Acquisition of Gebo BV makes MBI biggest importer of Italian ceramic tiles

Acquisition strengthens market leadership

 

On 1 February 2022, MBI BV – from Veghel-Meijerijstad – announced its acquisition of Gebo Groothandel & Agenturen (Gebo BV). This company, which is based in Ede in Gelderland, is part of the Eurovite Group. The acquisition of Gebo’s activities fits in well with strategic developments at MBI. On the one hand, MBI sees the major synergy benefits to be achieved from the central storage and distribution of its trade products; these activities are currently being carried out at the production location in Kampen. On the other hand, MBO recognises the many expansion opportunities that exist in the market for indoor and outdoor ceramic tiles.

MBI’s acquisition of Gebo BV makes it the biggest importer of Italian ceramic tiles in the Dutch market; it’s an exceptional business model!

Marcel Bettonvil, CEO of the MBI Group: “Strategically, the acquisition of Gebo was a logical next step in our efforts to grow the group’s share of the ceramics market. This opportunity is a positive development for the market, our customers and our employees too. At various times in the past, MBI has shown its ability to adopt a successful and appropriate approach to achieve growth by expanding.”

Hendrik van de Beek, owner of Gebo BV: “In the last two years, I have been approached by a number of market parties, ranging from direct competitors to various private equity companies, all wanting to buy my company. I didn’t accept their offers, because the click wasn’t there. But MBI was different. It’s a family company, has a culture that’s very similar to our own and still strongly believes that it’s a company’s people who make the difference! I’m confident this acquisition will more than safeguard the future of my wonderful company and ensure that nothing stands in the way of significant growth.”

The transition from outdoor to indoor

Unlike some other companies, which chose to make the transition from the indoor to the outdoor market at some point, MBI always focused solely on the outdoor market in the past. It achieved market leadership and expertise via strategic partnerships with top producers, including the Italian Mirage company, on the one hand, and by launching its own innovative outdoor concept under the well-known GeoCeramica® brand name on the other hand.

This is one of the reasons why the company has seen a substantial increase in the volume of import articles in recent years, causing it to outgrow the standard concrete-products segment – and corresponding image – some time ago. MBI is now the perfect retail one-stop shop for ceramic tiles in 1-2-3-4-6 and 8 cm for outdoor and indoor applications!

Patrick van den Tillaart, Commercial Director at MBI: “Success in the market depends on the ability of companies to continually adapt and change. That’s something that MBI is really good at; it’s in our DNA. All kinds of developments are happening in the ceramic market, including acquisitions by large investment companies and new start-ups. All these market players have a predominantly internal focus, whereas we like to look outside and at our customers too. The current acquisition of Gebo BV will help us do this even better. This will help the Dutch economy too, which thanks relies heavily on successful family companies. Our strength also lies in our partnerships with strong brands throughout Europe. Achieving Success Together is our motto.”

All-round consulting partner for construction management

A major advantage that MBI has is its professional 5W project consulting organisation, which has the specialists necessary to provide both designers (architects) and clients (owners) with the advice they need to achieve a sustainable and – most importantly – beautiful end result. This consulting process has enabled MBI to gain a strong position in ceramic solutions and increase its ‘outside to inside’ sales.

These developments make Gebo BV a perfect fit for MBI. It goes without saying that Gebo BV’s wonderful range of indoor (wall and floor) tiles will also promote the cross-selling of MBI’s outdoor range. Also, construction-management consultants are involved at an early stage and are able to advise on “outdoor to indoor” solutions too.

Advantages of C2 Creation export subsidiary

C2 Creation is an MBI subsidiary that sells production licences to partners worldwide for the local production of the innovative GeoCeramica® concept. This subsidiary will be integrated into the new trading activities as well, which will create important synergy effects on the purchasing side of ceramic products. By putting this purchasing strategy in place, all the new company’s customers will be able to profit from the economies of scale the company generates.

Partnerships create synergy

As already mentioned above, this acquisition has many advantages. A great central location, located close to the A12 motorway. Two wonderful family companies are coming together to pool their strengths. Both respect people and the environment and have innovative strength that will serve them well in the future. The considerable synergy achieved will benefit customers and suppliers alike. The companies are decisive and have a wealth of options open to them.

Peter van den Maagdenberg, Managing Director at Gebo BV: “In the short time I’ve been at the helm here at Gebo BV, analysis made it clear to me that growth will not be possible to achieve without change. I presented my findings internally after I had been with the company just 28 days. The opportunities that our acquisition by MBI present us with will enable me to implement my plan effectively, constructively and faster too.”

The company will become a full member of MBI BV and start to trade under the name MBI Trading. Naturally, you can expect to hear and see much more about MBI Trading in the months and years ahead!

About MBI

MBI is the biggest producer of non-reinforced concrete products for façade and paving products. It is also a leading player in the provision of ceramics for structural applications. The Stone Masters at MBI’s four production locations are committed to improving the quality, comfort, sustainability, colour and shape of our living environment.

About Gebo BV

Gebo Groothandel & Agenturen and supplies wall and floor tiles to tile and sanitaryware specialist shops in the Netherlands. MBI Trading will acquire all of Gebo’s agencies, including the Ceramica Imola and Casalgrande Padana brands. Besides Gebo BV, the Eurovite Group consists of three other companies: the Eurovite Lijmfabriek (an adhesive factory), Gebo Badline (Outlet) and Steenberg BV (immovable property). MBI will not acquire these companies.