By David Strempel, Vice Chairperson, Translink Corporate Finance International and Partner at Translink Corporate Finance Italy
Many businesses with global ambitions eventually reach a crossroads: how to grow beyond what organic expansion can deliver. For family-owned companies, that challenge is especially complex. The key is not just scaling up but doing so in a way that preserves the values, identity, and continuity that underpin long-term success.
This has been the journey of the Pedrollo Group, a family-run business from Italy with the ambition to become a dominant international player. At Translink Corporate Finance, we have had the privilege of serving as its trusted partner, designing and executing a deliberate M&A strategy that has turned acquisitions into a disciplined engine for growth.
M&A as a deliberate strategy
From the onset, Pedrollo recognised that organic growth alone would be too slow to capture opportunities in new geographies and technologies. A structured acquisition programme offered a faster route to expansion – but only if it could be executed in a way that safeguarded Pedrollo’s heritage as a family business.
The success of this strategy has rested on four key factors:
- Strategic clarity: Every deal has been tied to a clear purpose, whether entering new markets, strengthening market share, or building technical depth. This clarity ensured that acquisitions were not opportunistic but aligned to long-term ambitions.
- Cultural alignment: Pedrollo has consistently targeted other family-run businesses. Taking majority stakes while retaining family management has preserved values, secured local leadership continuity, and avoided the disruption that comes when new executives must be installed.
- Execution discipline: Our role at TranslinkCF has been to bring rigour to the process: sourcing the right opportunities, coordinating due diligence, structuring valuations, and managing integration planning. This discipline ensured deals were both strategically sound and financially robust.
- Cross-border collaboration: With 35+ offices across Europe and beyond, Translink provided the global reach and coordination required for seamless deal-making, while tailoring advice to each local context.
By combining these factors, M&A became not just a tool for growth but a structured, low-disruption strategy that allowed Pedrollo to scale internationally while preserving the DNA of a family business.
A multi-deal growth journey
Together, we have completed four transactions in four different countries (the United States, Spain, Italy and Germany), with a fifth set to close in the late in 2025, and another opportunity under discussion. These deals were each designed with specific objectives: extending geographic reach, strengthening market positioning, or integrating new technical capabilities.
Across every transaction, our advisory role spanned sourcing, due diligence, valuation, and integration – ensuring that each deal delivered on its strategic promise.
Measurable Impact
The results underscore the power of this disciplined approach. Pedrollo’s acquisitions now contribute over €150 million to annual revenues – more than 30% of the Group’s projected FY2025 turnover of approximately €550 million.
Looking Forward
Pedrollo’s ambitions are still unfolding. Geographic expansion will remain a priority, with further opportunities expected in new regions. At the same time, the group is pursuing acquisitions that add technical depth, particularly in areas such as smart features for pumps.
As its advisory partner, we remain committed to providing assistance in shaping and refining this roadmap. With Giulio Pedrollo’s vision guiding the group’s evolving acquisition criteria, Pedrollo is positioning itself as both a market leader and a model of how a family business can grow globally without losing its identity.
The Takeaway
With the right guidance, acquisitions can achieve far more than financial scale. They can extend legacy, values, and ambition into new markets. Pedrollo’s story shows that M&A, when approached with clarity, discipline, and respect for continuity, can support global ambitions and unlock lasting value.
At TranslinkCF, we are proud to have partnered with Pedrollo on this journey – proving that with careful execution, M&A can be a catalyst not just for growth, but for growth done right.
We get your deal done.
Ends.
Translink International AG
