press release
July 03, 2023
The Wopaco group continues to expand: Mekranoti, specialized wholesaler of interior
doors and ready-to-install door sets, joins forces with Vanrobaeys and Gesibois,
supported by Sofindev
After the recent combination of the specialized wholesalers in decorative panels Vanrobaeys and Gesibois, in
December 2022, Mekranoti is now also joining the Wopaco group. Mekranoti, based in Dottignies, managed
and previously owned by Jan Florin, has become part of 'Wopaco' ('Wood Panel Company'), the parent holding
company of Vanrobaeys and Gesibois, in which Jan Florin acquires a minority interest. Jan Florin remains
responsible for the day-to-day management of Mekranoti.
Wopaco was created in September 2020 by Sofindev following its entry in the capital of Vanrobaeys, a leading
family-owned wholesaler and specialist in decorative panels. When Sofindev announced this investment in
Vanrobaeys, it was mentioned that strategic mergers and acquisitions of complementary companies would be
considered in the future, in order to further strengthen the group's offering and geographical presence. At the
end of 2022, an important step was taken through the strategic partnership between Vanrobaeys and
Gesibois. This combination created a leading Belgian wholesaler with a focus on decorative panels and other
products for the supply of timber merchant businesses, joinery and interior builders.
With Mekranoti, another leading sector player joins the Wopaco group. Combined, Vanrobaeys and Gesibois
are one of the largest and strongest national players in the market of decorative panels for wood professionals
and interior builders, with the widest range of the strongest brands. The addition of Mekranoti further expands
the group's offer with a very wide range of interior doors and ready-to-install door sets. Through this
combination, the group can respond even better to the market's demand for a reliable partner with a total
range of products and solutions for the carpenter, timber merchant, specialist door shop and interior building
company.
About Makranoti (mekranoti.be)
Mekranoti was founded in 2002 by Jan Florin and specializes in the import and trade of interior doors and ready-to-install door sets. In addition, it offers a whole range of complementary products especially for the door industry, such as various panels, door frames, slats, edging tape, door fittings, ... Mekranoti's customers are similar to those of Vanrobaeys and Gesibois: carpenters, specialist shops, construction companies, interior builders and timber merchants throughout Belgium. Mekranoti realized a turnover of almost €12 million in 2022 with a team of 11 people, led by Jan Florin.
About Gesibois (gesibois.com)
Gesibois was founded in 1951 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, located south of Brussels. In 2011, Tom & Mireille Oostendorp acquired the company and further expanded the business into a leading specialist in decorative wood panels and finishing materials. With its extensive range of brands, Gesibois delivers to its clients multiple times per week.
About Vanrobaeys (vanrobaeys.com)
The Izegem-based family business was established by the Vanrobaeys family and was acquired by Jorgen and Peter Vanrobaeys, two cousins of the third generation, over 20 years ago. Under their leadership, Vanrobaeys became an established market player and at the same time one of the fastest growing companies in the Belgian sector of timber merchants and processing of wood panels. This strong position is based on the successful combination of a high quality offering, with a strong focus on decorative wood panels, customer intimacy and a highly valued delivery reliability and speed, based on highly automated production and logistics. In recent years Vanrobaeys has put more focus on doors and invested in a contemporary showroom, showing the most recent trends in residential and technical doors, which has contributed to strong growth in this segment.
About Wopaco (wopaco.be)
Both Gesibois and Vanrobaeys have a broad range of the most valued and reputed brands of wood- and interior finishing products, with a focus on decorative wood panels. Gesibois and Vanrobaeys both offer production of panels in-house, where laminates can be glued to various types of core. The companies share the same values, being attention to service, delivery speed and reliability, and offering of added-value for customers.
The combined group of Vanrobaeys, Gesibois and Mekranoti has realized almost € 90 million in revenue with approximately 120 employees in 2022, operating from three locations, in Izegem, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and Dottignies. This makes Wopaco the biggest specialized wholesaler of decorative wood panels, doors and related products and solutions for timber merchants, carpenters and interior builders in Belgium, with the widest product range and most extended portfolio of brands.
The former shareholders of the three companies that are part of the Wopaco group, Jorgen and Peter Vanrobaeys, Tom and Mireille Oostendorp and Jan Florin are all shareholder of the group, next to Sofindev and Nathalie Lagae. Nathalie Lagae joined the group in September 2021 and, together with the management team of Vanrobaeys, she has gradually taken over the daily management of Peter and Jorgen Vanrobaeys, as CEO of the group. At Gesibois and Mekranoti, the day-to-day management of the company stays in the hands of Tom Oostendorp and Jan Florin.
The shareholders and the management of Wopaco are convinced that the partnership between the three very complementary family businesses Vanrobaeys, Gesibois and Mekranoti, supported by Sofindev, will undoubtedly open new doors!
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About Sofindev (sofindev.com)
Sofindev was founded in 1991 and is a leading independent private equity firm, specialized in buyout and growth capital for small and mid-sized companies in the Benelux region. In the past decade, Sofindev has evolved into a fully independent investment team supported by a large number of respected family offices and (international) institutional investors. These investors include entrepreneurs and owners of family businesses in which Sofindev has invested in the past. Since 2015, more than € 500 million in capital was raised to invest in Belgian and Dutch small and medium-sized business, who have realized multiple acquisitions on their own, both domestically and internationally. Currently, the Sofindev team manages the Sofindev IV fund (°2015) with committed capital of € 107 million, the Sofindev V fund launched in 2020, with total commitments of € 170 million and the € 250 million Sofindev VI fund, launched in early 2023. Sofindev takes both majority and significant minority stakes in the capital of successful SMEs in the Benelux, in partnership with the entrepreneurs and management teams of these companies, to support their further growth.
Mekranoti was advised by Vervisch Overnamebegeleiding and Wopaco was assisted by Finvision for financial and tax due diligence and Argo Law for legal matters.
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