions would drive positive results for companies in southern Europe, Quant implemented a plan for targeted expansion. Enhanced by Sweden’s strong reputation for corporate social responsibility, Quant believed it had a good chance to attract the interest of suitable partners and identified which businesses might benefit from its holistic approach to maintenance.
However, Quant has long sales cycles that require a bigger commitment from sales staff and may be considered risky for some companies. Also, Spanish business culture values local connections highly, and it proved easier said than done to get in contact with key industry players who have the authority to close new deals.
This is where Business Sweden stepped in to help Quant build and maintain trust with important stakeholders.
“Business Sweden qualified a number of contacts through different activities and pre-meetings, and we were promptly introduced to the high-level decision makers,” says Piero Allegrini, VP of Sales for Quant. “Business Sweden was a game-changer in this market, because they really opened doors for us.”
The results are clear. Since partnering with Business Sweden, Quant has contracted with two major clients, Barcelona Carton and Solán de Cabras. The company is also in negotiations with several other Spanish businesses – and has exceeded its sales expectations by 30%.
“Business Sweden inspires confidence in clients, which encourages them to do business with Swedish companies,” Jacob Duhan, SVP of Group Strategy & Business Development at Quant, concludes.
Quant’s success of 2017 is still fresh in mind, but they have no plans to slow their momentum. In 2018, the company intends to strengthen its home base, and also broaden its cooperation with Business Sweden in order to open more doors in Asia, South America, and the rest of the world.
ABOUT QUANT
Quant, formerly ABB Full Service, is a market leader with more than 25 years of experience in the industrial equipment maintenance industry. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Quant maintains and improves the safety, production and equipment performance for more than 300 facilities around the world. Spread across five continents, Quant currently employs more than 2,200 people.
