Partesa
Goodbye
Some might find these challenges depressing, but not so Rivaroli. He feels
that part of the difficulties is fun. "It is extremely satisfying to find solutions
that have never been thought of before. Being a sales rep for Heineken
also makes a difference. You represent a healthy company that everyone
respects."
Between March and August Rivaroli's average working day lasts for
twelve hours. Half of his time he visits wholesalers to discuss day-to-day
business, to negotiate and spend some social time with them. Thirty per
cent of his time is spent on direct contact (often together with a sales rep
of the wholesaler) with customers: bars, discos, restaurants, etc. "Through
these visits we want to build up a relationship with the bartender to make
sure that our brands are given the best possible care".
Selling your beers is one thing, distributing them is a completely different
story. Jean Philippe André can talk for hours about the distribution
business. He heads Partesa, the Heineken company that handles the
distribution of the Heineken Italia brands as well as other products, such as
soft drinks and spirits. Partesa was set up in 1989 to help develop the
brand portfolio of Heineken Italia. Today, more than 1,000 Partesa trucks
can be seen on the road in almost all parts of Italy. André sums up the
impressive figures: "We are now in 90 of the 103 provinces and we have a
turnover of 505 million euros. Partesa has 21 operating companies, with
2,870 personnel, of whom 869 are sales staff. We have 50,000 regular
customers."
Partesa can easily be called the king of acquisitions. Back in 1989 it
began by acquiring four distributors and by this year its total number of
acquisitions has risen to 208! In the first years of the new millennium
Partesa took over almost three companies a month. "Can you imagine what
that means for an organisation? We had to decide which companies were
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interesting, then we had to negotiate the deal and - last but not least - we
had to integrate the company as soon as possible in the Partesa system
and culture. Meanwhile, of course, we had to protect our margins and
turnover."
The fast growth was necessary in order to achieve critical mass as soon
as possible. Partesa has succeeded in that, because it is now the number
one in distribution for on-premise outlets. Last year Partesa distributed
27% of the total sales of Heineken Italia in the on-premise segment. For this
year another rise in volume is expected. Now that critical mass has been
reached it is time to optimise the organisation and increase profitability.
"Margins are very low in distribution, so we'll have to keep a close look at
the efficiency of the organisation".
For Massimo von Wunster the last day at Heineken Italia is drawing ever
nearer. But he feels that he can say goodbye with an easy mind. He is
proud of the fact that the company has earned respect in the market
thanks to a consistent strategy and good relationships with customers and
suppliers. "I am also pleased that we have managed to develop two market
leaders. First of all Heineken, nearly doubling the volume in ten years, and
Birra Moretti, which is the number one in the consumer's mind. Thirdly I am
happy with the healthy profit performance of our company."
So, is it all sunshine? Not quite, stresses Massimo von Wunster. Growing
competition from cheap imported beers and local business rivals will
definitely have an impact on future business. But Von Wunster does not
worry too much, because employees at all levels of the company realise
what the threats are and they feel the urge to defend market leadership by
grasping opportunities and showing a willingness to change. "I am
optimistic that Heineken Italia can grow further."
