EYE FOR HANDS-ON INVESTMENTS

INVESTORS WITH AN

ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH

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i4hi - the entrepreneurial investor since 2006

i4hi differentiates itself from other investors by being an entrepreneurial partner with its portfolio companies and their management teams. We intensively support the company in defining and achieving the financial and operational improvement objectives, typically through participation in the executive board or management team. Through this approach we provide new strategic and operational means of improving the business.

This co-entrepreneurial approach is particularly suitable for carve-out situations (for example, a spin-off business unit from a large company), ownership or management succession, management buy-out/buy-in situations, or implementations of significant change programmes in order to achieve growth and/or bottom-line improvements.

 

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Hands-on-approach

The i4hi approach focuses on analysing and realising the improvement potential in its portfolio companies. Together with the existing talent in the company, strategies are developed and implemented. The skills and experience of the i4hi team complements the existing sector and technical expertise in order to take the company to the next level. i4hi support, in particular during the first phase of participation, is mostly structured through management participation of one of the i4hi partners. Through this intensive cooperation, i4hi can experience the strengths and dynamics of the company and, consequently, can generate fresh perspectives:

*  broader view of the company’s potential within its strategic environment

* extra expertise and manpower to implement improvements at a strategic level and in routine operations

* introduction of an entrepreneurial spirit focussed on getting things done

 

Investment commitment and horizon

The i4hi partners always invest with their own capital and make their own investment decisions. In the case of larger financial commitments however, i4hi is closely allied to certain other private equity investors. i4hi does not work with fund structures and is therefore flexible with regards to its exit strategy. Co-investment by (existing) management is often part of our acquisitions.

Suitable approach for non-standard situations

Most private equity investors focus on larger investment targets and tend to avoid complex situations, as these are perceived as being too risky. However, in many situations, significant value creation can be achieved, provided that there is extra strategic, financial and commercial support, combined with organisational restructuring. It is in these situations that the i4hi approach is most effective.

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Sector

i4hi has a strong track record in manufacturing and technical businesses, such as in plastics, chemicals and lighting. Technical trading businesses are also included in i4hi’s scope.

Company type

i4hi looks for companies that have distinctive products or processes, that boast a unique position within their sector/niche.

Size

i4hi typically invests in companies with a turnover of more than €10 million per year, an EBITDA larger than €500k and 15 to 100 employees.

Geographic scope

i4hi focuses on companies whose headquarters are based in the Netherlands, preferably with international business exposure and/or opportunities.

Company situation

i4hi is not averse to complex situations. Part of its added value is to deal with complexities such as carve-outs, strategic repositioning and organisational restructuring.

Investment size

Investment opportunities with enterprise valuations of up to €10 million and required equity stakes of up to €2 million are financed by the i4hi partners themselves. In the case of higher equity stake requirements, i4hi cooperates with equity partners within its network.

Transaction

i4hi prefers majority stakes in its portfolio companies. In some cases, however, a minority stake is possible, for example as part of a two-staged succession approach, where the former ownership is phased out. In all situations, a clear mandate for the developed strategy is required.

Team

Bart Jan Keijzer

Frans Haafkens

Nick van Hussen

Thomas van het Kaar

Jip Duijn

Stijn van den Brekel

Peter-Paul Ansinger

Companies

Exits

i4Hi

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2024

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Bart Jan Keijzer

Bart Jan Keijzer studied Business Economics (HEAO) and spent several years working with Staal Bankiers merchant bank. In 1991, he joined Koninklijke Begemann Groep N.V., where he worked for eleven years as controller and finance director for a number of portfolio companies. Bart Jan led the financial turnaround and divestment of VCST (automotive), Tulip Computers, HiTec Power Protection, and Holec machinery. Since 2002, he has worked as an active, hands-on investor for Onrecruit, APOC, and Release. In 2006, Bart Jan co-founded i4hi, where he was actively involved in the acquisition of EKF, Ecoforte, Yparex, and Lightronics. He also led the divestment of EKF to Jardin Netherlands, which is a part of the Keter Group. Bart Jan focuses on transaction structuring and management, and financial strategic projects at i4hi’s portfolio companies.

Frans Haafkens

Frans Haafkens graduated from MSc Mechanical Engineering in Delft in 1988, complemented by an MBA from IMD Lausanne in 1994. After his military service with the Royal Dutch Navy, Frans led various international performance improvement programmes for Van Leer Industrial Packaging (1990-1994). In 1995, he joined McKinsey and Company in London, where he worked on various strategy studies in Telecom, Oil and Gas, and Insurance. He joined H2 Equity Partners in 1998, where he led turnarounds at Nedstaal, Nedac Sorbo, and Whitecroft Lighting. After leading a turnaround at Hartman Garden Furniture in 2003, Frans, together with his two i4hi partners, bought out Hartman’s plastics factory and repositioned it as two independent companies in injection moulding (EKF) and plastics compounding (Ecoforte). Since then, Frans has been involved in all i4hi investments, focusing on general and commercial strategy, as well as operational improvement management, either as executive or non-executive director.

Nick van Hussen

Nick van Hussen earned a Master’s degree in Business Economics at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, and started his career in 2001 at ABN AMRO Bank Mergers & Acquisitions, where he worked in Amsterdam and London. In 2005, Nick joined 5Square Investments, where he worked as a hands-on investor at Greve Shoes and co-founded the online real estate portal Pararius.nl. In 2006, Nick co-founded i4hi, where he completed the administrative and financial carve-out of Hartman’s plastics production business, followed by the carve-out and integration of Yparex (formerly part of DSM Engineering Plastics), and the acquisition, restart and divestment of Eco-Care Recycling Solutions. As i4hi’s designated financial director of EcoForte-Yparex, Nick has led various improvement projects, including the implementation of an ERP/DMS/WMS/LIMS/CRM system.

Thomas van het Kaar

Got his Master degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Delft. During his study he had his own IT company with some fellow students. After earning his degree in 2009, Thomas started working with ExxonMobil at various production locations and was responsible for daily operations and setting operational strategies. In 2014 he joined the global strategy consultant A.T. Kearney in Amsterdam, where he worked on various projects across Europe. Since 2018 Thomas is part of the i4hi team. He led the development and construction of the new production site for The Compound Company. For the latest acquisition of Transmare Compounding he performed the due diligence before starting as one of the new directors with focus on capital projects and finance.

Jip Duijn

Jip got his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Delft and started his career in 2011 with Tata Steel at various production locations across Europe in operational & strategic roles, focussing on improving output.
In 2017 Jip joined Weener Plastics as plant manager of the Tilburg production facility. Since 2019, Jip is part of the i4hi team. One of his projects has been the improvement of the bottom line results of The Compound Company in Enschede. In 2021 Jip led the Carve-out of the CMP business in Cologne from ExxonMobil as managing director, followed by a subsequent integration in The Compound Company.

Stijn van den Brekel

Stijn got his academic degree Industrial Engineering at the Tilburg University in 1997.  After travelling around the world for seven months, Stijn started his career at Keter Plastics, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of resin-based household and garden consumer products. He worked in different area’s and positions such as sales manager, plant manager, BU manager , SCM  Europe and COO Europe.  He joined i4hi in 2019. His involvement in i4hi’s portfolio companies includes the managing director position of Transmare Compounding and sales management for EcoForte.

Peter-Paul Ansinger

Peter-Paul Ansinger got his Master’s degree in Financial Management from Tias Business School and his Executive Master’s degree in Finance & Control from Erasmus University. After his studies Peter founded his own company and worked for a short stint at Newion Investments (a venture capital firm) after which he joined Shell as a trainee. At Shell he worked in manufacturing, trading and audit leading various projects in different parts of the world. Peter’s final two years at Shell were spent as a deal-maker, where he acted as finance lead on deals (>€100M) with a focus on renewable energy generation and e-mobility (incl. the acquisition of SBRS GmbH). Peter is part of the i4hi team since October 2023 and took a leading role in the acquisition of Ice-World and PlayFountain, where he will was instated as CFO.   

 

Peter-Paul has lived abroad for extended periods of time and currently lives in Rotterdam with his wife and two children. 

In early 2006, i4hi acquired the plastics factory of Hartman Outdoor Products in Enschede, The Netherlands by means of a carve-out. The factory was split into two separate businesses: large size injection moulding (EKF) and plastics compounding (EcoForte, named Resin until 2015).

During the first few years, EcoForte invested significantly in state-of-the-art infrastructure, an experienced and innovative team, and the professionalisation of its business culture. As a result, EcoForte developed into a niche supplier of environmentally-conscious products, such as halogen-free, flame-retardant compounds; polyolefin-based substitutes for PVC and bitumen; and near-to-prime, recycle-based compounds. Among its customers, EcoForte serves a number of leading global chemical companies as well as many smaller, innovative plastics converters.

Over the past few years, revenue and profitability have improved significantly. EcoForte has invested in the next phase of growth through product innovation and international expansion. A new plant in Jakarta, Indonesia, was opened in 2015. An additional plant in Enschede went live in 2019.

http://www.ecofortecompounds.com/