Editorial Advisory Board Forum

"There is no set answer. Speaking from a company that is heavy into mergers and acquisitions, it is exciting, keeps you on your toes and provides a great learning experience. If the M&A is done correctly it adds depth to the acquiring company and stability to the acquired company. The consolidation of consumer goods companies should provide for greater opportunities for all the people involved and a broader base of knowledge and new ideas."
- Ellen Martin, VP IS Supply Chain, VF Corp.

"I look at M&A as Darwinism in the market place. It is just a more efficient method than letting the fittest put the weaker out of business to capture market share and realize revenue growth. Mergers and Acquisitions are inevitable. We are a private SMB manufacturer focused primarily in one category. By being relatively small, we are more nimble than our larger competitors, and we try to exploit this as a competitive advantage. When our competition goes through M&A there is a period of confusion and this creates opportunities which must be seized in the short term by reacting quickly. The downside is that in the long term you will be wrestling an 800-pound gorilla."
- Steve Swanson, VP of IT, Hawaiian Tropic