The transition from a publicly-traded company to a private one increased the freedom with which Proventus and its principals allocated capital; Proventus took a portfolio approach to its capital management. In addition to a diversified portfolio of fixed income and equity securities, Proventus vowed to continue developing its portfolio of companies. The investment strategy of Proventus’ core management team was enabled by Triscope, a dedicated fund vehicle.

Proventus took a long term approach to building the Tretorn brand in the sports and leisure industry, and developed a foothold in the Israeli financial market through Zannex & Nesuah.

In accordance with the intentions of its founder, Proventus also built a Nordic-influenced interior design group via the Proventus Design subsidiary. This group included Artek, the Finnish furniture company that marketed furniture designed or inspired by Alvar Aalto; and the Swedish textile company, Kinnasand. The objective of the group was to focus on design management in the interior-design sector.

By the end of 1997, Proventus was debt-free and had a net asset value exceeding $300 million, of which approximately $250 million was held in short-term, interest-bearing securities.