How did The Grabbelton get started?
In 1996 we started, in a converted garage, with a group of a maximum of 4 children. Due to the growing demand for child care and the shortage of child care places in Geldrop, this group was soon full and we started looking for new locations. As a result, in 28 years de Grabbelton has grown into a medium-sized child care center with 6 locations, 570 children and 80 employees.
What brought up the sale of The Grabbelton?
Initially, the intention was for our eldest son to take over the company. After an intensive coaching process, he came to the conclusion that his ambitions lay in a different area, making it a logical step for us to sell our organization.
In the end, what was the deciding factor in entering the sales process?
The increasing regulatory burden due to laws and regulations and staff shortages in the industry limited us from doing real business. As a result, we were working more 'in' our company than 'on' our company and missed the passion and ambition to further 'grow' the organization. To be able to offer the Grabbelton these 'growth opportunities' and because there would be no business succession, selling was an obvious option for us.
How did the sales process of De Grabbelton go in your opinion?
It was an intensive process for which we really had to make room in our schedules. By appointing an interim manager during the period of the sale, we fortunately had time to fully focus on the sales process. In addition, Florijnz relieved us, with the guidance and support in the sales process, allowing us to focus on the things we needed to take care of ourselves.
How did you end up at Florijnz?
We had, in the past, twice received a letter from Florijnz outlining their activities. After we had exploratory talks with them and two other acquisition parties, we chose Florijnz because of their expertise, personal approach and "the click".
How did you experience working with Florijnz?
We experienced the cooperation with Florijnz as constructive, approachable, professional and very pleasant. There was a quick and adequate response and there were very short lines because we had one contact person. The consultations were pleasant, low-threshold, our wishes were listened to carefully and the advice and support were very competent. The extensive experience of Forijnz gave us the confidence that things would be arranged well for us and that they would do their utmost to achieve a good 'deal'.
Where do you think the greatest added value lies?
Greatest added value is knowledge of the market and potential buyers, guidance and expertise in the sales process.
What do you think was the low point of the journey?
The amount of information we had to provide and the subsequent questions in the data room, the uncertainty about the sale (are we going to get out in the end?), the negotiations and discussions about the purchase agreement.
What has stuck with you most about the whole process?
The intensity and duration of the process and the stress we experienced. We did experience the conversations and consultations as very pleasant and learned a lot during this period!
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Recent projects
Acquisition funding for Xpertise
Sale of The Children's Sofa
