Driving change at the Louwman Group: how a carve-out reinforced an already dynamic business

Founded in 1923, the Louwman Group is a Dutch family-owned mobility group, active across all segments of mobility, with more than EUR 2.5 billion in turnover. One of the few private vehicle importers in Europe, the group brings big brands such as Toyota and Lexus to the Dutch market, operates around fifty dealer outlets, and hasits own leasing business. Additionally, it is the largest bicycle retailer in the Netherlands.

At the end of 2025, the group completed the carve-out of its EUR 30 million EBITDA care division, selling to Munich-based private equity firm Aurelius, with Clairfield as M&A advisor throughout. What began as a market study to explore options ended as a full carve-out, closing on 31 December 2025.

Three things stand out from the Louwman experience. The group:

• Sold its entire care division to private equity firm Aurelius, in a process that began as a market study exploring strategic options, advised by Clairfield in the Netherlands.
• Navigated the separation of a highly centralised organisation, with IT, finance, HR, and procurement all handled at group level, and a Transitional Service Agreement covering the months after closing.
• Continues to deliver an IT carve-out expected to take up to 18 months, separating dozens of shared applications and building independent infrastructure for the divested business.

In this interview for Clairfield Outlook 2026, William Bontes, Chief Finance Officer of the Louwman Group, reflects on what makes carve-outs succeed, where they commonly break down, and how CFOs can keep value creation on track when the separation clock is ticking.

William Bontes’ central lesson:

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