Article interview – LINK Magazine
August 20, 2025
At MeeMaken, investing is not just about numbers, but above all about growth, collaboration, and development. In a recent interview with LINK Magazine, our Co-Founder and Operational Partner Natasja Sesink, and Managing Director of Selmers, Rob Schouten, explain how MeeMaken encourages entrepreneurship, promotes knowledge sharing, and makes an impact with courage and confidence, both within our group and beyond. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Read the article via the website (in Dutch) or the translated version down below.
“So private equity can (apparently) be like this too”
A remarkable story about investing to foster growth for everyone. That’s the impression we get from the conversations about MeeMaken. “They show courage, trust in people and their expertise, and then let go,” says Rob Schouten, CEO of Selmers. The company, located in Beverwijk, builds installations and even entire factories for surface treatment, validation, and smart handling of pipes, tubes, and profiles, from engineering and production to on-site assembly and commissioning.
Selmers was acquired by MeeMaken in 2012 and has experienced its fair share of turbulent times since. “The energy transition brought many investments in our sector to a complete halt,” Schouten explains. “Our business model almost entirely disappeared. The organization had to be completely reinvented, and MeeMaken was instrumental in shaping this new form. It became highly agile, flexible, and non-hierarchical. Those were challenging years, but even during those tough times, we received full support. The focus wasn’t on financial returns, but on entrepreneurship and helping each other succeed.”
Portfolio
MeeMaken has a portfolio of twelve companies, all operating in more or less the same market. This means they understand each other well, and collaboration between the companies can sometimes be very extensive. “There is a learning branch and a production branch,” Schouten explains. Within the production branch, companies coordinate with each other on business matters. “It’s great to brainstorm together and share knowledge. Within the group, we have a very close-knit bond, working together quite intensively.”
“We aim for the long term, and that creates a different dynamic.”
Schouten talks about managing capacity peaks: “We exchange engineers and project managers between companies to smooth out peak workloads. To a certain extent, we act as each other’s flexible buffer, so during difficult times no one has to be let go. It also provides employees with a very diverse working environment, which they greatly appreciate.”
Partners
The private equity firm has three partners: Roderik van Seumeren, Natasja Sesink, and Mecx Kooij. The operational partner is Sesink, who speaks enthusiastically about her role and the partners’ motivation.
“In 2011, the Van Seumeren family stepped out of Mammoet, and Roderik wanted to start investing. I knew his way of working and his mindset: ‘With people who smile and stand tall, we achieve more.’ That really resonated with me. We started with Eager.one, a part of Stork with engineers specializing in heavy lifting and transport. Within a month and a half, the second company, Selmers, was added. That was a completely different market. For the first five or six companies, I was very closely involved and present on a daily basis—essentially in an interim role at the management table, to understand the companies’ DNA and get to know them from the inside out.”
Making and learning
When making acquisitions, MeeMaken considers both the synergies between companies and whether the addition complements the existing portfolio. That portfolio spans engineering, bringing all disciplines together. “Many of our companies are offshore-related and cover mechanical, software, and electrical areas, often focused on transport, installation, and handling equipment,” says Sesink. “In addition, we have a group of companies active in the online learning market. Together, they form the MeeMaken Academy. All employees across our companies can participate in various training and knowledge-sharing sessions offered by the Academy, enabling them to continue developing both personally and professionally.”
Not preconceived
The close collaboration between the companies was not part of a predetermined plan. “Each company is responsible for its own operations and must manage its own budget and results,” Sesink explains. “But we’ve seen a valuable synergy emerge, not out of obligation, but because we’ve invested a lot of energy in creating an environment that encourages it. We do this very actively and provide tools that promote collaboration and communication. We use MeeMaken-online, where you can see who’s who and where a lot of information is shared. Every quarter, a line-up is presented, leadership programs are launched, and knowledge and inspiration sessions are offered, all rooted in the community mindset, which is very much alive.”
Collectivity
Where there is added value in rolling out collective initiatives, Sesink invests considerable energy in engaging the companies. “We have many activities in the field of ESG. For example, the rollout of CSRD is a topic that can save companies a lot of time while allowing them to present their operations more professionally.” Efforts extend beyond the business side to the social sphere as well. Every year before the summer holidays, the group organizes an Energize Event. Sesink explains: “Although we like to add a fun factor for the companies, the focus is truly on athletic activities. Participants earn points, which we convert into euros and donate to pre-selected charities.” The events committee plays an important role within MeeMaken.
For the long-term run
Most of MeeMaken’s acquisitions took place in the first eight years; after the pandemic, only one more company was added to the portfolio. By now, the group seems to have reached a size that fits well. “We are fully occupied with providing the right attention and guidance,” Sesink continues. As the operational partner, she works with management teams to set strategy, bridges gaps between companies, and builds relationships. “In the beginning, you focus on getting to know a company and helping set up supporting structures. But now that the group has grown and matured, that has changed. I now hold monthly board meetings with the companies. We are also not a private equity firm looking to exit in three to five years. We aim for the long term, and that creates a different dynamic. Growth now primarily comes from within the companies themselves, through new branches, products, or services being introduced to the market. In our learning companies, a holding structure with various labels is used. All the companies are highly entrepreneurial, see opportunities, and are constantly evolving.”
Making an impact
Sesink is incredibly active. Not only for the MeeMaken companies themselves, but also as chair of the executive board of NedZero, the trade association for wind energy. She champions leadership transitions within the group, serves on the board of AYOP, the association of companies and governments in the offshore sector, and over the past year has co-initiated the Re-Quip Foundation, which promotes circularity in wind energy through chain collaboration. “I find MeeMaken an extremely inspiring workplace in a market that is constantly evolving,” she says. “It’s a unique way to build together with the companies and give meaning to various transitions. Together, we can make an impact. It doesn’t happen automatically—it’s hard work—but there is so much power behind it when you have that level of commitment.”
Schouten on Sesink’s facilitative leadership: “MeeMaken instills trust in the organization, and you see people flourish. Even the young talent joining us really appreciates the freedom they’re given. The hardest part is setting the right boundaries, but when you can do that, and we do it very well within our group, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
20th of August 2025 – LINK Magazine