Meilink is a leading service provider for exporting machine builders. A specialist in packaging, high-tech cleaning and transportation of industrial capital goods, Meilink has acquired a 100% stake in IPS Technology in Eindhoven.
This business figures out how to disassemble, package, transport and assemble high-end industrial products from a niche market. JPR Advocaten supervised the acquisition for Meilink on the legal front.
Work of the highest level
'The contact between Meilink and IPS intensified because of our joint relationship ASML. ASML plays a very special role in our industry,' said Peter Rikken, DGA of Meilink. 'They make extremely expensive and fragile machines. For that they need special packaging and cleanroom services. In that niche market, IPS Technology is a real player of significance. Their services are very complementary to what we do. Their work is really of the highest level. Through this acquisition, Meilink has now also become a major player in this market.'
A lot of money is involved in takeovers like this, Rikken continues. 'It is then especially important that you know at what point in the process you need help. I am a lawyer myself and so is my wife. She looks after the legal affairs within our business, among other things, and she suggested that I should talk to JPR.
Separating main issues from side issues
At JPR, Rikken met Sebastiaan Vos, team leader of Merges & Acquisitions, who took on this project with his team. Vos: "There should be no hick-ups in this type of process when it comes to knowledge of the file and follow-up if someone is unavailable for whatever reason. It runs smoothly, thoroughly and quickly this way. Moreover, it allows us to divide the work as a team in a cost-efficient way.'
'Jelmer Brouwer, Margreet Diemel and I guided this acquisition,' Vos retorts. 'From drafting the term sheet to the documents for completing the acquisition. Our job as advisers is to take entrepreneurs through the process and clearly explain to them what it means when certain agreements are made. In doing so, we strive for maximum clarity on their interpretation. In addition, it is important to separate the main issues from the side issues. That too is our job as lawyers. Above all, we are deal makers and not deal breakers. So we zoom in on the points that are important to our client. That requires knowing the client and listening carefully to him.'
Rikken indicates that he really should have involved JPR at an earlier stage. 'In the first part of the takeover, we arranged everything ourselves. Fortunately that all went well, but in retrospect I can say that we really should have involved JPR at an earlier stage. It is a nice touch that they are not only good professionals, but also nice people. Nice people who think with us and know how to get things done. There was clearly a click and that also makes it easier for us to ask questions when we have them. Hopefully we will soon be back at the table for the next acquisition. Then we will certainly knock on JPR's door again.
