Kerèn Presentation Systems acquired by DCC Technology

The British player DCC Technology, a leading international sales, marketing and support services group, has acquired Kerèn Presentation Systems, a Dutch specialized distributor of audiovisual presentation equipment in the Benelux. Kerèn (based in Almere) resells AV, UC and networking solutions from brands such as Philips, LG, Casio, BenQ, Canon, Panasonic, AOPEN, Neets, WyreStorm, Bose and Legrand. The collaboration between both firms is a great step forward in order to facilitate the future growth potential of Kerèn.  

Gerry O’Keeffe, Manager director of Exertis International (part of DCC), said: “This is a strategic acquisition in the Netherlands of a respected Pro AV distributor that demonstrates our commitment to becoming the leading Pro AV/UC distributor, globally, both through key acquisitions and organic growth. We are building expertise and a compelling proposition that resonates with our vendors and our customers to take advantage of a growing market which requires a distributor that can provide a complete solution across AV, UC and networking.”

Eric Bousquet, Managing Director Exertis western Europe, added: “This acquisition represents a great opportunity for both companies’ customers adding the UC and collaboration offering from Exertis to the Pro AV proposition from Kerèn. AV, UC and networking have collectively changed the dynamic in the workplace through their convergence and all three are key components of today’s modern office and remote working. Our resellers in the Netherlands will be able to offer a complete solution for both their enterprise and SME customers.”

 Marktlink has assisted Kerèn’s shareholders Gertjan Kleijer and Marten van der Weerd with the entire transaction. Jelmer Duijve, manager at Marktlink states: “Both gentlemen have led the company to solid growth over the years and decided in the interest of the company to look for a strategic partner that could further accelerate the future growth”. After multiple management meetings, the ideal partner was found in DCC. Van der Weerd states: “This is a great opportunity for the business and our employees to be part of a strong and growing company that is rapidly expanding its presence across the globe and its pedigree in the Pro Av and collaboration market. We are looking forward to working with our new colleagues at Exertis and taking advantage of the benefits that scale can bring to an organisation.” About the acquisition process he added: “The collaboration with Jelmer, Lars, Tim and Christine from Marktlink was great. Since we will be working closely with DCC post-transaction, it was a pleasant idea that Marktlink took responsibility over the negotiations and the majority of the communication between both parties.”

About DCC

DCC is a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE100 Index. With a yearly revenue of £15 Billion, more than 12.000 employees and activities throughout Europe, North America and the rest of the world, Kerèn becomes part of a true global family.

About Keren

In 2018 Kerèn reported a solid revenue of €15 Million with a workforce of 13 FTE.

About Marktlink

Marktlink Mergers & Acquisitions is a Dutch M&A mid-market boutique firm with seven offices spread across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Marktlink’s professionals assist entrepreneurs with (cross-border) mergers, acquisitions, valuating, financing, restructuring, succession issues, buy-outs (MBO) and buy-ins (MBI). Since its start in 1996, Marktlink has successfully completed hundreds of transactions, currently advising on more than 80 transactions per year. This has led to our team of professionals having extensive and broad expertise in the entire transaction process. Marktlink stands for ‘getting deals done’, proven by our track record and success rate of over 95%.

Part of the dedicated deal team for this transaction were Jelmer Duijve, Lars de Bruin and specialised M&A lawyers Christine Huisman and Tim Rikmenspoel.