Hamont België, 23-01-2013

Als internationaal bedrijf levert HAMOFA Industrial Engines in meer dan 100 verschillende landen. De laatste 5 jaren is ons bedrijf dan ook enorm gegroeid in verschillende segmenten. Als familiebedrijf vinden wij het belangrijk om onze klanten dan ook wereldwijd op een goede manier te kunnen bedienen als een echte "familie".

Sedert 2011 hadden we dan ook de plannen om een uitbreiding van ons bedrijf te voorzien in de USA. Aangezien meer dan 30% van onze klanten uit de USA komen en 15% uit Zuid-Amerika leek ons Florida een geschikte plaats.
Uit verschillende contacten zijn we op een bedrijf gestoten dat in onze sector actief was, en "te koop" stond omwille van een tekort aan opvolgers. Natuurlijk was onze ervaring voor een internationale overname beperkt en zijn we terecht gekomen bij PBBI International.

Nadat we telefonisch hadden gesproken met Hans en Kees Spies besloten ze ons bedrijf in België te bezoeken, om een beter inzicht te krijgen op onze wensen en voorwaarden. We besloten om samen in zee te gaan met PBBI, omdat hun ervaring en internationale kennis nodig was bij de overname van dit bedrijf.

Vanaf het eerste bezoek in Florida tot het tekenen van het contract werden we steeds begeleid door Kees, Hans en John (in de USA). Kees kon door zijn bedrijfservaring ons een goede kijk op zaken geven, terwijl John handig onderhandelde met de “verkoper” in de USA. Het was een lange en moeizame weg, maar sinds Oktober 2012 zijn we trotse eigenaar geworden van een firma in de USA. De zaken gaan erop vooruit en zijn blij met de keuze die gemaakt is.

Wij raden PBBI dan ook aan bij mensen die geen ervaring hebben in een overname in de USA. De service en eerlijkheid is van de hoogste stand! Hans, Kees en John.

Nogmaals bedankt van de familie Verhoeven!


I am really glad i found PBBI. I was looking at different websites like bizbuysell.com and businessforsale.com and other but I began to realize I needed someone who had detailed knowledge and experience to guide me thru the process. I asked several of the selling brokers but they knew nothing about selling an US business to a foreigner. But then one day I happened to type in E2 visa business broker at Google and found pbbi.nl.
– Bernt Berndtsson -

I called Hans Spies and he explained how they could help me. We began searching thru the Florida listings he had and we found some interesting companies, then Hans sorted out the ones that was obviously not qualifying for E2 visa and then we started asking for tax returns. It took us a while to sift thru and find a few interesting ones. Unfortunately some was not interested in selling to a foreigner due to the extra time it would take and some were sold real quick anyway. Quite a few had big differences between tax returns and the money they claimed to earn.

Then we decided I should go to Florida and let John Stivers at the PBBI office in Florida find some I could look at a bit quicker. John is incredibly experienced in brokering businesses and sometimes he only need to glance at the papers for a few seconds to decide if it is worth looking into or not. John and I used totally different ways of analyzing the businesses but finally we always agreed on which where best. We found a few and I started driving around to have a look. Some did not look appealing to me when I visited even though the numbers where fine. One I decided to put an offer on raised his price by 150 000$ when I showed interest blaming his wife’s divorce lawyer. One looked really good and I put down an offer but when we got the tax returns it turned out nothing added up. Then I found a perfect business, it just turned out it was a little too expensive for me, it was worth its price but I just could not raise enough capital so I had to back out of the contract. John was a great support all along this process. We decided I had to go back empty handed this time. He said: You have high standards of what you want and that is making it more difficult but it does not mean there isn´t a business out there somewhere that will fit your standard, it just means we might have to search a bit longer to find the right one.

So back in Sweden I was and I and Hans decided we should do a nationwide search. We looked thru a lot of objects and Hans contacted them for tax returns, a lot of brokers did not respond, and the reason for that might be that they might not want to co broker or they had prospective buyers already or whatever. The important thing is Hans and John encouraged me not to give up. But some responded and we found a few. This time I made sure we knew all we could know before the trip and made sure I had the financing cleared beforehand.

So after a few months I was off to California instead. I was set to look at one business in particular but we planned a few plan B,s just in case. I had a look at Quality Import in Antioch and it felt right at once. John set up a contract with an offer and the seller accepted it. After a few days of holiday in California I was on my way back and then the rest of the work started.
John had found a good immigration attorney on my previous trip named Gudrun Nickel and she, me and John started on the million detail journey to an E2 visa. Gudrun took the buying amount in escrow. John and Gudrun guided me thru every step of the way. I worked full time for weeks to get the budget and the forms and all the attachments that was needed to submit the visa application. The bulk of the work John did by outlining the budget to the format immigration needed and working out all other details, Gudrun and he had a lot of discussions around practical matters and most importantly helped keep my spirit up when I felt stuck in bureaucracy. Then all of a sudden the application was submitted and I had nothing to do but to wait. Gudrun said it requires some patience and a lot of positive thinking. I waited one week and then I could not refrain from asking the embassy how my application was doing and they replied I was welcome to ask again if I had heard nothing after one month. I asked again after one month but got no reply, I called and mailed numerous times but no reply at all, Gudrun inquired and then I got the reply it might take 2 months but again it might be faster. However I mailed the embassy and they said they could make an appointment the next day if I wanted. The champagne had to wait as I went straight for the car and drove up to Stockholm. The interview was no problem and after one week I had the visa in hand.

I am convinced I could not have found a better broker than PBBI to assist me thru this long and hard journey. It took a long time and we overcame a lot of problems along the way and I am positively sure I could not have done it without them. I want to thank both Hans and most of all John for not giving up on me despite of my high requirements on the businesses and for helping me keep my spirit up when we had setbacks. I also want to thank Gudrun for her kind, efficient and fast help with the visa.

My advice if you think about moving to the US is: It is worth doing, everything is better here. But don’t expect it to be easy. And let PBBI guide you thru, there are a lot of bad businesses for sale out there. When you finally get here, have a good sum budgeted for unexpected costs both for the business and yourself. And be warned that here you must take care of your customers; European customer service is nothing compared to what the consumers are used to here. But I can tell you it is really fun to run a business in a country where the authorities is pro business, unlike in Sweden where you are considered an enemy of the state if you run your own business. Sure some Americans complain but they have no idea how the situation is abroad.



"Twee jaar terug stond ik net als u hier op de emigratiebeurs. Kijken of het mogelijk is om te emigreren naar USA en hoe pak ik dat dan aan. Nu ben ik de trotse eigenaresse van een sportzaak nabij New York. Met dank aan Hans Spies en John Stivers van PBBI.

Ze hebben mij met raad en daad bijgestaan om de grote stap te maken. Niet allen met betrekking tot het administratieve gedeelte. Maar zeker ook met het zoeken van een geschikt bedrijf. Want er komt veel bij kijken om te emigreren. De ervaring die zij hebben met andere klanten had ik niet willen missen. Ze hebben mij stap voor stap begeleid in het proces. Het was nooit te veel moeite om iets uit te leggen of toe te lichten.

Ik kan hen dan ook zeker van harte aanraden om te helpen met emigreren. En voor u het advies; volg uw hart!

Groetjes,Mailbox Shipping & Communications"
Francina M. (Siska) van Dijk

"John Stivers and his team from Professional Business Brokers in Florida, as well as Hans Spies from Professional Business Brokers International in The Netherlands, assisted us in finding and choosing an appropriate business in Florida. They were a great help during the selection process, the contract negotiations, due diligence procedures, and the visa process up until the closing of the whole transaction. We worked with them for about 9 month and always appreciated their professional approach and support. And the best thing is... we probably found the absolutely perfect business for us and a great deal of that achievement is thanks to them!"

- Thomas Urech -

"Six years ago we called the Professional Business Brokers office in Tiel, from an ad in the newspaper which advertised living in the U.S.A.. After our first meeting, Professional Business Brokers started looking for a business in Florida. We had so many questions and concerns about the whole process. Professional Business Brokers, both the Tiel office and the Melbourne office, helped us step by step to find a business that would qualify. The whole process took about a year and we are happy to say we have been living in Florida now for 5 years. It has taken us about 2 years to get used to the weather and learn the business. We are still learning every day, but we are glad we made the move. Florida really has a lot of opportunities, but you still have to work hard if you want to make a living (like everywhere else). "

- Winet Stelling -

"We now live in Palm Bay, Florida. We moved in October 2004 from the U.K. on an E-2 Visa and we purchased a lawn service business, which is still going strong. The move was a fantastic experience with the help of Professional Business Brokers. They are a dedicated professional team of people who are very knowledgeable in the field of business brokerage. "

- Paul Seabourne -

"We are very thankful to have worked with PBBI. We thank them for their hard work and great tips. They helped us tremendously and for that we are very greatful. "

- Markus & Jane Waldman -

"After a tense year of waiting, the consulate finally approved our visa and we were able to close on our motel business. Thanks to the dedicated hard work of John MacDaniel, John Stivers and Hans Spies. We wouldn’t be here if not for their help. "

- Petra van Dijk -

"PBBI in The Netherlands and in the USA assisted us in finding a similar business then we have in The Netherlands, England, Thailand and Malaysia. After approximate a year they sent us a listing of a Executive placement and staffing company, that was specializing in finding jobs for applicant seeking executive level employment. It was not quite the same, but it was close to what we are looking for. PBBI was a great help getting us through the whole process of acquiring the company Nichols Executive Search Group. "

- Peter de Groot -

Growth of a Dutch International Company
"The Hospitality Circle Group is a group of specialised companies working with and for the Hospitality related industry. It offers there customers with suitable products, services and consultancy. From single product deliveries up to turnkey projects. Due to the grow in the international field, Hospitality Circle Group was looking for an establishment in the USA, serving the Americas and the Caribbean area. In close conjunction with PBBI in Florida, John Stivers and Hans Spies, we found a suitable Company to take over. Central Florida Design, a well known player in the interior design and contracting field was taken over on 1st April 2008. We have experienced PBBI as a very flexible and proactive partner and we can recommend them seriously. "

- Edzo Bosma, Owner/President -

"After an international move and a rough start in the year 2000 we have now established a fine limousine company in Ft. Lauderdale. We appreciated the enormous support and help from PBBI from both the office in Holland and the Melbourne office. If we would ever be interested in buying or selling, we would let PBBI handle all our affairs.
Great company with a fantastic staff, which is hard to find.' "

- Odette Roof -

"Making an international move was more difficult than we expected. Our kids adapted quickly, but it took two years for my husband and I to feel really comfortable. Many thanks to Hans Spies, John Stivers and everyone at Professional Business Brokers for their support. "

- Maria van der Laan -