"Have there ever been any disagreements during these 30 years?" Van Vroonhoven laughs. "Of course there have been. We've had some heated discussions. But they were always focused on the issues, never personal. Disagreements are part of any relationship, even in the best of families. Fortunately, we've always worked through them together, which has only made our bond stronger."

Playing open cards
The cooperation between VDL Groep and Govers is based on strong mutual trust. "If you expect a watertight audit and well-founded advice from your accountant, you have to dare to play your cards completely openly. There is great mutual respect. We find it important to have a click with all the partners we do business with. That click with Govers has always been there. Of course, Govers is also nothing as a company without its people, they make the difference for us."

"We may be a big player in terms of numbers, but at the same time we are also a family business."

Besides 'regular' matters such as annual accounts audits, VAT advice, global mobility, subsidy audits and the broad services for the personal companies above VDL Groep, Govers also takes on more intensive processes such as company takeovers. For example, several NOW control assignments were recently concluded, created for the continued payment of wages during the corona pandemic. And soon both companies will start an intensive trajectory under the CSRD directive that requires companies to report on their impact on people and the environment.

Detailed and with a lot of personal attention
Van Vroonhoven believes that, as a relatively small firm, Govers is in an excellent position to assist VDL financially and fiscally. "We may be a big player in terms of numbers, but at the same time we are also a family business, a collection of mainly SME companies. It is true that Govers does not have all the specialties in house that a large, international player might have. Don't expect extensive benchmark research from them or assistance with large international acquisitions; that's not their specialty. On the other hand, they do other things with tremendous detail and personal attention."

Learn more about VDL at www.vdlgroep.com.