Gabriel_175th Anniversary_Web_Spreads - Flipbook - Page 33
T H E S T R AT E G I S T S
Don’t wait for growth
Underneath the strategy lies a cultural truth that gives the company its texture. “We
love geeks,” Anders says - not as a joke, but as a statement of self-understanding.
Gabriel’s strength rests on deep expertise. People who understand fibres, dyeing
technique, machinery, testing standards, colour logic, production environments
and customer behaviour at a level that allows the company to see what is coming
next. Or as Jørgen states it: “Processes don’t create quality. People do.”
This depth fuels another defining trait: speed – or as presented at a kick off meeting in 2011 – ESTO (extremely short take off). “We are a little oversensitive when
things move too slowly,” Claus and Anders note in unison. But in Gabriel, speed is
not impatience - it is a disciplined response to potential. Opportunities open briefly. You must move when they appear.
This cultural engine fuelled the company’s most ambitious internal discipline: the
15% annual growth ambition. It was not introduced to impress anyone but based
on potentials and to force the organisation to think differently. You cannot reach
15% by working harder. You must find new markets, new partners, new categories,
new methods. Growth becomes a structure for thinking - a way of constantly scanning for possibility. As Claus emphasises: “Growth isn’t rocket science - it is something you decide and act upon as part of the right strategic path. We must create it
ourselves.” And year after year, the company did.
As outsourcing gradually reshaped European furniture manufacturing, Gabriel
began to sense a shift in where value was created - not in materials alone, but in
the manufacturing process itself. It was a pattern the company had seen before.
Initiatives such as Samplemaster had already demonstrated Gabriel’s ability to
identify unrealised potential and turn it into a viable business through early commitment, operational discipline, and close collaboration with customers. Encouraged by that experience, the idea of Furnmaster took form. Over time, it was developed into a strong business with a leading position in its field, built on the same
principles that had driven Gabriel’s growth elsewhere.
As with other ventures born from identifying unrealised potential, the business
eventually reached a point where its role within the wider group was reassessed.
A revised company strategy led to the decision to prepare Furnmaster for divestment. In the final phase of that process, unforeseen and critical systemic problems in the business emerged. They had to be addressed directly and effectively,
through swift intervention, structural adjustments, and a thorough reset of systems
and governance. The outcome was a stabilised and strengthened company, ready
for a considered sale. As the leadership later reflected: “Knowing what we knew
then, we would make the same decision today.”
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