Wim en Marrit Smits

Wim: "My father founded Jollein in 1973. Thanks to his efforts, the company grew over the years into an internationally renowned label for baby textiles and tableware. I became involved in the family business in the early nineties, where I also met my future wife, Marrit. Eventually, Marrit and I took over the family business in 2000. The company had been steadily growing for years, but particularly after 2010, it accelerated."

Marrit: "We saw and continue to see tremendous growth potential for Jollein. In 2018, there was a drive towards professionalization, with the appointment of Erwin Hammer as a director and the recruitment of various new employees in key positions. At the same time, Wim and I increasingly felt like we had become mere managers, with the essence of entrepreneurship starting to slip away. One day, we asked ourselves: does this still align with who we are? We didn't want to become strangers in our own company."

Wim: "As a market leader, you are often under the spotlight, including among your competitors and strategic partners. In the past, we had been approached by parties interested in acquisition, but we had always declined. Now, we felt it was the right time to put Jollein on the market. Through a referral, we ended up engaging Rembrandt M&A for this purpose. From the very first meeting with acquisition advisor John Hoekman, it felt right; John combines knowledge, experience, and decisiveness with a remarkable calmness."

Marrit: "As entrepreneurs, we sometimes have the tendency to rush things, but John advised us to perhaps wait a bit before entering the market. Together with Erwin, we were already working on improving management, processes, and systems to prepare Jollein for the next growth phase.

John suggested that if we took a bit more time to further prepare our company for sale, it would be beneficial for the valuation and thus for the end result. This exemplifies Rembrandt's approach: after thorough analysis, they make well-considered decisions and do not opt for quick success. Moreover, the entire team at Rembrandt was extremely competent."

Wim: "Once we actively entered the market, there was immediate interest—more so than both Rembrandt and ourselves had anticipated. Among these were many intriguing parties, but it was particularly with Mentha Capital that we felt an immediate connection. They, like us, embody a grounded and pragmatic approach, with a deep understanding of the retail landscape. Their incisive inquiries indicated a thorough grasp of the dynamics within our market."

Marrit: "You can imagine that for our employees, it was quite a transition when we decided to sell the company; in their eyes, we were Jollein. It is all the more gratifying to see that Mentha is now successfully continuing our vision and strategy; with respect for the past and from a firm ambition to further grow Jollein."

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