26 May DV3: our 4th acquisition in less than two years (May ’22)

In recent years, DADDY KATE acquired no fewer than four printing companies. One in Belgium. Three in France. Who were they? What did they do? But above all, who are they today …and tomorrow? Today the fourth and final ‘BEFORE & AFTER’: DV3 (April 2021).

BEFORE

At DV3, mainly high-end printed matter rolled off the presses with numerous clients in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors. The letters D and V stand for Erik De Coster and Joris Vancoetsem, together with Tanja De Page (Erik’s wife) the owners of DV3. They founded the company together in 2001. The 3 in turn refers to three printing companies DV3 worked closely with before investing in more and bigger machines.

“The acquisition was a conscious choice,” says Erik. “In a highly competitive market, you have two choices: take over yourself to grow or be taken over. Since there was no real succession ready, we opted for the latter. DADDY KATE was no stranger to us, as Tanja still worked there in the 1990s. From the very first talks, we felt a click. For instance, we share the same vision in terms of service. I could also greatly appreciate the transparency throughout the acquisition process.”

AFTER

“We are a year on today,” Joris says. “Honestly? That was quite a spicy year. In September 2021, our branch in Overijse was closed for good. Almost all 15 employees were given the chance to work at DADDY KATE in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Some did. Others did not. Often because of distance. That was very unfortunate, but all understanding of course.”

“Admittedly, the people who took the plunge with us, including Tanja and myself, did have to get used to the new way of working,” Joris continues. “You have to know: DV3 rested on a small structure. With that, we mainly attracted companies looking for high quality and far-reaching service. Everyone knew everyone and there was a lot of room for (very)last-minute adjustments. The workflow was a bit looser and often less detailed. But it worked. Both for us and our customers. Now that we are part of the big DADDY KATE family, it goes without saying that everything is much more structured. In the beginning it was a bit of a sweat, but by now everyone has found their feet. The customers too.”

FUTURE

According to Joris, DV3 customers soon noticed that there are many more options than before: “And meanwhile, they get the same personal service as before. Win-win. That’s also why they have remained loyal to us, I think. That is reassuring and gives confidence for the future. Because now that the follow-up of those customers is going well, there is again time to go prospecting.”