It has been 10 years since Ruben Scholte acquired Daxtrio, his first ever company. He engaged Marktlink partner Jeroen Oldengarm and that went so well that Ruben called on Jeroen again, five years later, in the acquisition of Mediost. This year, he took on the role of seller: Daxtrio and Mediost, two businesses under the umbrella of Scholte Medical, a full-service distributor of premium medical equipment and supplies, joined OptiGroup.

“It was a laid-back sale process and it went very well. I knew what was coming and it is great that the lines to the dealmakers were always open,” Ruben Scholte looks back on the sale of his company. “It was like that 12 years ago, when I was looking for my dream business and came knocking on Marktlink’s door. At the time, I found their entrepreneurial approach unique: no wait-and-see, but go for it, as entrepreneurs do. Marktlink is a professional player with a huge network, which increases the chances of a good match.”

Joining an international business

And again the deal team managed to meet Ruben Scholte’s request. The fact that they have known each other such a long time, is a real bonus for Jeroen Oldengarm. “It is a great compliment when a satisfied client comes back to you. Over the past years, we always stayed in touch and I always kept an eye out for suitable propositions. As Ruben himself was approached time and again, he began to seriously consider joining an international business. And so we got back to work.”

Interest from the market was huge. No surprise, Jeroen believes. “The medical market is changing and consolidating. You see large players with growth ambitions that want to acquire companies in a specific niche to offer their customers a full-service solution. And there are many more developments leading to business acquisitions. For example, consumers are increasingly finding their way to commercial healthcare providers. That movement affects market forces in healthcare as well.”

Opportunities to grow

However, Ruben Scholte will leave the medical sector behind, knowing that Optigroup wants the best for the company and its people. “That was important to him,” Jeroen knows. “It is great that Daxtrio and Mediost will keep their names and identity after the transfer and get new opportunities to grow. But for Ruben as well it is ‘once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur’ and that remains true after the sale. He will stay on to ensure a solid transfer of his company, and then there is time for new plans.”