'I can't remember us ever clashing or arguing with each other.'
In a landscape where family SMEs are thriving, Graphius is undoubtedly one of the many shining examples. Working with family is not always easy, but very often it leads to great successes. This is also the case with the Geers brother couple. This third generation of Geers has expanded Graphius into a vertically integrated industrial printing and bookbinding company with departments in Ghent, Brussels, Nazareth and Paris. The integrated production of books, magazines, catalogues and brochures takes place entirely in-house, so that the printing company retains maximum control over the turnaround time and quality and has thus become one of the leaders in its sector. "Through various acquisitions of printing companies in recent years, we have grown into the largest graphic group in Belgium. We strongly believe in consolidation as a strategy, to remain a profitable graphics company in a global economy," says CEO Denis Geers. Together with his brother and CFO Philippe, he heads Graphius. We sat around the table with these 'brothers in business' for a fascinating double talk.
Your grandfather André Geers founded Geers Offset in 1928. At the end of the 70s, your parents Emiel and Micheline took over the printing business. Were you destined to follow in their footsteps?
Denis: "As children, we often visited the printing works, which were still in Oostakker village at the time. Grandparents and grandparents lived just behind it and we regularly visited to eat our sandwiches in the afternoon and to do our homework after school."
Philippe: "As young guests we did of course our holiday jobs there. Also at home there was inevitably a lot of talk about the printing office. We never really knew otherwise."
Denis: "At the end of the 90s, our parents were confronted with the rise of the Internet. The future of the printing company was quite uncertain because of the increasing digitisation and that's why I started studying law. But after my internship at the counter, I noticed that I spent all my free time in the printing company anyway. One thing led to the other: in 2000 I joined the business and my brother accompanied me shortly afterwards."
Philippe: "I studied Accountancy-Fiscality. I always had the ambition to step into the business somewhere. But just like Denis, I never felt obliged. It was just a logical choice."
The right choice, as it turns out, because today Graphius is a strong company that encompasses no less than thirteen printing companies.
Denis: "Indeed, the last decade has seen a turnaround, as paper has undergone a major revival. Through various strategic acquisitions, Graphius - the name has existed since 2009 - provides a wide range of services and specialisations to a broad target audience."
Philippe: "This vertical integration is undoubtedly our greatest strength, together with the fact that we do everything in-house. Every day, our 370 enthusiastic employees are on standby for our customers to ensure ever faster deliveries of top-quality printed matter. We have modern and extensive machinery at our disposal for this purpose."
Denis: "We are not only active in Belgium, but also in France, the Netherlands, Great Britain and even America. We have many museums there as customers, for which we produce high-quality art books and catalogues. Such customers demand the very highest quality printed matter and that is why they have come to the right place with us."
Two brothers together at the head of the family business: how does that work? For example, do you have a clear division of roles?
Philippe: "As CFO, I am involved in financial management and staffing. Denis is responsible for the general management and commercial aspects. It is a clear division of tasks according to the things we are good at and that has been excellent from the start. I can't remember that we ever came into conflict or quarrel with each other.
Denis: "I think it's easier to run a business with a family member anyway than with an external shareholder. Our parents did it before us and were the shining example in that respect. They are retired today, but they still often come here, for example to have a bite to eat together in the afternoon. They like to keep an eye on their two sons, I think. We regularly ask for their advice about certain situations or projects.
Do you still see each other outside working hours?
Denis: "We've spent a lot of time together at work anyway, so we don't consciously visit each other at the weekend. We no longer live in Oostakker either - I moved to Lochristi and my brother lives in Destelbergen. When we see each other at the weekend, it's here at the company. It's quiet then and we often both come to overtake some work."
Philippe: "Of course we see each other at family gatherings together with our wives and children, but it's never really about the printing business. There are enough other things to talk about. There is also a life next to work."
What does that life apart from work mean for two busy businessmen?
Denis: "Both of us work a lot, but you have to be able to sell off the work, otherwise you won't last for years. I'm a hobby farmer, I love to work in the garden. In my vegetable garden I really come to rest. I also like spending time with my family, I have two energetic sons."
Philippe: "I have two daughters. Reasons enough to occasionally jump on my bike or go for a ride. (laughs)"
Denis: "Our children are, by the way, just like us at the time, already completely permeated by the printing office.
They are very welcome guests here and my eldest son has already confided to me that he would also like to work here when he grows up later. Of course he is only eight, so we will see. But I will certainly not stop him. It would be nice if we could be succeeded by our children. Although I sometimes wonder if it would go as smoothly with a cousin and a niece as with two brothers...".
What are the biggest challenges in the graphics sector today?
Denis: "It's not easy to find well-trained staff. The problem is that graphic arts students learn to work on highly obsolete machines, which are no longer used in most printing plants today. I have already mentioned this in Febelgra, the federation of the Belgian graphics sector, of which I am chairman. So let us hope that things will change soon."
Philippe: "In our company in particular, it is an exciting challenge to bring together nearly four hundred people from different corporate cultures. We are doing our best to preserve the family character of our company, although there is inevitably a lot of hierarchy, especially among the workers. In any case, the door of our office is always open to our people, they know that. We want them to come and work, and I am proud that we hardly have any staff turnover. We also attract many young people, which is important with a view to the future."
What is your ambition for the future? Is there any further consolidation in the pipeline?
Denis: "The consolidation that is currently underway will continue for a few more years. We still have a lot of plans... But we don't want to grow 'to grow', let that be clear. We want to build on our existing sites and optimise our efficiency and productivity. Acquisitions and collaborations always have a specific vision, namely to become better at what we do. Remaining the strong player we are today: that is our greatest ambition."
