ONE of the Netherlands’ best known veterinary groups has joined VetPartners.
Dierenartsen Groep Nederland (DGN) is VetPartners’ second acquisition in the country after welcoming DierenDokters to its expanding European portfolio in February 2023.
The growth of DGN, which has 26 clinics in 33 sites across the Netherlands, has been supported by private equity firm Standard Investment.
Their decision to join VetPartners gives the UK-headquartered group a strong base of practices in the Netherlands.
VetPartners owns some of Europe’s most trusted and respected veterinary practices and animal healthcare companies, with 11,000 employees working across more than 700 sites in the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands.
VetPartners was founded in October 2015 by CEO Jo Malone, pictured left, a small animal vet and director at The Minster Veterinary Practice, in her home city of York, where it has its headquarters.
Mrs Malone wanted to establish a new veterinary group built around her values of being respectful, working in collaboration, supporting each other and being dedicated and approachable. VetPartners aims to be a great place to work, focusing on the development and wellbeing of its people.
In 2022, VetPartners was ranked the UK’s number one company for senior leadership by Glassdoor.
VetPartners invests around £30millon a year in developing its practices, with a further £15million a year to maintain and update existing sites. It has also invested £120,000 in research and development.
Colleagues are supported to achieve their career goals as VetPartners funds certificates, invests heavily in CPD and creates opportunities, and 450 vets have come through its Graduate Programme, which gives new vets the skills and confidence to excel in the profession.
VetPartners prides itself on being a family friendly employer, encouraging a healthy work/life balance and flexible working opportunities.
It has a £100,000 annual charity fund and supports a range of charities and worthy causes close to the hearts of employees, as well as providing colleagues with an annual paid day off to volunteer in their community. In the last two years alone, colleagues and VetPartners’ match funding have raised £276,000.
Mrs Malone said: “DGN is a highly respected group of practices and we share common values of putting people first and ensuring our vets have the autonomy to make their own decisions for their patients.
“Right from the outset, the aim of VetPartners was to bring together like-minded practices who wanted to work together and ensure a bright future for the veterinary profession. Our culture is one of warmth and belonging and we believe DGN are a great fit for our family of practices, and we look forward to working with them.”
DGN Chief Operating Officer Mischa Weijers will lead the group’s expansion in the Netherlands.
Mr Weijers said: “We have joined VetPartners so we can continue our growth and continue to improve veterinary care in our local, well-known clinics that are so familiar to our clients.
“Putting employees, patients and clients at the centre of our business decisions is the basis of our success, and VetPartners lives and breathes that philosophy as well, so that makes them a great fit for us. Combining VetPartners’ industry leading experience with our love for working together and having fun promises a bright future. Our vets, nurses and other team members very much welcome being part of VetPartners because they see the group as a great cultural fit.”
Marnix van der Feltz, partner at Standard Investment, said: “When we started building our group of Dutch veterinary practices, we focussed on having entrepreneurial vets/owners who wanted to continue running their own practice and provide the best possible service for clients. Combined with working with Standard Investment to facilitate further growth, this has led to great success.”
DGN was advised by Lincoln International and Stek. VetPartners was advised by VBK, Mills & Reeve and PWC.
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners PR and Communications Director. Email amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk