De Vereenigde Banketbakkers, the parent company of Maison Kelder and Brokking, has acquired Maassen’s Banketbakkerij. The bakery’s Apeldoorn locations have been transferred to Bob Kaptein. Hogenhouck M&A advised De Vereenigde Banketbakkers during the transaction.
Future
It’s not as if the 49-year-old entrepreneur plans to go to Maassen just to tell them what needs to change. Or to merge the Apeldoorn-based company with the other bakeries into a single chain. On the contrary. “No, no, no way! No product from The Hague or Dordrecht will ever end up in Apeldoorn. That would strip the company of its soul. Banks are always talking about synergy benefits, as if that’s the best solution. Sure, if your goal is to line your pockets. But I’m doing this because I enjoy helping this company—which has been around for more than sixty years—move toward its hundredth anniversary.”
Entrepreneur
So, by his own account, this Utrecht resident isn’t primarily business-minded. “Of course, revenue minus expenses has to equal profit—otherwise, things won’t go well. But I find it much more valuable when my colleagues go home with big smiles on their faces. That’s what I consider profit. I know what a family business is. It’s about the atmosphere, about how you treat each other.”
Kaptein had previously worked in the banking industry, among other things, and ran his own IT company. A dramatic event marked a turning point in his career. In 2008, he was buried under an avalanche while skiing. He and his friends barely survived. “I’ve always been the type to live life to the fullest and do the things I enjoy—and that’s become even more extreme since then.” Kaptein has found that joy in the baking world. “It really makes me very happy.”
Orders
What will change for customers at the four Maassen locations? “I hope nothing. Because the product is excellent, and we shouldn’t change a thing about it.” Kaptein does want to make some behind-the-scenes improvements in terms of automation—for example, regarding orders. “That means a slightly more streamlined online store. But a cake is still a cake.”
The bakery itself must above all remain artisanal, as Kaptein also explains in a written statement. He says he is proud of the Apeldoorn-based chain and doesn’t want to “do anything crazy.” “Because if it goes wrong, I’ll be dragged out of Apeldoorn, tarred and feathered.”
