Dr. Eberhard Opl - American Business Media

EXAMPLES
WEKA’S EXPANSION STRATEGY
Year Country Company Genesis Current Status
1973 Germany WEKA Fachverlage Founded Still active
1978 Switzerland WEKA AG Founded Still active
1979 France WEKA France Founded Still active
1980 Italy WEKA Italy Founded Closed 1999
1983 Netherlands WEKA Uitgeverij Founded Still active
1985 Germany Spitta Verlag Bought Still active
1985 Austria WEKA Austria Founded Still active
1988 Germany DMV Bought Still active
1988 USA WEKA Publishing Founded Closed 1997
1989 Germany WAGO Software Shareholding Sold 1999
1989 Belgium Editions WEKA Founded Sold 2008
1990 France ECPA Bought Sold 2002
1991 Germany DentSo Shareholding Sold 1998
1993 Hungary WEKA Hungary Founded Closed 2000
1995 France Editions TI Bought Still active
1995 Germany Curadata Bought Closed 1999
1995 Hungary Computer Panoráma JV Sold 2003
1996 Poland Lupus JV Sold 2003
1996 Germany Deubner Verlag Bought Still active
1996 Romania Agora JV In Liqudation
1996 France Editions Tissot Bought Still active
1996 Poland Alfa WEKA Founded Sold 2003
1997 Spain Civitas Ediciones Bought Sold 2001
1997 Germany REWI Bought Still active
1998 Germany GWI Bought Still active
1998 Germany Behr's Verlag Shareholding Sold 2006
2004 Germany sirAdos Bought Still active
2005 Germany UB Media Bought Still active
2006 France CMT Bought Still active
2008 Austria SBM Austria Bought Still active
2008 Germany Flohr-Verlag Bought Still active
Lessons learnt:
• Market entry strategy
• Minority shareholding usually does not
work for WEKA
• JVs rarely work for WEKA
• Own company foundations mostly work
for WEKA
• 100% acquisitions mostly work for
WEKA
• Business model
• Basic WEKA business model works in
Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
France, The Netherlands
• Basic WEKA business model did not
work in Poland, USA, Romania, Italy,
Spain, Belgium, Hungary, …
WEKA at ABM Annual Conference May 3rd, 2009
WEKA Holding
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