ASAP acquires German Expertum
GENK / HAMBURG, 24 September 2018 – ASAP acquires German company Expertum. It’s the first international acquisition for the HR service provider from Genk, who wants to become a European player. The takeover was prompted by a shared company culture and very similar commercial strategy. “We both aim for exceptionally satisfied employees and sustainable growth”, says CEO Ruben Peumans.
HR service provider ASAP crosses the border. Today the company is announcing the acquisition of Expertum in Germany. “Expertum is one of the top 25 German HR companies”, says Ruben Peumans (CEO ASAP). “With 43 offices (and many in-house offices) they have national coverage. It is a professional and healthy company, with about 180 employees, that will generate a 90 million euro turnover this year. In short, this valuable international addition enables us to enter the German market.”
“Warm home with familial partner”
ASAP finances the acquisition with its own means. The Genk company is acquiring the shares from private equity partner DPE (Deutsche Private Equity). The German managers are looking forward to the growth-opportunities of the combined group says Jörg Stehr (CEO at Expertum): “Founded as a greenfield investment in 2010 we have been operating under the ‘Expertum’ brand since 2013. Under the ownership of private equity partner DPE, we have grown strongly, both organically and via acquisitions, since 2010. Now that this cycle is complete, we are happy to have found a new and warm home with a familial partner with a clear, long-term vision.”
Enjoy your job = genieße deinen Job
In a single European market, ASAP wants to be present in several European countries. This acquisition is an initial step in this international expansion, explains Ruben Peumans: “We only want to grow with the right partners. That’s why we only take over companies with a similar company culture and vision. An enterprising climate prevails at Expertum, with an emphasis on personal relationships and sustainable growth. It’s crucial that we share the same principle: we firmly believe that exceptionally satisfied employees lead to exceptionally satisfied clients and temporary workers. Expertum recognises itself in our ‘Enjoy your job’ philosophy.”
Commercial potential
Expertum and ASAP don’t only share the same vision, the brand-new partners also complement each other on a commercial level. Ruben Peumans sees countless possibilities: “We are both HR service providers, with interim placement as our first loves. In the meantime, Expertum’s services have been expanded with recruitment & selection and in-house services. Our new German colleagues currently excel at recruiting skilled technical personnel for industry, chemistry, IT and aviation. This specialised knowledge is very valuable because we expect the demand for technical personnel to continue to rise in Europe. Expertum also has a broad (international) client portfolio, which offers growth opportunities in Germany and abroad. Finally, we can build bridges to employees from Eastern Europe via the German offices.”
“Nothing will change… except one thing”
ASAP guarantees the continuity of Expertum, with respect for the German company’s individuality. “The name, future plans and day-to-day operations will remain intact. We have the utmost confidence in the current managers; all of them will remain on board. Together we will strive for a 40% increase in sales in Germany by 2022. We will realise those sales via organic growth (by putting existing services into action in new sectors and by opening new offices) and, if expedient, via the right acquisitions. The only thing that will change is that our employees – both at Expertum and at ASAP – will have international growth opportunities: they can share their knowledge across borders and build an international career”, concludes Ruben with a wink.
About ASAP HR Group: ASAP is an authoritative HR Group, with more than 80 branches in Belgium. The activities range from interim placement, recruitment & selection, e-assessments (Thalento®) and career coaching to outplacement, payroll administration, socio-legal advice and HR software. ASAP approaches HR three-dimensionally: the client is the first dimension (the client is central, everything revolves around its HR needs). The other dimensions are HR services and support, and building your optimal team. Our baseline is ‘Enjoy your job’.
About Expertum: As a nationally operating HR Service provider, Expertum specializes in recruiting technical and business professionals for the German industry branches such as machine and plant engineering, electrical industries, aviation as well as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. With more than 40 offices and 30 years of experience, Expertum accompanies prestigious clients in their staffing needs with tailored HR solutions.