Time and again Vandelanotte helps Pro@Work prepare for the future

Professional succession planning advice

“My father was tireless and invariably took on a considerable amount of personal responsibility. He had a particular affinity with central accounting and other financial and tax matters. In 2005, however, he received bad news. He was suffering from an incurable disease that, 9 months later, was to cost him his life. Responsibility for the entire group now suddenly rested on my shoulders. However, I knew my limits and was keen to hire an accountant to assist us with certain financial and fiscal activities. My father consulted his bankers and a number of personal contacts, and Vandelanotte emerged as one of the options. From the very first moment that we met Nikolas Vandelanotte, we knew we were in safe hands. Iris De Groote was assigned as our contact person, and has remained so to this day. Our accounting is still performed internally by our 3 bookkeepers, who also take care of VAT returns and analysis. Vandelanotte manages the closure of the financial year, our annual accounts and interim balance sheets (as and when required), and also provides us ​​with professional audit services. We can additionally draw on their unrivalled expertise for VAT and social security inspections. Conducting this type of work in-house requires a significant amount of time and diligence, and their specialist knowledge allows us to sleep easy at night. When it comes to staffing, we occasionally seek counsel from Vandelanotte’s highly-skilled HR team, who were of demonstrable added value when redesigning the organisational charts in one of our businesses.

A sensitive and consultative approach to acquisitions

“When we acquired full ownership of the Ypres business last year, Vandelanotte genuinely guided the entire process from start to finish; from the initial exploratory talks to further negotiations and pricing. Although not easy, it is essential that acquisitions are conducted in a sensitive and objective manner. Vandelanotte additionally clarified the necessary legalities with the transferring party’s specialists.

And, I am particularly grateful for their highly consultative approach. They listened to us in the same way that I Iisten to my customers, during each and every step of the negotiations. You can only excel in our sector by continually gauging the requirements and challenges of your customers and subsequently advising them on the most suitable solutions.

Like Vandelanotte, it is essential that we stay up to date on the latest products and tools, and their applications. This enables us to optimise customer processes and simultaneously increase their returns. Sound advice is therefore crucial.”

Financial expertise, in plain language

“The advice that we receive from Vandelanotte is flawless and professional, and we never get the feeling that they scorn our lack of financial and fiscal expertise. Sometimes industry jargon and specialist segment knowledge is a must, and it is best to leave this to the experts. I have learned that you have to let things go occasionally and trust in the professionals. But, I equally believe in the importance of receiving plain, straightforward advice. In the past, my father prepared the balance sheets and the partners simply signed off on them. Clarification was rarely given. However, I consider it essential that the corresponding analysis is explained to both myself and the group’s other key stakeholders in simple terms. That way, we dare to pose questions and everyone understands what the figures actually mean. You have to be true to yourself, embrace your strengths and weaknesses, and meanwhile surround yourself with people who can absorb those weaknesses.”

 Pro@Work-charter 

“Our collaboration with Vandelanotte started with the handover of one generation to the next. And, we are once again looking to the future. Indeed, we are currently receiving guidance on the preparation of the Pro@Work Charter for our 3 business operations in West Flanders. I have personally witnessed how much easier it is to build on strong foundations. We have consequently been performing a significant amount of preparation for the next generation. My sister and I each have 2 children. I would not want the businesses to encounter difficulties should something happen to one of us. Whilst it is impossible to impart every last detail, recording the basics on paper provides considerable reassurance. Continuity is also a key factor in our relationship with Vandelanotte. My contact person knows me inside out and the trust that this engenders can only be derived from a long-term relationship. Our company values are: responsibility, respect, integrity, sustainability and simplicity. The very same values we see reflected at Vandelanotte,” concludes Kristien Vancanneyt.