Ambassador of major Paulus Consulting companies: He jumped into space

In the year in which the company celebrates its 25th anniversary, Pauwels Consulting crowned itself the Trends Gazellen Ambassador for major companies in Flemish Brabant. With the acquisition of ATG Europe, the specialist in outsourcing of high skills in IT, engineering and life sciences has become active in the space sector.

Over the past thirteen years, Pauwels Consulting has consistently featured in the Trends Gazellen ranking. Since its inception in 1999, the company has seen sales, profits and employee numbers increase year after year. Pauwels Consulting is therefore the prototype of the gazelle that keeps moving forward even in the face of headwinds.

The company grew out of a student job for 21-year-old Bert Bowles. Shortly before the turn of the twentieth century, the information technology market experienced tremendous growth There is a serious shortage of computer scientists. Pauwels – although he was not an IT specialist – recruited an initial group of IT specialists and sent them to companies to implement projects. A few years later, he expanded consulting activities to include other sectors, such as engineering and life sciences.

From the beginning, “profitable growth” was Paulus's theme. He initially achieved this through organic growth, but soon also embarked on an acquisition path. From 2016 onwards, Pauwels Consulting has moved to an even greater level. This growth spurt is due in part to the entry into capital of 3D investors (80% from the Donck family, 20% from the Desimpel family). In a private equity firm in Ghent, Pauwels Consulting found not only a partner with financial capabilities, but also a strategic board.

Fifteen acquisitions followed and the company also became active internationally. First in the Netherlands, and then in other European countries. Entry into the French market was achieved through a new process. In 2020, Pauwels Consulting opened an office in Paris. In 2024, the company will have more than 2,000 employees in ten countries. For short-term expansion, the focus is on countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland. In the long term, the company also wants to move north.

More acquisitions

After seven years – a typical investment period for private equity firms – the trio of investors opted out last summer. It was replaced by the French company Indira Partners, a large investment company with a portfolio of 5 billion euros. Unlike 3D Investors, Andera Partners does not own a majority stake in Pauwels Consulting, but rather a significant minority stake.

The new money was put into operation immediately. At the beginning of this year, Pauwels Consulting announced the acquisition of ATG Europe. The space and nuclear fusion specialist is a European market leader and regularly works at the European Space Agency (ESA). ATG Europe has its own R&D department, which focuses, among other things, on developing lightweight materials for satellite and rocket frames. This technology will also eventually have commercial applications.

The integration of ATG Europe into the Group opens up many new possibilities. For example, Pauwels Consulting has access to platforms for risk-free experimentation. This represents a huge asset, especially for advanced pharmaceutical research. But there are also other applications. For example, I recently conducted tests in a weightless environment to brew the perfect coffee with the perfect foam head.

The acquisition of ATG Europe cannot be overstated, because space travel immediately becomes the second pillar of Pauwels Consulting. Life sciences remain the most important branch of space travel, engineering and information technology. It is striking that information technology, which started it all, is now closing the ranks. The global IT market had a difficult 2023, but in the meantime Pauwels Consulting notices more and more positive signs.

Choosing space travel sounds like a childhood dream, but the motivation behind this acquisition was primarily strategic: reducing risk through diversification of activities. Everything indicates that this acquisition will not stop there. Concrete acquisition files are on the table in the four areas. This should lead to at least two deals this year. The company doesn't really have transcontinental ambitions, but if an opportunity arose, for example, with an Asian component, it wouldn't be a breaking point.

Holistic approach

Pauwels Consulting is currently going through a strategic transition. In the four areas the organization seeks a different approach to customers. It wants to go beyond just providing services by proposing a comprehensive solution. Thanks to this solutions-oriented approach, Pauwels Consulting is able to address complex challenges in a more coherent way, significantly increasing the added value for the client.