NOM has taken a stake in Ebotex from Siddeburen. Founder and owner Erik Boon is cashing in on part of his shares without completely relinquishing his company. Together they are preparing Ebotex for a sustainable future. "This construction is ideal for me.
For many entrepreneurs there comes a time when they ask themselves: what will happen to my company if I am forced to say goodbye later, whether or not by necessity? For Erik Boon, founder and owner of Ebotex in Siddeburen, that moment came about four years ago. At 55, physical discomfort caused him to seriously consider the continuity of Ebotex and a possible transfer.
What he knew for sure: the company had to continue to exist independently and not be swallowed up by a strategic party. 'I didn't want to just sell it to the highest bidder,' Erik clarifies. 'This company is kind of my baby. I built it from scratch. Most of the employees have been here for years, some even more than twenty years. For them as well as for the region, I want the company to continue in the best possible way and remain anchored here.'
Loyalty
One of those loyal employees is Dennis Stegmeijer, the current operations manager. 'Dennis has been my right-hand man for years,' says Erik. 'He always puts in a hundred percent effort. Whether in the middle of the night or on the weekend, if a customer has an urgent problem, I can count blindly on Dennis. That loyalty deserves a reward. He will become co-owner, also because he himself had expressed his desire to invest in the company.'
Ebotex designs, produces and supplies lifting equipment, load securing systems and related solutions for sectors such as logistics, construction, industry and transport. These include lifting straps and round slings, made from strong synthetic materials, for lifting and moving heavy loads safely and efficiently. Or products, such as tensioning straps and chain systems, to secure loads firmly and safely during transport.
What began as a small company in 2001 has grown into a leading player in the lifting equipment market. 'To meet specific needs of clients, we supply our products in various shapes and sizes,' Erik says. 'It is mostly pure customization, in both small runs and large series. On top of that: we deliver very quickly. Our strength lies precisely in that combination of specialist knowledge, speed and a diversity of products. That craftsmanship must be maintained and preferably expanded.'
Exploring possibilities
To make a successful transfer possible in the long term, Erik preferred to have a party alongside him. A party that helps Ebotex continue to grow and makes the company future-proof. In that search, Erik and Dennis eventually came into contact with the NOM. There was an immediate click with Investment Managers Ruud van Dijk and Alexander Draaijer. 'We agreed in September 2024 to explore the possibilities of a pre-exit together,' Alexander explains. 'In a pre-exit, the owner cashes in part of his shares, while at the same time we prepare the company for an eventual full sale in the future.'
After extensive due diligence and a thorough screening of relevant business aspects, the parties reached an agreement last March. The process went remarkably smoothly. 'It rarely went as smoothly as with Erik,' Alexander reflects. 'He has everything in place perfectly, delivers things very quickly and communicates clearly and transparently.'
The transaction has now been completed: Erik cashed in part of his shares and NOM has taken a substantial stake in the company. In line with Erik's wishes, operations manager Dennis also acquired an equity stake. As part of the transaction, a new purchasing holding company was established, a so-called NewCo, in which ING also co-finances.
Major employer
Ebotex fits well into NOM's investment strategy, Alexander says. 'It is a healthy company with a market position that you don't achieve overnight. Erik and his people have built up years of specialized knowledge in a niche market. There are hardly any companies performing similar activities in the Netherlands. In addition, Ebotex is an important employer that we would like to keep for the region.' Erik is also enthusiastic. 'This construction is ideal for me. It ensures that I can remain closely involved in the future development of the company, but without the pressure that everything rests on my shoulders.'
Suitable successor
NOM, Erik and Dennis are currently working to further shape the future of Ebotex. 'We are continuing the existing course and NOM is supporting us in this,' Erik underlines. 'We will continue to focus on our core activities, but we are also looking at parts of the business operations that we can improve. I am very satisfied with the cooperation so far. We have made quite a bit of progress in a short period of time. Slowly but surely, other employees are taking work off my hands, especially in the areas of HR and financial administration. They get all the space they need from me to build that up in a good and thoughtful way. We deliberately take our time for every change.
An important step is finding a suitable successor for Erik. 'We are going to look with him for a right candidate who can lead the company in the long run,' Alexander says. 'In addition, we are also looking for a commercial employee who can gradually take over Erik's duties. In this way, step by step we are making Ebotex less dependent on one person.'
NOM acts as a sparring partner in this process, keeping the company focused and contributing its expertise and network. Alexander: 'Our joint goal is clear: to continue to grow Ebotex and raise it to a higher level, so that the company becomes even more attractive to its next owner.'
Accelerating growth with venture capital
Besides funding for startups and scale-ups, NOM offers equity funding for transitions within mature and innovative SMEs in the Northern Netherlands, taking minority stakes (25% and 49%) up to € 2.5 M. We invest in companies with an experienced and entrepreneurial management team, a profitable history and a healthy future perspective and realistic growth plans (3-5 years) with a clear exit perspective. The companies must also be innovative and/or distinctive and demonstrably add something to a more sustainable, smarter and healthier Northern Netherlands.