GHENT, 16 January 2024 – PIA Group has lofty ambitions for 2024 and kicks off the new year with another significant takeover. D&D Consulting, a twenty-strong, enterprising agency from Sint-Truiden, is the 35th strong brand to join Belgium’s fastest-growing accountancy and advisory group. D&D Consulting founder Geert Dewalheyns is looking forward to continuing the agency’s growth with the support of PIA Group. “Going forward on our own was no longer an option.”
A takeover with respect for the approach and individual character of D&D Consulting
The consolidation wave in the accountancy sector is not dying down. On the contrary, with all the impending evolutions and changes that will require substantial efforts and investments from accountancy firms, the wave continues to gain momentum. In that hyperactive market, PIA Group sets itself apart by taking over accountancy firms with respect for their approach and individual character. The agencies retain their own name and work methods and the entrepreneurship of the partners is not curbed in any way. More even, their entrepreneurship is bolstered by the support services of PIA Group in the areas of HR, Finance, Operations, Advisory and Sales & Marketing. They enable the branch’s team to place maximum focus on top-quality customer service and the continued growth of their business.
PIA Group: added value for customers and employees
It is this proposition that convinced Geert Dewalheyns of D&D Consulting to open negotiations with PIA Group. “Geert approached us, actually”, says PIA Group founder and chairman Steven Brouckaert. “He realised that going it alone in this fast-transforming market was no longer an option. But he also had no desire to become the umpteenth branch of a mono-brand. Agencies that join our collaboration model remain a strong brand in their own right. That is not just important to the owner. The customers also enjoy the fact that the branch keeps its identity yet becomes stronger thanks to the support of PIA Group. As for the employees of D&D Consulting, joining PIA Group brings fresh development opportunities on a personal level so they are pleased as well.”
D&D: a wonderful organic growth story
The story of D&D Consulting begins in 1994 when accountant Geert Dewalheyns starts working as a self-employed subcontractor for a colleague based out of Tongeren. After three years he felt the time was right to strike out on his own. Together with three partners he opened a new accounting agency in Leuven but it didn’t take them all that long for Geert and his colleagues to move back to Limburg. “The market in Leuven was saturated at the time. We looked around and found that in terms of potential the Sint-Truiden region was most compatible with our ambitions”, Geert explains.
That was the start of a wonderful growth story for D&D Consulting, with Geert as its ambitious leader and driving force. A varied clientele ranging from small one-man businesses to sizeable SMEs from all sectors found in D&D Consulting an accountancy partner that thinks along proactively in a variety of areas such as tax matters and asset accumulation. As D&D Consulting grew, the main focus increasingly shifted towards medical and paramedical professionals, consultancy firms and liberal professions.
The right support
Today Geert Dewalheyns is the only remaining partner of D&D Consulting. Thanks to the continued organic growth and the takeover of Hasselt-based accountancy firm Thys & Partners in 2019, the office now consists of 20 employees. “And that was the limit for continuing without support”, Geert adds. “I had two options: I could take on a partner but based on previous experience that didn’t really appeal to me. I was more interested in a larger group that could provide the right support. I was also willing to look beyond my own interests. It’s important to offer both our clients and employees a genuine long-term perspective. And then a friend called my attention to PIA Group.”
Smooth negotiations
A simple handshake concluded the talks with PIA Group in record time. Geert Dewalheyns: “From my end the negotiations were actually really simple. I had a best-case scenario in my head and during the initial meeting it was already on the table. PIA Group’s proposal showed genuine respect for our structure and approach. At the same time it was also clear from the outset that PIA Group is an organisation you can rely on to help tackle the challenges we are facing. Exactly what I hoped for, in other words. After so many years of working on my own I’m looking forward to having a sounding board. We have a strong management team of our own but we could never realise the professional structure and possibilities PIA Group brings to the table.
A PIA branch within driving distance for every Flemish entrepreneur
Like the other owners from agencies PIA Group has acquired, Geert Dewalheyns will join the partnership of PIA Group Belgium so he will also reap the rewards of his entrepreneurship at a group level. Nathalie Calle, CEO of PIA Group Belgium, is looking forward to working with Geert and the team at D&D. “As PIA Group we are always on the lookout for other agencies with an enterprising spirit. D&D Consulting definitely fits the bill, as is obvious from its considerable organic growth in recent years. We want to help them write the next chapter of their success story under the umbrella of PIA Group.”
Nathalie is also pleased with PIA Group’s geographic distribution. “With D&D Consulting we now have 3 offices in Limburg, with a total of 6 branches. As a result we now boast an even geographic distribution in all Flemish provinces. Every Flemish entrepreneur now has a PIA branch within driving distance, a major asset for our continued organic growth.”
More takeovers on the radar
Benjamin Biesmans, Senior Investment Manager at Baltisse, the family office of PIA Group investor Filip Balcaen, is also pleased with PIA Group’s first takeover of 2024. “And there are plenty more to follow. Baltisse joined PIA Group because we believed 200% in the unique combination of local strengths and scale-up. From the growing number of discussions we observe that more and more accountancy firms are receptive to the added value of this approach. As a result, we have a very optimistic outlook on 2024.”
About PIA Group
In a market of scale-ups PIA Group aims to develop into a leading player in accountancy and advisory services while preserving the personal connection between employee and customer. That is why our growth is based on a continuously expanding network of enterprising partners. Thanks to the mutual interaction between these partners and our teams of experts, entrepreneurs benefit from an individual up-to-date service in every PIA branch, as well as know-how that makes a genuine contribution to their professional success and personal happiness. Steven Brouckaert founded PIA Group in Belgium in 2012. The group is active in the Benelux and boasts more than 60 branches and 1,200 employees.
For more details on this press release feel free to contact Stefan Knecht, stefan.k@pia.be,
+32 495 546082
www.pia.be
