Growth
innovate.” Clark believes the move works because it sees two “special” companies uniting. “If you look across Welbilt’s global portfolio, there’s very established brands in major key categories in a commercial kitchen. Whether it’s Delfield in the [North American] fabrication and refrigeration piece, Garland® in core cooking, Frymaster as one of the premier frying brands in not just North America but in the world — all the brands are very strong and have their unique position in the space. All of the Welbilt brands we acquired are considered leaders in their category: number one, two or three — very much in that upper echelon,” he says.
Sharing synergies and innovation Clark believes both organizations will benefit from sharing best practices. “Tere’s certainly some customer-facing
sales synergies we can share. Welbilt has some strong sales relationships that do not overlap with Ali Group’s offerings, so we can roll in some of the existing Ali Group companies to talk about how we can better serve their markets. It goes the other way too: Tere’s some existing long-term relationships in the Ali world that Welbilt can benefit from. And there are other synergies in foodservice equipment. We’re a big purchaser of sheet stainless steel, so our stainless leverage goes up and we would expect some cost synergies there.” One thing Clark is adamant that won’t
happen is that companies won’t be “smashed together” to save costs, he says.
“Tat’s just not the way Ali Group works. Our synergies will be more market-facing.” And innovation will remain core to Welbilt’s — and Ali Group’s — product offering, says Clark. “Welbilt and Ali Group are both very innovative companies. Ali Group’s legacy is entrepreneurial, nimble companies that are close to their markets. Innovation often comes from market need, so you’re perhaps going to see a little bit more of that kind of philosophy from the Ali world permeating into Welbilt.” Te acquisition will see a mix of cultures where “central innovation takes a backseat to market or local-led innovation, giving the best of both worlds,” says Clark. In terms of his new role, Clark is excited
to realize the opportunities the acquisition presents to his teams – and their clients. “I’m grateful for Filippo Berti’s confidence
and trust he has shown in giving me this opportunity,” says Clark. “I’ve worked for a variety of different companies in this industry. I have been in the foodservice manufacturing side since 1992 and people have often asked me where were my favorite
We need a balance of seeing what the next decade brings, but also solving our customers' issues today... We will continue to do what we can to invest in our business
Kevin Clark CEO, Welbilt
places to work. Ali Group is top of the list, but the next one was working for Delfield in the Enodis days. So, in some ways, it’s a little bit like coming home. I have intimate knowledge of these businesses, so, it’s a good fit for me, but it’s also exciting to come in and see the changes made in Welbilt in the last 12 years and work my way through those before leading it forward into its next generation of growth.”
8 Aliworld
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