Getronics

The story of Getronics begins in 1887, founded in Amsterdam by Groeneveld, van der Pol & Co. as an electrical installation company. For nearly a century, it evolved, eventually going public on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in 1985 and rebranding as Getronics in 1988 to reflect a new focus on IT services and networking. A pivotal moment arrived in 1999 with the billion-dollar acquisition of Wang Global, a move that transformed Getronics into a major international player with a presence in over 40 countries. This aggressive growth continued, and in 2005, the company acquired PinkRoccade, becoming the largest IT service provider in the Netherlands. The company's trajectory shifted when Dutch telecom giant KPN acquired Getronics in 2007 for approximately €766 million, subsequently delisting it from the stock exchange. This marked a period of restructuring. In 2012, KPN sold the majority of Getronics to the private equity firm Aurelius Group. Under Aurelius, Getronics expanded again through strategic acquisitions, including Colt's managed cloud business. The cycle of acquisitions continued. In 2017, Aurelius sold Getronics to Bottega InvestCo for €220 million. More recently, in 2020, GSH Private Capital took ownership of the company in a €200 million deal, aiming to stabilize the business and renew its focus on customer service and innovation.