Belgium/Business Transfer Week: the sale of Glacetronome in Namur illustrates this point
Wallonie Entreprendre organizes the 10th edition of Transmission Week. Passing on or taking over a business is a major challenge, and Baudouin Lénelle is not one to deny it. This former journalist turned artisanal ice-cream maker. Today, he is selling his Namur-based business to one of his colleagues.
In 2019 Baudouin Lénelle launches the Glacetronome in Namur, next to the Enjambée, along the Meuse. Today, having passed the 60-year mark and with other projects in mind, he is handing over to Remi Gossiaux, a 24-year-old associate who joined as an intern at the start of the adventure.
"It's a small business now, and it works. In addition to me, there are three full-time equivalents. And during the season, the team is reinforced by several people and around fifteen students. I have every confidence in Rémi and the team that will remain in place to keep the project going. It's not the end of the story, but it's a company's destiny to be sold at some point and passed on to people who will keep it going in the future. people who will bring it to life in a different era, with a different energy, and who will take it where they think it should go."
Transferring a company: a process that can't be improvised
The future boss had to convince the banks and surround himself with the right people, because handing over a company is not something you can improvise. The operation was overseen by Michael Wuytens, an expert with GAM TRANSMISSION: "Some companies are well prepared for the transfer and are already well-equipped in terms of IT and processes. You also have to manage the dependence on the owner, who is sometimes a bit of a one-man band and the person who can't be ignored. So we're there to support them, to help them structure themselves properly, to have a clear organizational chart. Then it's our job, together with the buyer, to organize a smooth transition, which is what we're going to do here, since Baudouin will be able to accompany Rémi for quite a while and provide him with both know-how and the little tricks and tips of the trade when it comes to running a business."
Generally speaking, a business transfer is prepared more than a year in advance. The buyer often takes out a short-term loan of between 5 and 7 years. For the project to be viable, it must be able to support the loan while generating sufficient income to pay salaries.
Source: www.rtbf.be/
