Advisory services enable sustainable global growth

Anant Choudhary started Transpole in 2004 with $2,000 capital. Over seven years, the business established strong relationships with global accounts such as Samsung, LG and Toyota, growing to an $80-90 million business. To achieve further expansion, Transpole sought to attract private equity investment which necessitated changing their auditors to a large global firm. The company needed to demonstrate to investors the appropriate level of corporate governance and ensure that necessary systems were in place to upscale the business in line with the business plan. Additionally, Transpole's strategy for raising finance required achieving a worldwide footprint, but faced different challenges in every country. China was particularly complex, requiring six or seven licences just to register a company. As a young privately-held organisation focused on growing the business, Transpole also needed to improve how they managed their people through systems and procedures to drive further efficiencies.

Grant Thornton worked closely with Transpole to demonstrate to investors the appropriate level of corporate governance and ensure necessary systems were in place. Grant Thornton saw things that were lacking and potential problems for the company, and addressed those problems through their different advisory teams. Grant Thornton engaged with Transpole on new business initiatives as well as in an advisory capacity, providing good feedback on multiple levels with regular discussions and meetings. For new market expansion, Grant Thornton provided advisory support in a number of overseas jurisdictions specifically on optimising operations and regulatory frameworks. They shared their experience in every country, giving Transpole an overview of the challenges and compliance issues they would face, whether in China or Vietnam, including what concords are in place, how to register, open offices, as well as cultural and financial issues. Grant Thornton provided regulatory and licensing assistance to enable Transpole to establish themselves in new markets. For employer solutions, Grant Thornton streamlined the way Transpole incentivised their people by putting in appropriate processes to help define roles and building a measurement and reward structure. They advised on HR accounting manual and salaries, and provided advice and structure to link salaries with incentives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Transpole has continued to enjoy sustainable growth and is now actively seeking further funding to facilitate expansion. The company grew from an $80-90 million business in 2011 to $130 million in annual turnover, with plans to surpass $200 million in the next two years. Grant Thornton provided Transpole with the regulatory and licensing assistance to firmly establish themselves in a number of new markets including China, with operations now in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu and Shenzhen. A HR manual was implemented, and Transpole now has a structure linking salaries with incentives and KPIs, variable salaries, and other performance-driven mechanisms. Making the company more systems-oriented brought about a big change that enhanced efficiency, which also translates into growth. Grant Thornton's advisory services had an unlimited role in Transpole's growth.