alpha

Travel Money

September 26, 2013

The Koffler Group, a US-based family office, has traditionally travelled light when it comes to debt, but Campden talks to the third-gen who has been fearless in making sure it now has a mixed bag of investments.

The family fortune may have been made by an inherently conservative investor with a flair for designing suitcases, but when it comes to investment strategy subsequent generations of the Koffler family have been determined not to carry any baggage.

Sol Koffler is a poster child for the American dream. Arriving in the US from eastern Europe in 1920 at the age of 13, he started selling $1 suitcases as the Great Depression reached its peak. Over the next 46 years he built American Tourister into the second largest luggage company in the country.

Family firm acquires World Duty Free from BAA

March 10, 2008

The British Airports Authority has sold World Duty Free Ltd to a family-owned company.

The British Airports Authority has sold World Duty Free Ltd to a family-owned company. Airport foodservice provider Autogrill, controlled by the Benetton family, bought 100% of the company for €717 million. The sale of the 58 duty free stores has given Ferrovial, the family-owned construction firm that bought BAA in 2006, a cash-boost to help with debt it incurred with the acquisition.

Alternative investment managers for FOs: the quest for Alpha

November 1, 2003

With absolute return in alternative investment derived from manager skill, finding the right individual from the huge pool of candidates is a time-consuming but essential task. Melanie Stern investigates

Melanie Stern is Section Editor of Families in Business magazine.