Calculating risks
Cerebral service
Adrie Zwanenberg
Bavaria (a Dutch brewery) and Agrifirm (an
agricultural co-operative) are building a
malt house at Eemshaven, a port close to
where high-quality barley is grown, and
convenient for export purposes. Most dis-
cussions between the project's initiators,
Bavaria's management and Rabobank
Nederland's Corporate Clients division,
were facilitated by FAR, right from the start
of the project, Our department was also a
sparring partner during the feasibility and
location process.'
FAR also plays an important role in assess-
ing and mitigating risks for Rabobank, in
Holland Malt's case by fact-checking the
business plan and advising on the credit
application, before the offer was sent to
the cliënt.
In fact, FAR has been writing sector notes
for credit for some time now. Zwanenberg
says, This gives the commercial people a
feeling for the risk in any given sector. For
example, FAR often mitigates risks by writ
ing reports with scenarios of what could
happen when it becomes clear that EU
policies will change.'
Many powerful companies require
Rabobank's help with structured deal-
making. This is where opportunity meets
FAR's expertise in F&A - leading to many
successful deals for clients, and a large
fee-based income for the bank.
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