De Vereenigde Banketbakkers - the parent company of Maison Kelder en Brokking - has acquired Maassen's Banketbakkerij. The Apeldoorn branches of the bakery have been transferred to bakery entrepreneur Bob Kaptein. Hogenhouck m&a assisted Vereenigde Banketbakkers during the transaction.
Securing the future
The 49-year-old entrepreneur Kaptein has no intention of telling bakery Maassen what to do differently. Or to merge the Apeldoorn company with the other bakeries into one chain. On the contrary, in fact. "No, no, no say! There will be no product from The Hague or Dordrecht in Apeldoorn. Then you take the soul out of the company. Banks are also always talking about synergy benefits, as if that is the best solution. Yes, if your goal is to get a fat wallet. But I'm doing this because I enjoy helping this company, which has existed for more than sixty years, move forward towards its hundred years," said Bob Kaptein in Dagblad De Stentor.
Entrepreneur with heart for family business
In his own words, Kaptein is not just business-minded: "Of course, revenue minus expenses has to be profit, otherwise it won't go well. But I find it much more valuable that my colleagues go home with a big smile. That is what I consider profit. I know what a family business is. It's in the atmosphere, in how you treat each other," Kaptein says.
Kaptein was previously in the banking industry, among others, and owned his own IT company. A dramatic event was a key moment in his career. In 2008, he was buried in an avalanche while skiing. He and his friends narrowly survived. "I was always of the type: live, do the things you like - that became even more extreme after that. Kaptein has found that fun in the baking world. "That really makes me very happy.
Orders via webshop
What will change for the customers of the four Maassen branches? Kaptein concludes with a clear opinion: "I hope nothing. Because the product is very good and we should not change anything about that.'' Kaptein does want to innovate behind the scenes in the area of automation. For example around orders: "Then you are talking about a somewhat tighter webshop. But a cake remains a cake.'' The bakery itself must remain primarily artisanal, Kaptein also describes in a written explanation. He says he is proud of the Apeldoorn chain and does not want to do anything crazy: "Because if it goes wrong, I will be carried out of Apeldoorn with pitch and feathers.''
