Success Story: ROWE Group, ROWE relies on SME expertise for the future
ROWE Group: Since 2012, Commerzbank has been a valuable partner to ROWE on its journey to becoming an internationally successful lubricants specialist, providing expert advice that draws on the Bank's many years of working with SMEs.12
Back in 1995, engineer Michael Zehe laid the foundations for ROWE Mineralölwerk GmbH in a small workshop belonging to his parents’ business. Today, ROWE Group employs around 370 people and its products are available in more than 80 countries throughout the world. This growth is placing new demands on financing, risk management and governance. Commerzbank has been at ROWE’s side from the very beginning. As well as having an in-depth understanding of the company’s business model, it works alongside ROWE to develop solutions geared towards growth and long-term viability.
Thinking ahead
, Setting the course for tomorrowSuccess is not just to maintain the status quo: Changing market conditions require decisions that go beyond today. Dr. Alexandra Kohlmann, Managing Partner of ROWE Group, asks: “How do you turn today’s head start into tomorrow's success?”
From growth to the next financing stage, Close communication on an equal footing
ROWE operates one of the largest and most advanced lubricant plants in Europe at its site in Worms, just over 50 kilometres from Frankfurt. At the same time, the demands placed upon management and financing are changing due to new sales regions, volatile commodity and energy prices, e-mobility and sustainability.
Rather than individual banking products, ROWE needs a financial management system that can keep pace with the company’s growth. Here, Commerzbank brings its expertise in the SME sector to the table, supporting the process through close dialogue. Which financing structure is the best fit for the business model? How can risks be mitigated more effectively? And which solutions offer greater transparency and planning certainty?
Commerzbank provides ROWE with solutions that have been customised to meet the specific requirements of this internationally SME. These are based on a long-standing partnership that thrives on reliability, close communication and expert advice provided on an equal footing.
„As a family enterprise, we need a bank that understands our business and thinks ahead together with us. Commerzbank has been at our side for many years, providing highly personalised and reliable advice and support. What is especially important to us is that Commerzbank openly discusses the options that are available to us and works with us to come up with solutions that fit ROWE’s needs. We greatly value this partner-like approach.“
Managing Partner, ROWE Group
Solutions that safeguard growth, Seamless interplay between financing, liquidity and risk management
Commerzbank helps ROWE to gear its financial management towards its next growth phase. The focus here is not on individual products, but on the way in which payments, liquidity and financing solutions work together with risk hedging.
Working with ROWE, Commerzbank assesses which services and solutions are best for the company’s future development and long-term viability.
For this purpose, the Bank evaluates a range of financing options – from syndicated and borrowing base financing to collateral pools and bilateral loans. This provides ROWE with a sound basis for deciding on a financing structure that meets the requirements of an internationally active medium-sized company.
When it comes to sustainability, Commerzbank also helps ROWE to assess its capital requirements, factoring in relevant sustainability criteria and implementing suitable financing options. ROWE ensures that its sustainability efforts are transparent and also incorporates ESG aspects into its financing mix, thereby making sustainability part of a strategy for the company’s long-term viability.
„ROWE is a prime example of a family business systematically building on the strengths it has developed over time. We at Commerzbank work with ROWE to develop solutions that facilitate growth, internationalisation and long-term stability. This requires an in-depth understanding of the business model, open communication on an equal footing, and solutions that are tailored to the company’s exact needs.“
Relationship Manager, Rhineland-Palatinate Branch, Commerzbank AG
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