Bolster acquires a majority stake in Kwabo
Bolster Investment Partners has acquired a majority stake in Kwabo. Kwabo is the European market leader in the production and sale of high-quality floor protection materials. The family firm from Volendam offers its customers a unique combination of high-quality products at competitive prices. Bolster will support Kwabo in achieving the company’s ambitions for growth and further professionalization.
Kwabo was founded by Jack Kwakman in 1991 and was initially a technical wholesaler. Increasing demand for floor protection materials led the company to focus increasingly on the manufacture and sale of such products. Over the past decade, the product portfolio has expanded further to include non-woven fleeces and self-adhesive floorcovering materials. The floor protection materials are manufactured in Kwabo’s own production facilities in Long An (Vietnam) and Volendam (the Netherlands). These high-quality products are sold in particular to purchasing organizations for professional dealers in the Benelux and the DACH region. In addition, Kwabo has a store in Volendam selling finishing materials for plasterers. The production of plaster cornices also takes place in this store.
Kwabo’s products are primarily made using recycled materials. For example, the non-woven fleece is produced on the basis of recycled textiles from the clothing industry and the self-adhesive floorcovering materials are made using polyester fibers from recycled PET bottles. Kwabo is able to guarantee the origin, quality and delivery reliability of its products because it controls the entire value chain, from the procurement of raw materials to storage and distribution.
With Bolster as partner, Kwabo’s successful strategy will be pursued further. In the short term, the company will be expanding its production capacity to meet the growing demand. The company is additionally working on diversifying and internationalizing its client base.
Jack Kwakman, Kwabo’s director and majority shareholder: “Kwabo is an important part of our life, as a family firm that we started up ourselves. This made the search for the right partner a challenging task. We’re pleased to have found such a partner in Bolster. Just like us, Bolster has a long-term horizon. I believe that together, we’ll be able to grow faster and more intensively. Together, we’ll expand the organization further, while preserving Kwabo’s current corporate philosophy.”
Mark van Rijn, Managing Partner at Bolster Investment Partners: “Kwabo is a perfect example of a family firm that really fires our enthusiasm. Through its focus, perseverance and outstanding entrepreneurship, the family has developed a unique and enduring position in a growing niche. The family’s emphasis on sustainability, doing the right thing and ensuring that others do the same across the whole value chain, is very attractive to us. The harmonious collaboration of the last few months also gives us added enthusiasm to continue working together!”
For more information, please contact:
Kwabo
Jack Kwakman: +31 29 936 1001
Bolster Investment Partners
Mark van Rijn: +31 20 226 3088
About Kwabo
Kwabo specializes in the manufacture of covering materials to protect floors during renovation and construction work. With its own production facilities in Volendam and Vietnam, Kwabo produces high-quality and reliable floorcovering fleeces at very competitive prices. The non-woven fleeces are manufactured using textile waste from the Vietnamese clothing industry, while the self-adhesive floorcovering fleece ‘Topcoat’ is made from recycled PET bottles. Kwabo also imports and processes high-quality floor protection board from Sweden and Finland. In addition to the production facilities, the company has a showroom and its own store in Volendam, focusing on plasterers and painters, for example. Kwabo employs a total of 117 FTEs.
About Bolster Investment Partners
Bolster Investment Partners is a long-term investor specialized in collaborations with entrepreneur-led and family-owned businesses. These partnerships are based on both minority and majority stakes. Bolster invests in exceptional Dutch companies with a clear focus and a proven business model. Bolster supports entrepreneurs in realizing their company’s full potential, by making a difference as equal partners. Since 1982, Bolster has successfully collaborated as an investment company with more than 100 enterprises.