Dutch billionaire family acquires Zonnekind and Vlaamse Filmpjes

Press

19/04/2022

Educational publisher Plantyn acquires Uitgeverij Averbode, safeguarding iconic children’s magazines

Antwerp-based educational publisher Plantyn, part of NPM Capital and ultimately owned by the Dutch Fentener van Vlissingen family, has acquired Uitgeverij Averbode. The historic Flemish publisher is known for magazines like Zonnekind, Zonnestraal, and Zonneland. The Norbertine monks of Averbode Abbey, who owned the struggling company, had been discreetly seeking a buyer.

Publications like Doremi, Zonnekind, Zonnestraal, Zonneland, and Vlaamse Filmpjes are household names across generations in Flanders, with a history stretching back over a century. But despite the strong brand recognition, Uitgeverij Averbode had faced ongoing financial difficulties, including a micro-restructuring in 2018 that resulted in six layoffs, including the CEO. In 2023, the publisher posted over €1 million in net losses on €16 million in revenue, burdened by significant debt.

Plantyn has now stepped in to acquire all shares for an undisclosed amount. “It’s true the publisher was in difficult waters,” acknowledges Bart Dooms, Managing Director of Plantyn. “While they had started moving towards digitalisation in their schoolbooks, their iconic children’s magazines were still paper-only, and print circulation had been declining steadily.”

Blended learning strategy

The acquisition aligns with Plantyn’s broader vision of blended learning—combining print and digital educational tools. “Giants like Microsoft and Facebook are our competitors when it comes to accessibility and user-friendliness for young learners. That’s why it’s crucial to have the backing of a strong group,” says Dooms.

Although some small digital steps will be taken, no immediate major changes are planned. “We want to proceed gradually,” explains Dooms. “During the next school year, readers won’t see significant changes yet.”

Currently, 70% of Plantyn’s materials used in classrooms are still paper-based, but homework, exercises, and videos accessed at home are mostly digital. “The COVID-19 pandemic gave a tremendous boost to digital adoption in education—today, 95% of students access a digital learning platform at least once a week,” says Dooms.

Integration plans

In time, Uitgeverij Averbode will be fully integrated into Plantyn’s operations. Whether this will result in layoffs is not yet clear. Uitgeverij Averbode, including its Walloon counterpart Erasme, currently employs 74 people. Plantyn itself employs 140 people and generates €45 million in revenue, positioning it alongside Pelckmans and Van In (part of Sanoma Learning) as a top educational publisher in Belgium.

About Plantyn

Leading Belgian provider of educational materials, digital learning platforms, and school administration solutions
Part of Infinitas Learning, owned by NPM Capital (Fentener van Vlissingen family, SHV Group)
Revenue: €45 million
140 employees

Plantyn is part of Infinitas Learning, a Dutch educational publishing group created when Bridgepoint Capital acquired Wolters Kluwer’s educational division in 2008. Infinitas now also includes Sweden’s Liber and, as of two months ago, Portugal’s LeYa Global.

The group heavily invests in the digitalisation of learning platforms. “When competing for young users’ attention, the ease of use seen in platforms from Microsoft and Facebook sets the bar. It’s crucial to have a powerful group behind you,” says Dooms.

In 2018, Infinitas Learning was acquired by Compass Partners, which sold it to NPM Capital last year. NPM Capital belongs to SHV, the Netherlands’ largest family-owned conglomerate, known for its diversified interests across energy, animal nutrition, heavy lifting (Mammoet), wholesale (Makro), and industrial inspection services (Vinçotte).

Source: De Tijd, Tom Michielsen, 19/04/2022, This is an automatically generated translation of the original article, Link to original article.