Proven Results

Case Studies

Real projects, real results. Explore how we've helped industrial companies navigate complex challenges across Europe and Asia.

PPE & Safety EquipmentChina / Portugal

When the Certification Was Real but the Product Wasn't: A French Safety Distributor's Three-Year Exposure

A French distributor of industrial safety equipment had been supplying EN-certified cut-resistant work gloves to manufacturing and logistics clients across France for three years. The gloves carried a valid CE mark under EU PPE Regulation 2016/425, backed by an EU Type Examination Certificate from a recognised Notified Body. Procurement was straightforward — one Guangzhou supplier, consistent pricing, no significant complaints. The distributor engaged MAXAM Group as part of a routine quality review of its Asian sourcing portfolio, expecting to establish a baseline framework before adding new suppliers. The audit found something that had already been going wrong for at least fourteen months — quietly, and without any of the visible signals that normally prompt a supplier review.

CE compliance restored in 17 weeks

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DIY & Home ImprovementChina

When the Factory Subcontracted Without Telling Anyone: A Dutch DIY Distributor's Six-Year Blind Spot

A Dutch distributor of DIY and home improvement products had been sourcing from the same Chinese factory for six years — consistent pricing, reliable delivery, no significant quality complaints. Two factory visits over that period had produced favourable impressions, and the relationship had continued on that basis. When the distributor engaged MAXAM Group, it was not acting on suspicion: the brief was forward-looking, intended to assess production capacity and quality system maturity before committing to higher volumes for an expanded product range. The survey found something the client had not anticipated and the supplier had not disclosed.

40% off-site production exposed and corrected

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Catering & Foodservice EquipmentChina

Five Categories, One Commercial Structure: How a German Catering Chain Sourced Across China Without Building Five Supplier Relationships

A German operator of institutional catering facilities — supplying corporate canteens, hospital foodservice, and large-scale event catering — had reached a scale where its equipment and consumable sourcing no longer made sense. The company purchased through a fragmented mix of German distributors, a single direct relationship with a Guangdong cookware factory, and a domestic uniform supplier, producing a procurement structure that was administratively heavy, margin-inefficient, and operationally unreliable. The commercial trigger for change was a planned expansion: six new sites over eighteen months, requiring simultaneous equipping across five categories — professional cookware, smallwares, storage and shelving, cleaning equipment, and staff uniforms. Sourcing these domestically at the required volume was not viable; sourcing them from five separate Chinese suppliers individually was beyond the company's internal procurement bandwidth.

-31% procurement cost vs. domestic baseline

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Nutraceuticals & WellnessChina

Twelve Months from Decision to First Sale: A Belgian Nutraceuticals Brand Enters Tmall Global

A Belgian manufacturer of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals had built a solid position across Belgium, the Netherlands, and France — fourteen SKUs covering omega-3, vitamin complexes, probiotic blends, and sports nutrition, all certified to EU food supplement standards and sold through pharmacy chains, specialty health retailers, and a direct e-commerce channel. The board approved a China entry budget targeting Tmall Global sales within twelve months and appointed MAXAM Group to manage the entry end-to-end. What followed was twelve months of structured complexity that the company's initial internal assessment had significantly underestimated — not because any single element was insurmountable, but because the cumulative sequencing of regulatory, commercial, logistical, and marketing steps created dependencies and delays that only become visible from inside them.

First Tmall Global sale in week 51

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Mattress & BeddingTurkey

Sourcing Raw Materials from Turkey for the Iberian Mattress Industry

Several mattress manufacturers in Spain and Portugal were facing rising costs and fragmented supply chains for key raw materials—textile, foam, and pocket springs. Each factory was sourcing independently, missing volume leverage and paying high per-unit freight costs.

-28% raw material costs

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ElectronicsVietnam

Lean Transformation of an Electronics Assembly Plant in Vietnam

A German electronics manufacturer had set up assembly operations in Ho Chi Minh City but was struggling with high defect rates, excess inventory, and missed delivery targets—threatening key customer relationships.

+28% productivity improvement

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Industrial EquipmentEastern Europe

Industrial Sourcing & Supply Chain Redesign in Poland

A Belgian machinery manufacturer was over-dependent on a single German supplier for precision machined components, leading to long lead times and pricing pressure that eroded margins.

-22% total procurement cost

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Textile & ApparelEastern Europe

Finding the Right Bulgarian Producer — How MAXAM Group Helped a European Brand Shorten Its Supply Chain

A mid-sized European clothing brand operating across Germany, France, and Benelux had built its production model around large seasonal volumes from China and Bangladesh, ordered six months in advance. End-of-season markdowns on overcommitted styles were eroding margins, post-COVID logistics disruptions had made lead times unpredictable, and retail partners were asking questions about sourcing transparency the team could not easily answer.

Lead time cut from 11 to 5 weeks

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Manufacturing & HardwareChina

From Factory Floor to Global Platform: How a French Fastener Company Rebuilt Its Business Model in China

A third-generation French fastener manufacturer had closed its Lyon production facility after Chinese competition eroded volumes by over 60%. The company retained its brand, customer relationships, and distribution network but was sourcing from a rotating roster of Chinese manufacturers with inconsistent quality, no control over packaging, and suppliers who dropped orders during peak periods.

Revenue grew from €18M to €34M

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