From dying SME to re-born global to multinational: Vendlet

Born Global companies are special in that they able to rapid internationalize from their inception. However, most companies experience both temporality and speediness in growth affected by endogene and exogene factors as well as up and downs in business cycles. In this case, we look at different periods of growth at a Danish wholesaler and manufacturing company. The company experienced different periods of gazelle growth, generational change, threatened bankruptcy, acquisitions and rapid global internationalisation. The case Vendlet is interesting and relevant to discuss, because it question our often implicit understanding of linearity of growth and perceived drivers of internationalization. The company has been viable for more than 35 years, but the company was about to go bankrupt in 2010, and through aquisition the new team and owner became reborn global gazelle. Fundamental for the transition from dying SME to reborn global gazelle is the new owner's vision, actions and business development. He made both challenging and irreversible decisions that resulted in ongoing business model innovation. Latest action was to sell the company to a Welsh conglomerate, and thus transition to being part of a Multinational.