Oresa: What's important now is one's position versus competitors' position

Cornel Marian, executive manager of Swedish private equity company Oresa Ventures, says a company’s prime concern in a time of crisis is its position in relation to its competitors, rather than losses or business decline. “The crisis for me and for the companies in our portfolio amounts to a declining market and to difficulties in accessing financial resources. Now, what is particularly important is the company’s position in relation to its competitors, and its position when the crisis ends. Even if you might come out of the crisis with a smaller firm on your hands, it’s important for it to be stronger than its competitors,” Marian explains. Oresa Ventures currently holds stakes in four Romanian companies: Kiwi Finance loan broker (80% of the share capital), Fabryo dye manufacturer, AAC factories Somaco and home appliances retailer Flamingo (in which it indirectly holds 6.5%). Recently, Oresa has sold its 49% stake in metal profiles manufacturer Bau Profil in exchange for a 15% stake in Fabryo’s capital. Oresa’s strategy for this year is to focus on the companies in its portfolio of which “we are either majority or sole shareholders,” Marian adds.