Growth with courage and persistence

Dirk Rossmann on the partnership with the HANNOVER Finanz Group

On 1 January 1980, HANNOVER Finanz GmbH joined my company as a limited partner. We were one of the first businesses in which the HANNOVER Finanz Group took a financial interest, and remained its partner for 22 years.

To me, the decision to take in a financially strong partner was an obvious consequence of our rapid expansion from 1972 to 1979: In seven years, I had opened 92 branches in northern Germany! At that time it was highly important to me to put this development on a sound financial basis and to obtain security for further expansion. In contrast to taking on additional shareholders, the participation of HANNOVER Finanz was the right decision for me. Thanks to the improved equity ratio, we were able to push ahead with our strategy and systematically pursue our expansion course. As a result, we have increased both the number of branches and our sales twenty-fold since 1980!

The partnership with HANNOVER Finanz proved to be especially successful during the company's stormy expansion phase following German reunification. Looking back, I can say that I have never regretted the decision I took to make HANNOVER Finanz a partner in my business, neither from a commercial nor a personal point of view.