“Aspiring to an acquisition is one thing, but to make it happen you really need a step-by-step plan”
Sebastian Louwaege (32) knew from an early age that he would run his own company one day. And indeed, for the past 6 months he has been the owner of Air Filters De Kind. “The Entrepreneurial Buyout Academy took away my fear. It still involved jumping in the deep end, but once I saw the steps to take, it became feasible.”
About Sebastian Louwaege
- Background in consultancy.
- Worked for property manager Gerantis, where he became CEO of Dobby (real estate management software) in 2022.
- Since July 2024, he has been co-director of Air Filters De Kind in Stekene: a specialist in air filters and maintenance for industrial spray booths.
Why choose the Entrepreneurial Buyout Academy?
“I come from an entrepreneurial family. Deep inside, I always dreamed of running a company myself. I set up a small wine company in my twenties, but a startup didn’t really suit me. I eventually ended up at a consultancy company, where I worked on investment cases and helped to supervise various deals. Although it was very interesting, I found after a few years that I’d lost my spark. I was ready for a new step. The programme came along at just the right time. It gave me an incentive to take active steps in my own entrepreneurial story. While I was doing the course, I started work at Gerantis, for example, where I was able to build on the growth story of this property management company alongside experienced investors and entrepreneurs.”
What are the main insights you gained from the training programme? How do they help you tackle the challenges you faced?
“For me, it was really about making the entire acquisition process concrete. What should you pay attention to when looking for a company? What are the most important steps when you’ve found a good match? The tools we were given, such as the LBO model or the due diligence slides, are still in my iCloud. I also used them on a regular basis during my job at Gerantis, to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.”
“In my personal search, the Entrepreneurial Buyout Academy forced me to reflect. Until then, I had been applying very wide search criteria. The programme really put my goal into focus. I didn’t want a project-related company, but a business with a fixed customer base. I also didn’t want a company with very technical or flashy activities, but with a tangible, clear product in a niche market.
The financial aspect also started to take shape. I had known for some time that I wanted to run a company with a certain market position, but that I didn’t want to involve external investors. The Buyout Academy provided me with safe strategies to make that financially possible.”
How have you gone about implementing these insights?
“First of all, I started looking for a partner within my network. Not just someone I got on with, but above all someone who complemented me, so that we could be even stronger as a team. Then we started looking for a company. This kind of search still involves your gut feeling, and you also need a fair amount of luck. Anyway, things progressed. I knew what I wanted. This allowed me to target my search and also to clearly state my wishes to the business brokers I was in contact with.
Last year, Aquis put us in touch with Air Filters De Kind in Stekene. Not only was this an SME with a very tangible activity, it was also the market leader in its niche sector. My partner and I stepped outside and said to each other: this is it. Shortly afterwards, we agreed on a price and drew up a Letter of Intent.”
What impact did these actions have on your company and career?
“I left Gerantis and dedicated myself entirely to Air Filters De Kind. We got off to a good start. We are in the process of getting to know the customers and the team and setting up a good system to monitor the figures. I’m really enjoying it. Even though I have experience of this kind of thing, it’s still different when you’re at the helm yourself. My slogan? Every day a better company. Every day, I try to do something to help the company move forward. A clean warehouse, digitising the accounting system, you name it.
Perhaps I would have taken over a company anyway, but without the Entrepreneurial Buyout Academy it certainly wouldn’t have happened the way it did. The programme offered tools, a network and an action plan, but first and foremost it gave me courage. Before, a takeover always seemed like something elusive, something in the distant future. But once I saw the steps clearly, it also became achievable. People around me sometimes said I was crazy, but I knew this was what I wanted to do.”