Sauna company Thermen in Zuidwolde has found new owners. Entrepreneurial duo Robbin van den Heuvel from Giethoorn and Erik Moes from Meppel have purchased the wellness center from Jeannette van Putten and Jan van Egten. Yesterday they signed the provisional purchase contract.
Van Putten is happy with the sale of the company, which was declared bankrupt last August. “We are very happy that we have been able to sell the sauna and that it remains just a sauna. That is great for our guests,” says Van Putten. “The real estate agent walked many kilometers around the site. There were about 20 interested people who came to have a look,” she says.
Van den Heuvel and Moes are experienced entrepreneurs. Together they have been running Camping Starnbosch in Dalfsen since 2013. Van den Heuvel has also owned several gas stations and Bruna branches, “but I wanted to take things a bit easier and that’s why I switched,” he says with a chuckle. Van den Heuvel: “It went very quickly, everything very smoothly. It came our way about three weeks ago and after that we continued. This is a challenge that suits us well.”
According to Van den Heuvel, the takeover of the sauna company is a ‘logical step’ for him and his partner. “This fits perfectly into our current company,” he explains. “We currently have no work for our employees in the winter, because the campsite is seasonal. Soon we will also be able to keep them for the sauna in the winter.”
The new owners hope that they will succeed in lowering the barrier to going to the sauna. “I didn’t used to go to the sauna,” Van den Heuvel confesses, “because it has such an image that you have to go there naked. That’s why we want to start with a swimwear day, that’s how you do it for parents with teenage children. more attractive to come.”
By giving guests the opportunity to come to the relaxation center dressed one day a week, Van den Heuvel and Moes hope to attract more customers. “About 50 percent of people do not go to the sauna because you walk around without clothes. More people may come here, which also ensures that the company will run better.”
The new owners hope that they will have to change as little as possible to the business model. Before the company reopens, they want to talk to the current staff. According to Van den Heuvel, this blade cuts both ways. The staff is familiar with the work and the guests with the staff, which makes it easier for Van den Heuvel and Moes to get involved.
After the reopening, Van den Heuvel and Moes will use six months to talk to regular guests. “We ask them for their tips and tops and can adapt accordingly, because it is the most important thing that guests have a good experience,” says Van den Heuvel.
Does the duo have no big wishes at all? “Yes, we really want to have a good chef,” says Van den Heuvel. “I’m a really big fan of good food, I think that’s important,” he concludes energetically.