Ups and downs
After a journey marked by ups and downs, including a fire at the company, Kees decided the time was right to sell his shares. Together with de Jong & Laan, he set out to find the right buyer.
The new owner had to guarantee continuity for both the roughly 50 employees and the company’s many clients. That partner was found in BESQ Group, led by entrepreneur and investor Marcel Muller.
Kees Hoogink: Entrusting the company to Marcel feels both right and reassuring.
Reflecting on the sale, Kees points out: “Transferring the business to Marcel Muller secured the continuity of Hegin Metalfinishing, ensuring stability for both our staff and our clients. In recent years, the company has experienced rapid growth, and the appointment of new management will fuel the professionalisation process we started, allowing us to keep pace with our clients’ ambitions. Given Marcel’s entrepreneurial background and long-term vision, it feels both right and reassuring to entrust the company to him.”
Seizing new opportunities
BESQ Group focuses on acquisitions of manufacturing and trading companies in the Netherlands. Drawing on extensive experience at financial institutions, Marcel has built a broad network which he now intends to leverage to strengthen the company in Heerde.
Marcel Muller: “Under Kees’s leadership, Hegin Metalfinishing has grown into a respected surface treatment specialist, with skilled employees and a steadily expanding order book. To match the ambitions of our clients, our immediate focus will be on further streamlining processes. We are also pleased that Kees will remain involved for some time to pass on his expertise to the (partly new) management team.”
Sale support
De Jong & Laan has been Hegin’s accountant for many years, so when the time came, our corporate finance team was asked to guide Kees through the entire sale process. This involved several key stages:
- Identifying Kees’s personal wishes and expectations as the foundation for the process.
- Preparing the company for sale, including drafting the information memorandum and identifying potential buyers.
- Taking the lead in the subsequent steps: approaching candidates, supporting negotiations, coordinating the due diligence process, and finalising the transaction documentation.
