' International Collaboration of Marktlink Offices Pays Off – on Both Sides of the Channel'

From one man in a leased van on the road to a nationally strong player with over 40 colleagues. Sometimes, it just happens that way. Rodny Bosma, founder of Flame Control Fire Protection in Harderwijk, can relate. Through a process with takeover agency Marktlink, his paths crossed with those of British security giant PTSG, which was itself seeking a location on the European mainland.

Rodny was only 16 when he joined a fire protection van as an assistant at the company where his father worked. He loved it and told his parents that he wanted to quit school: “I want to hit the road!” His parents thought it was a slightly less good idea. But after Rodny obtained his driver’s license at the age of 18, there was no stopping him. At his former employer, he became one of the top-selling security technicians.

Smart Networking for the Best Deal

With several years of experience, Rodny started his own business in 2013 from his garage: Flame Control. He leased a van and hit the road. Now, he has more than 40 employees and the full-service fire protection company is ready for the next step. As an entrepreneur, he was looking for the best path and sought a sounding board. In the summer of 2022, he got in touch with Marktlink's Marco van der Meer. Marco: "After the first contact, Rodny shared his strong growth ambitions with us. He had also been approached several times by potential buyers. That got him thinking. We convinced Rodny that a broader market orientation would offer him more choices and that our international office network might provide him with a large number of interesting options. This has also proven to be the case."

Crossing the Channel

There was a lot of international interest, more than ten companies made bids for Flame Control. In the end, Marktlink Manchester came up with the 'winning' connection. Fredrik Jonker of Marktlink: "There was an immediate good fit with PTSG, both companies have a strong desire for growth and a high level of pragmatism. This English corporate group is very successful in its home market and has done many acquisitions in its own country in recent years. The company not only deals with fire protection but also other specialized safety services in construction and facility management. In the United Kingdom, PTSG, with 2,400 employees spread across 47 locations in England, Scotland, and Wales, and hundreds of millions in revenue per year, is a leading player. The company also wants to establish a foothold on the Dutch side of the Channel and, with the partnership with Flame Control, creates a basis for further growth, including through acquisitions."

Both companies cut from the same cloth

Rodny sold part of his company to PTSG; he remains operational himself and retains daily control over Flame Control. Rodny: "I have a lot of confidence in making big growth steps for both companies with PTSG. That was the main reason, in addition to the deal terms, to choose PTSG. It is a very decisive party; in that sense, we are cut from the same cloth and fit well together. We are open to further strengthening our position in the Netherlands through new acquisitions."