ABN AMRO Participaties Acquires MPS Group BV

Wim van den Bosch, CEO MPS Systems BV. Photography by Ingmar Timmer

ARNHEM, The NetherlandsABN AMRO Participaties has reached an agreement to acquire MPS Group BV, a parent company to MPS Systems BV, a global leading provider of high-quality versatile, end-to-end narrow and mid-web printing solutions, from majority shareholder Braver Investments, Oost NL and the founders of MPS. CEO Wim van den Bosch, CFO Willem Huijink,  as well as founders Bert van den Brink and Eric Hoendervangers will remain with the business and invest alongside AAP.

Headquartered in The Netherlands, MPS is a leading provider of high-quality versatile, end-to-end narrow and mid web printing solutions. The company’s flexographic, offset and flexo-digital hybrid printing presses are used in the fast-growing label and flexible packaging industries, with end-markets such as food and beverage, household products and pharmaceuticals. ABN AMRO Participaties is the independently managed private equity business of ABN AMRO, with a focus on investments in Dutch companies and known for their long-term commitment to their investee companies. Their funds are fully and solely committed by ABN AMRO.

Wim van den Bosch, CEO of MPS, comments: “In the past few years under the ownership of Braver Investment and Oost NL, MPS has gone through a strong development from a product, a financial and an organizational point of view. MPS is now ready to enter into a new growth phase to become a top-three player in the market. MPS therefore started looking for a new strong shareholder that is able and willing to support MPS in realizing and accelerating its business plan. I am convinced that with the support of AAP we will be able to achieve our ambitious growth target the coming years.”

Friso Janmaat, managing director of ABN AMRO Participaties, explains, “MPS is an excellent example of a successful Dutch company with a highly technical great product, a strong management team and potential for growth. We’re excited about working together with the company and its management team during the years ahead to realize its growth plans.”

Marius Prins, CEO of Oost NL, comments: “We have been shareholder of MPS from the start of the company in 1996 by Eric Hoendervangers and Bert van den Brink. During the last years we have seen MPS grow up from a local start-up to a globally successful company, that provides many jobs to the region where we are active. We are convinced that MPS will become the top three player that they are aiming for.”

Gerard Brand, partner at Braver Investments, comments, “In MPS, Braver Investments acquired a great business with a world class management team. We are pleased with the way MPS has developed. Having completed our development plans for MPS we are confident MPS will continue to prosper under AAPs ownership.”