40
Alfons van der Aa
Chief Executive, FABORY Group
Transforming a major fastener distribution business from family ownership, through two majority private equity ownerships to become
a tightly focused, profitable global player, poised for energetic growth is no mean feat. It takes extraordinary commitment from an
extraordinary individual. Phil Matten met Alfons van der Aa at FABORY’s headquarters in Tilburg, Netherlands.
Alfons van der Aa is 48 years “It was quite by coincidence I came back into
old, proudly a family man the fastener industry. I was looking around
with four young children. He and a headhunter set up a meeting with John
was born and now lives in Borstlap. From the first second there was a
Rotterdam. He studied very good relationship between us – that was
originally at Delft for a the trick, really, for everything that came
Masters in electrical after.” From the beginning Borstlap also made
engineering and was first it clear that he expected van der Aa to sell
blooded in the fastener the business out of family ownership. “I was
industry, early in his career, not only to be CEO but also to arrange the
as sales and marketing sell-off.”
director for Emhart
Teknologies, based for three Alfons van der Aa was appointed CEO of, then,
years at Birmingham, in the Borstlap Masters in Fasteners in September
UK. “From there Black and 2002. In December 2004, supported by ABN
Decker transferred me to Amro Capital he engineered a ‘classic
corporate roles,” explains van management buy out’.
der Aa, “moving me to Dubai
as general manager for all its “In the intervening two and half years I really
products, including power focused on reorganising, restructuring and
tools, with responsibility for a changing the strategy.” It is an important
market that extended from point. At that stage Borstlap, while already
India and Pakistan, through operating in 14 countries, was what van der
the CIS countries and Middle Aa describes as a ‘wholesaler plus’ servicing
East Africa.” all kinds of customers. “I changed that to a
company focusing on two branches –large
“It was a good time and a OEM customers, through a key account
lot of travelling,” he recalls.
relationship – and smaller MRO customers,
“Then we had our first child,
through the FABORY Centres.” 2002 and 2003
so we returned to the
were not good economic years for Europe but
Netherlands, where I joined
van der Aa is clear this was not the
Philips Electronics.” There,
motivation for the sale. “It was coincidence
already with strengths in
but sometimes it is possible to turn negative
sales, marketing and general
to positive. The economic climate gave me
management, van der Aa
the opportunity to convince the family to
gained crucial expertise in
release people from the business. It had never
mergers and acquisitions.
happened to that moment and it took a lot to
convince the family, even though the numbers
“Firstly I managed Philips
were not huge. It was crucial, though – a
batteries, which I successfully
strong signal that change was around the
sold to Matushita
corner.”
(Panasonic).” He was
promoted to CEO of Philips
Alfons van der Aa is emphatic that,
Luminaires – a billion Euro
throughout its 61 year history, the business
business with twenty-five
was never in a loss making situation.
factories and 10,000 people.
“However, we always knew we could do a lot
“ I wanted to buy it because
better – and we did.” When he joined the
it was in very bad shape but
business it had revenues of around the 200
they would not allow it.” So million euros. Van der Aa sold off a number of
van der Aa announced his businesses that did not fit his strategic
departure from Philips. objectives, both in the Benelux and in
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