From strategy to execution
We help automotive suppliers ready to diversify.
Before the order book is empty.
Programmes are ending. New projects are not in sight.
When more than 30% of your revenue depends on automotive, the next 18 to 24 months are no longer plannable.
We work with European metal and component suppliers in automotive. Tier 2 and Tier 3.
Revenue €10M to €250M. 50 to 1000 employees.
I am Christian Drenth, founder of DreCo Insights. 27 years in international business development, with a focus on automotive.
Experience with every major OEM and Tier 1 supplier across Europe and the USA.
Trusted by Industry Leaders
How we help
Testimonials from our satisfied clients.
Clients' voices
At DreCo Insights, long-term partnerships matter more than quick wins. We work closely with owners, CEOs and management teams of automotive and industrial component manufacturers who face complex strategic decisions in changing markets. Our clients value a partner who understands the automotive value chain, speaks their language and stays involved from strategy through execution. Below are examples of how manufacturers describe their experience working with Christian Drenth and the impact this collaboration has had on their business.
DreCo has been instrumental in our success from the very beginning. Christian conducted thorough market research, which laid the foundation for a robust sales strategy. Beyond just developing customer relationships in the field, DreCo also took the lead in shaping and executing our social media and marketing campaigns, ensuring our brand's strong presence and growth.
DreCo Insights helped prenel GmbH prepare to launch our new technology. The market research across target industries validated our commercial assumptions. The business plan and detailed financial forecasts gave us realistic projections. We could present credible numbers and discuss them in depth with investors. A very valuable part was also the access to senior management at market leaders. These introductions connected us with investors and development partners. His guidance keeps us focused on what matters. We get practical advice, not theory. I recommend DreCo Insights to any B2B company entering new markets.
Our services to help you
When the plan stays on the shelf
The problem
Your team is consumed by day to day operations. Six months later the market has moved, your plan has not.
Our response
DreCo Insights stays on board until the strategy takes hold. We deliver it alongside your teams.
Clear positioning
The problem
A small group of customers makes up the bulk of your revenue.
Our response
We reposition you inside the automotive value chain, or beyond it. Organically or through M&A.
Less dependency. More relevance for tomorrow's programmes.
Access to OEMs, Tier 1 and new markets
The problem
RFQs arrive late or not at all. OEM doors stay closed. No new customers are in sight. In new sectors, the decision makers are still unknown.
Our response
We open doors to OEMs,Tier 1 suppliers and decision makers in adjacent markets.
Full accountability
The problem
The senior partner sells you the strategy. A consultant you have never met delivers it. Accountability moves the moment the presentation is handed over.
Our response
With DreCo Insights you work with one partner. One person, one line, full accountability.
What we are seeing right now
1.
By the time RFQs slow down, the sourcing decision was made 18 months earlier.
The work that wins happens before the RFQ exists.
2.
Push and pull is the response.
Push to Tier 1 with the right credentials at the right time.
Pull from OEM engineering with a technical reframe of their problem.
Run both and the shortlist gets shaped before the RFQ goes out.
3.
Suppliers who only respond to RFQs fight on price.
Suppliers who shaped the criteria fight on fit.
4.
Most Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers treat the RFQ as the start of the buying process.
It is not. By the time it arrives, the shortlist has been shaped already.
Visibility to engineering over the prior 18 months is what set it.
Where the work has landed
Organic growth: 3 case stories
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
A linear motion technology manufacturer with strong products and stagnant European automotive sales.
The team was positioned as a component supplier, not as a solution partner.
We ran push and pull at the same time.
Tier 1s saw how components fitted in without redesign.
OEM engineering and procurement teams saw working prototypes.
Result
European automotive sales grew 50% in 24 months.
Mercedes-Benz awarded a sub assembly contract for the S-Class interior.
Miele and the European appliance sector
A precision telescopic slide manufacturer with no presence in domestic appliances.
We chose Miele as the first target because their standards are the most demanding in European appliances.
After multiple prototype iterations, the Miele reference opened doors across the sector.
Result
Over five years, the product range grew to a third of the client's European revenue.
Iveco Trucks in Italy
A supplier entering Italy with a price gap to bridge.
We started with a showroom visit and a single engineering problem Iveco had not yet solved.
A direct email to the Head of Engineering, three proposed times, and competitor samples in hand.
The first meeting confirmed within days.
Prototypes delivered two weeks after.
Result
Start of production reached six months after first contact.
Portfolio and M&A: 2 case stories
Asset acquisition and post integration, inside perspective
Inside a European component manufacturer, Christian led an asset acquisition and the post integration that followed.
The deal completed during COVID with no on site travel possible.
The work covered legal completion, operational handover, and cultural integration across two countries.
Strategy, operations and people were brought into one direction.
Result
End to end M&A run from the inside, as the operator.
That perspective now informs how DreCo guides clients considering the same path.
Portfolio decision, Hold and Develop or Sell
A client facing a portfolio question.
Should the asset be held and developed, or sold?
Strategy leadership wanted a structured, numbers based answer before committing.
Three steps.
Scenario development across the realistic futures for the asset.
Financial analysis on each scenario, including NPV.
Strategy building on the chosen direction.
Result
A clear decision, backed by financial modelling and scenario logic.
The client moved from open question to actionable direction.
Founder note
One partner, from first conversation to result.
DreCo Insights was founded by Christian Drenth.
27 years in European component manufacturing. Operating history across France, Germany, Slovenia and the Benelux.
Roles from sales engineer to general manager to integration leader. Languages: Dutch, French, German, English.
In every role, accountability covered both strategy and results. That principle shapes how DreCo Insights works today.
I lead DreCo Insights as the sole full time partner, with a network drawn in for specialist work.
Companies rarely lack strategy. They often lack ownership of execution. Too many plans stay as presentations while the market keeps moving.
DreCo Insights exists to close that gap.
A first conversation, no obligation
We believe business is all about people.
So let's take 30 minutes to get to know each other.
We look at where the business stands today, the immediate risks, and one or two moves worth testing.
No presentation. No sales talk.
not ready yet?
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Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that choosing the right partner is a big decision.
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about Dreco Insights and our services.
When is the right moment to work with DreCo Insights?
The right moment is often earlier than companies expect. Many manufacturers reach out when volumes start to decline or contracts are coming to an end, but the most impact is created when there is still time to act. If more than 30% of your revenue depends on automotive, if your order book beyond 18–24 months is uncertain, or if new projects are becoming harder to win, it is the right moment to step back, assess your position and define a clear path forward.
Do we need to leave the automotive industry to reduce risk?
No. In most cases, the strongest opportunities are still within the automotive value chain. The challenge is not the industry itself, but where you are positioned within it. DreCo Insights helps companies move towards growing component groups, new platforms and additional OEMs or Tier 1s, reducing dependency without abandoning automotive. Diversification into adjacent industries can be part of the strategy, but always as a complement, not a forced exit.
How is DreCo Insights different from traditional consultants?
Most consultants deliver a strategy and move on. DreCo Insights stays involved until results become visible. Strategy and execution are led by the same person, ensuring continuity, accountability and momentum. This means working next to your management and sales teams, preparing OEM meetings, supporting negotiations and adjusting course when needed. The focus is not on reports, but on decisions, actions and measurable progress.
What kind of companies does DreCo Insights typically work with?
DreCo Insights works primarily with European component manufacturers, typically with a turnover between €10M and €250M and 50 to 1,000 employees. Clients are often metal or steel component suppliers operating in automotive, interiors, thermal management or related domains. Engagements are tailored to the company’s situation, whether the challenge is finding new customers, repositioning within the value chain, or preparing for growth, acquisition or transition.
We already have a strategy on the shelf. Why bring in another consultant?
Most strategies fail at execution, not at design. We stay on board until the plan takes hold. If your team can deliver alone, you do not need us.
Our team is too busy for another change project.
We do not add to the workload. We carry execution alongside your team. Decisions still belong to you.
We are too small for consulting fees.
Engagements scale to the situation. Project based for a defined challenge. Retainer based for ongoing support. The first conversation is free, with no sales pitch.
Do you only work inside automotive?
No. Many clients come from automotive and move into adjacent industrial markets. Domestic appliances, furniture, welding automation. Our experience covers both worlds.
What happens if we engage you and it does not work?
Retainer engagements run month to month. Project engagements carry an early exit clause. Both have written success criteria agreed before signing. If the criteria are not being met by the agreed checkpoint, the engagement stops.
How much access to our data do you need?
NDAs sign before any client data is reviewed. Sensitive material stays inside your systems. We work with anonymised extracts where possible. Your data stays yours at all times.
Is our information safe?
All software we use is European-owned. All data is stored on servers in Germany.
We made this choice deliberately. Our clients share sensitive business information with us. That information stays in Europe, under European law.
Here is what we use:
Documents and files
OnlyOffice. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Office.
Mailbox.org. It replaces Microsoft Outlook.
Video calls
OpenTalk. It replaces Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom.
File storage
Hetzner Storageshare, running on Nextcloud, hosted on our Hetzner server in Germany.
Project management
OpenProject, self-hosted on the same Hetzner server.
Client database
EspoCRM, self-hosted on the same Hetzner server.
Our server is a Hetzner dedicated server located in Germany with a daily backup. Nothing we use is owned by an American company. Nothing is stored outside the EU.
That said, one exception exists. We use an American AI tool. We explain exactly why, and what that means for your data, in the next question.
What about AI ?
We mainly use Claude, made by Anthropic.
Anthropic is an American company. That is a deliberate exception to our European software rule. We made it because Claude is the best tool available for the work we do.
Here is what we control, and what we do not.
We control where files and data are stored. All documents and client data stay on our EU-based servers. We do not upload sensitive client information to any AI tool.
We do not control where the AI processing happens. When we send a prompt, that computation runs on Anthropic's infrastructure. That infrastructure is not entirely within the EU.
What we can confirm is this. Anthropic does not train its models on the work of paid users. Our tasks do not feed back into the model.
So the honest answer is: the data stays in Europe, the thinking happens elsewhere, and nothing we do makes the AI smarter at your expense.
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