CORPORATIONS: The merger of companies, a good method to increase added value

Mergers and acquisitions of companies constitute one of the main trends of the post-recession economic environment. Growth and development of international companies through this type of transaction is, nowadays, one of the most common ways of expanding and improving businesses. In recent years, many multinational companies have opted for this type of development, among recent examples in the construction field being the already famous cases Lafarge - Holcim, SSAB - Rautaruukki, Saint-Gobain - Sika, HeidelbergCement - Italcementi, Konecranes - Terex and so on. Being associated to the policies of external growth, mergers and acquisitions represent the means by which the modern companies implement the strategy of specialization, vertical integration or diversification. The analyzed phenomenon have recorded a significant boom in recent years and have become important tactical elements in the strategy of major groups, but also of smaller companies, representing valid methods to increase the added value of companies. The merger and the acquisition reflect an increasingly value companies and executives, and central elements of their strategic movements. An important aspect that must be emphasized is that these processes are not strategies itself, but are representing only useful tools to achieve a strategy and, most importantly, to create value. The issue of growth and development is a constant area of interest to most decision makers in the companies, because globalization and increasing interdependence of economies have put a huge pressure on enterprises to increase competitiveness. The fusion may be accomplished by assimilation, as are cases where both companies were combined under the name and logo of one of them, or "business as usual", characterized by the fact that each company retains its name and logo. As the global economy performances improves, the number of mergers is growing. Some managers use these strategies to send reassuring signals for their own customers and employees in order to create the right environment for the successful development of the business.