Gouda, the Netherlands-based Centric, a company specialised in offering a wide range of IT solutions and services, on Monday, July 15, announced the acquisition of Centric Holding’s subsidiaries by a consortium of Dutch IT services entrepreneurs led by Imker Capital Partners.
The consortium is comprised of Adriaan Mol, the founder of Mollie and Bird, Ronald Bezuur, the founder and CEO of Uniserver, and Bram Bastiaansen, the founder of ACT Group.
Imker Capital Partners, which holds the majority stake in the consortium, is a fully self-financed investor with Dutch origins and a proven track record in the software and IT services industry.
Imker Capital Partners is a fully self-financed family office with its origins in the Netherlands.
Imker has invested in various European and Dutch companies in recent years. It has a proven track record in the field of software and IT Services with interests in Mollie, SAP Fioneer and Signpost, among others.
Harm van Goor, investment director at Imker Capital Partners says, “Centric has a solid foundation that, despite a turbulent period, offers perspective on a sustainable and independent future. Together with a number of renowned entrepreneurs from the Dutch software and IT Services sector, we bring expertise and capital to transform and strengthen Centric’s foundation with the necessary measures in the coming years, and to seize future growth opportunities.”
The transaction is subject to approval by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets. Additionally, Centric’s Works Council will be consulted as per the standard procedure.
The transaction is expected to be finalised in September.
After the sale of the subsidiaries, the remaining Centric Holding will continue to exist due to the settlement of the ongoing investigation procedure, the name will be changed.
Centric: Offers IT solutions and services
The Netherlands-headquartered Centric offers IT solutions and services, including Software Solutions, IT Outsourcing and Staffing Services.
As per the company’s claims, its professionals and effective technological solutions help organisations work more efficiently and perform better by enabling them to fully focus on their core tasks.
Centric employs more than 3,100 people and operates in eight countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Romania and Sweden.
In 2023, the company generated a turnover of €425M.
Willem Meijer, CEO of Centric says, “After a careful sales process, we have chosen Imker Capital Partners, with the consortium of Dutch entrepreneurs. With this buyer, we have found a long-term investor who meets the criteria that we as the board and with the manager of the shares have drawn up. Together with the consortium partners, Imker Capital Partners brings a great deal of knowledge and, in line with our strategy, is committed to supporting Centric for further growth.”
Gerard Sanderink and a series of controversies
In recent years, Centric has been caught up in numerous controversies majorly due to its founder, Gerard Sanderink.
One such example is Sanderink’s involvement in legal disputes with his ex-partner, Brigitte van Egten, accusing her of fraud after he began a relationship with his current wife, Rian van Rijboek.
After a series of court cases, during which Sanderink presented a document portraying his ex-partner as a fraudster and thief, he was ordered to pay Van Egten over €4.6 M in May last year, as reported by NOS.
Sanderink’s connection with Van Rijboek, who claims to be a cybersecurity expert, has also sparked controversy.
According to NU.nl, she has been accused of misrepresenting her IT expertise, and a popular podcast discredits many of her claims.
Additionally, Sanderink had conflicts with numerous employees, and Van Rijboek reportedly temporarily ousted him from the company. Although he briefly returned as CEO in 2022, he was later dismissed as chairman of Centric, had his shares expropriated, and was ordered by a court to pay 91 million euros to the company in April, as reported by NOS.
Following Sanderink’s departure, plans were made to sell the company, and he sought to be involved in those plans. However, his request was rejected by the Enterprise Chamber earlier this year.
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