Forterro continues to build out its professional services presence in Europe with another acquisition of an abas partner. This time, it has acquired abas Business Solutions (abas BS), a significant partner that supports 220 customers using the abas solution.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. However, the deal will enable the co-founders of abas BS to step away from the company and “spend time with their families”. Pierre Baudoin (CEO) and Didier Delhaye (CFO) founded the company in 2001. How long they will remain in retirement remains to be seen. They will both assist during the transition period.
The duo founded the company in Spain and has grown it, so it now has five offices across the country. In 2013, they launched the brand in France and have again grown it to where it has four offices spread across the country. In 2020, they launched in the Netherlands, with a single office in Drenthe.
The acquisition will significantly grow Forterro’s presence in France and will bring it a direct route to market in Spain and the Netherlands for the first time.
David Coste, Regional President for Western Europe, commented, “This expansion allows us to enter the Spanish market, which is a big step for us in enhancing our presence in the Western European region.
“We are also taking a small yet significant step into the Dutch market as this acquisition gives us a gateway into the Netherlands. Additionally, the acquisition strengthens our direct footprint in France, providing local expertise to better serve our growing customer base.”
abas BS helps Forterro expand its footprint
abas BS has built a strong reputation in both Spain and France with an impressive list of customer references for a VAR. Victor Teixiné, Managing Director at MOVITEC, commented, “abas is the technological partner that we want at our side to achieve the business objectives that we have set for ourselves.”
It is a testament to the service that abas BS has delivered over the years, that it has gathered such feedback. Forterro is buying a partner with a good reputation and an experienced team. According to LinkedIn, both the Spanish and French operations have over sixty staff, while the Nederland’s unit is a much smaller team of less than ten. In total, it will bring around 130 staff to Forterro,
Baudoin commented, “I am genuinely delighted to see Forterro as the new owner of abas BS. This acquisition is a significant turning point for the company, as they embark on a new era of opportunity, growth and innovation. Exciting prospects lie ahead for the employees and customers of abas BS.”
Forterro mixes up acquisition strategy
Initially, Forterro looked to buy up ERP vendors. However, in 2022, it made a double acquisition that saw it add two abas VARs to the organisation. This is only the second acquisition this year, with the recent acquisition of Proffix Software AG adding another ERP solution to its portfolio. What is unclear is whether Forterro will use the abas BS footprint to enable it to expand its support of its other ERP solutions in each country, such as Jeeves in France.
Dean Forbes, CEO of Forterro, commented, “This strategic acquisition of our valued partner abas BS was a natural and straightforward decision, aligning perfectly with our growth objectives. We are truly excited to welcome the talented team from abas BS into Forterro. It is especially exciting to welcome a team that already possesses in-depth expertise and knowledge of one of our products. We are confident that the synergy between our teams will contribute to the continued success of our customers and the growth of Forterro.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Forterro has continued its acquisitions, perhaps more cautiously than Forbes first discussed with Enterprise Times. Forterro is growing, though, and this latest acquisition gives it a significant footprint in a new country, Spain. It now has over 40 offices, over 1,600 employees and supports 13,000 industrial businesses. Its brand presence is growing.
What has been missing recently are any announcements around any platform or centrally developed solutions that it can apply across the portfolio of solutions. Will 2024 prove another year of growth through acquisition? Or will it announce initiatives around organic growth? Also, what does the acquisition of abas BS mean for other partners? Will Forterro pick up the larger installations? How will the rest of the partner network fare?
