Venture capital company Antea in The Hague, and its management (Willem Jan Rote and Paul Wilde), are buying Uniekaas from Parcom Capital. In this transaction, Antea will acquire a 25% interest, and the management will have a majority shareholding. Jan van Vliet will still be involved in Uniekaas as a shareholder and ambassador. The van Vliet family was one of Uniekaas’ founders in 1956.
Since a buy-in in 2007, Rote and Wilde have managed Uniekaas.
Uniekaas has 150 employees and works in the processing, maturing, packaging, and sales of cheese products. Uniekaas expects to achieve a turnover of approximately € 100 million in 2014. Its trading results show a positive development. With its three brands (Uniekaas, Parrano, and Tjiezi), the company has a significant international presence. Approximately 50% of its turnover is generated abroad, with the United States being the primary market.
The company expects continued growth in the coming years, both in the Netherlands and abroad.
The participation in Uniekaas is the eighth participation of Antea Participaties VI.
Willem Jan Rote, Managing Director of Uniekaas: “We are delighted to have achieved this management buy-out. We know what we have bought. Paul and I have been working in the food sector all our lives. We are delighted that we have been able to buy our own company, thanks to Antea’s participation. Antea is a long-term partner that wants to work with us on the company’s continued development. With our three brands Uniekaas, Parrano, and Tjiezi, we are now firmly established with national and international retailers. In recent years, we have laid the foundations for continued growth. I am convinced that there are still plenty of growth opportunities for Uniekaas.”
Robert De Boeck, Director of Antea: “We are delighted with Uniekaas, a real asset to our portfolio. We have a soft spot for food companies and Management Buy-Outs because of their low-risk profiles. With Uniekaas, an MBO of a food company, we kill two birds with one stone. We have excellent experience with foods and, more specifically, with cheese. Previously, we had a successful participation in Grozette. One of our Informal Investors, Jan van Vliet, introduced us to Uniekaas, and we clicked with the management from the start. This helped us to close this deal and keep other investment companies out.”
Willem-Jan Merckel, Investment Manager at Parcom Capital: “After a particularly satisfactory collaboration over the past seven years, Uniekaas is now ready for its next growth phase in a new shareholders’ structure. In recent years, thanks to the efforts of Willem Jan Rote and Paul Wilde, the company has expanded its three brands and acquired secure international positions. We would like to wish Uniekaas every success in their next phase.”