Mebu owners Dennis van Iersel en Imre Huijgen didn’t have a concrete plan to buy another company. Yet, the husband and wife’s interest was piqued straightaway when they were approached to acquire FoldTable, the market leader in festival tables. For Mebu, the market leader in manufacturing and sale of stackable and foldable furniture for rental and events, this meant expanding its field of activity to festivals.

It was FoldTable’s departing owner Jeroen America who approached Marktlink with his desire to sell his company so he could enjoy retirement. This introduction, however, did not lead to the start of the sale process, like it usually does. “We did tell him that we had found the ideal buyer for FoldTable,” explains Sem Cruiming, who, together with Vincent Pastoor and Maarten Grubben, guided the deal. “In the autumn of 2014, we successfully supported Dennis and Imre when they bought Mebu through a Management Buy-In. FoldTable would be a perfect addition. Jeroen America hired a different M&A advisor and that’s how we started the process after all.

Reliable company with a good story

For the owners of Mebu, Dennis and Imre, acquiring FoldTable was an opportunity not to be missed. “This opportunity literally just crossed their path,” Maarten Grubben says. “We gave them a call to inform them, to which they got excited and wanted to arrange an introduction. It became clear early on that both parties clicked. Mebu is a reliable company with a good story. Dennis and Imre painted a very concrete picture of their plans with FoldTable and how it would fit within Mebu. This gave Jeroen the confidence that his company, while retaining its name and identity, will have a bright future under the banner of Mebu.”

For both companies, that bright future seemed further away than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The hospitality industry took quite a beating during this period, which affected all companies involved”, says Sem. “However, Mebu and FoldTable have grown substantially since then. At a time when banks were not exactly itching to invest in entrepreneurship, it was remarkable to see how much interest banks had in the acquisition financing of this deal. A compliment for good entrepreneurship and an ambitious vision for the future. Dennis and Imre have their affairs in order. This is great for Jeroen; it makes it easier for him to transfer his company with confidence.”

Plenty of synergy benefits to be gained

FoldTable’s production process will be integrated within Mebu, but the name ‘FoldTable’ will remain, because it is a household name in the market. Mebu owners Dennis van Iersel en Imre Huijgen look to the future with confidence. “FoldTable’s product is a great addition to our product range. There are plenty of synergy benefits to be gained from selling these products because of the overlap of both our target groups. This opportunity worked out well for both parties, pretty much from the first meeting, we were convinced of this.”