La Buvette: managing financial investors

It is essential to guarantee a good water supply throughout the grazing season for the well-being and health of livestock. La Buvette has been designing drinking troughs adapted to intensive livestock farming in every climate for decades. It has a 60 % share of the French market and now the majority of its development is outside France, and in particular in Germany.  The shareholders have changed as a result of several successive LBOs (Leverage Buy-Outs). It has been possible to pit investors against each other because of the good financial health of the company, even during the difficult period of the mad cow crisis. The outgoing shareholders have been wise enough not to over-value the company so that it gets into debt. As a result, these LBOs were important factors in the development of the company. La Buvette must now choose between two strategies; either broadening its range, or staying in the same sector and breaking into world markets.