BrazilMarktlink picks Hamburg for second office in Germany
M&A consultancy Marktlink has established its second office in Germany, with Hamburg becoming the firm’s 10th office across Europe.
After operating mainly in the Netherlands for some twenty years, in 2019 Marktlink kicked off its international expansion with a presence in Belgium. In 2020, a new office was launched in Düsseldorf.
With the aim of ultimately having six offices across Germany, a market Marktlink considers key for its ambitions to become a powerhouse in Western Europe’s mid-market mergers & acquisitions scene, the firm has now opened for business in Hamburg.
“Hamburg was not chosen by chance. We see it as a key location to serve the entire German mittelstand,” said Fredrik Jonker, partner at Marktlink.
“The city is the economic center of northern Germany and has a strong foundation of small and medium-sized businesses, who have a need for consultancy services. In addition, Hamburg is geographically a nice bridge to our activities in Scandinavia,” he added, referring to the firm’s office in nearby Copenhagen.
The new office is led by Henning Kürbis, who brings 25 years of experience in the M&A landscape to the Dutch dealmaker. He crosses from German professional services group Rödl & Partner, where he was an associate partner in its M&A practice.
Record-breaking year
The new office in Hamburg follows Marktlink’s most successful year to date, with a record 150 transactions and a new high of 185 employees. As a long-term target, the consulting firm hopes to reach the milestone of 250 employees.
“In Germany, Hamburg is just the beginning. We are currently investigating other German cities where SME entrepreneurs are underrepresented in the acquisition market,” said Jonker.
Meanwhile, the firm is also planning to increase its footprint in the UK market, said Jonny Parkinson, managing partner of the UK arm. “The business has had a record year and we’re determined to replicate the success seen in the Netherlands and Germany here in the UK. Our aim is to have one additional UK office operating in the second half of the year with others to follow.”
In home base the Netherlands, Marktlink currently has five offices: Amsterdam, Deventer, Drachten, Gouda and Den Bosch – with Rotterdam to be added to this list in 2023.
“From an economic perspective, Europe is a single market. It is now more important than ever to have an M&A advisor with eyes and ears on the ground as well as a large international network to identify activity in other markets. At the same time, of course, we need to speak the language of local business owners in order to best serve them in this international landscape,” said Jonker.
