OptiGroup today announces the takeover of key parts of the FRIS (Food, Retail, Industry, and Services) division of Paardekooper. The parent company, Koninklijke Paardekooper Group, was recently declared bankrupt in the Netherlands. The acquisition does not include the Paardekooper Horti division.
As a result, a significant number of Paardekooper employees will remain on board in the continuing operation, and the expertise and proud tradition for customer excellence of this over 100-year-old family business will be preserved. In addition, OptiGroup will acquire the activities of Paardekooper in China and Paardekooper in Ireland, as well as the well-known LCA Centre (Packaging Life Cycle Assessment Centre) in the Netherlands.
The new trading name from today will be Paardekooper Packaging, reporting to Alex de Graaf, Managing Director of OptiGroup Western Europe. This rapid restart today safeguards continuity for customers, suppliers, and employees.
OptiGroup already owns several packaging companies in the Netherlands, including TPC, Koemans, and Moonen Packaging. This addition further broadens, strengthens, and innovates OptiGroup's offering across European markets.
Lyanne Paardekooper said, "I'm glad that a large part of our operations can continue under the wings of OptiGroup. An important part of our company that has been built with love and passion for over 100 years will thereby be essentially preserved. Our employees, customers, and suppliers, who have always loyally supported us, deserve this positive outlook."
Commenting on the deal, Alex de Graaf, Managing Director Western Europe at OptiGroup, said: "We are proud that we can preserve Paardekooper's history and expertise. I am well aware that the bankruptcy has caused considerable uncertainty in the market. With this rapid restart - made possible in part by the active and positive approach of the bankruptcy trustees, and by taking over both on‑hand inventory and stock in transit - we can quickly restore the level of service customers and suppliers expect. We are also particularly pleased to offer an important part of the workforce a new future, and we warmly welcome them to OptiGroup. Finally, this step fits perfectly within our European strategy to be a strong, future‑proof player in the packaging industry, at the forefront of sustainability."
The transaction is subject to approval from the Dutch Competition Authority ACM in a merger clearance procedure that is currently pending. The ACM already provided an exemption for the takeover of key parts of the FRIS division by OptiGroup on September 15th.
For more information:
Alex de Graaf
Senior Vice President
OptiGroup Western Europe
[email protected]