One of Benelux’s fastest-growing accountancy, audit and advisory organisations, PIA Group, is keeping up the pace by acquiring ADC Group.
With offices in Sankt Vith, Verviers, Weiswampach and Steinfort, the addition of ADC Group boosts PIA Group’s presence in Eastern Belgium – becoming its 56th Belgian member firm – as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
According to Nathalie Calle, CEO of PIA Group Benelux, the deal fits seamlessly with the group's philosophy. “The identity of the firm, the entrepreneurial spirit of its partners and the relationship with their clients are always the starting point,” she explains.
“At the same time, we strengthen our firms with specialised support in the areas of IT, HR and digitalisation. Together, we continuously look for more efficient processes and smart standardisations that prepare our offices for the future, without losing their own identity.”
Founded by Werner Müsch in the East Cantons of Belgium (in 1990), ADC Group has more than 35 years’ experience in accountancy, taxation and business advisory services. A few years later, demand from businesses with activities in both Belgium and neighbouring Luxembourg led the company to establish AD Consult just outside Luxembourg City. Today, ADC is well-established in both regions.
“We have never viewed growth as an objective in itself, but rather as a way of ensuring that we can continue to offer our clients the quality they expect from us,” notes Werner.
Because of this approach, PIA founder and executive chairman Steven Brouckaert agrees ADC Group is an excellent fit with the group. “The firm combines deep local roots with a distinct advisory culture and a long-term vision. These are exactly the entrepreneurial firms with which we want to build the future of our sector. We don’t take over their identity. On the contrary, we provide them with the resources to consolidate and further develop it.”
As such, Werner adds that ADC’s day-to-day collaboration with clients will remain unchanged and the company will retain its current 31 employees. The six partners – Werner, Dirk Heinen, Micha Nilles, Raphael Ruess, Dylan Brülls and Corinne Breuer – will become shareholders of PIA Group. “Our clients choose people who know their business and think along with them. Nothing will change in that regard. The only difference is that we now have access to even more expertise to support them when their challenges become more complex.”
PIA Group is investing for the future
For Steven, technology is an essential part of the future PIA and ADC are busy building together. “The technological evolution offers boundless opportunities for our sector. That is why, as a group, we are making targeted investments in artificial intelligence, data and digital platforms that automate repetitive tasks and make knowledge available more quickly,” he reveals, referring to recent acquisitions such as LADM.
Supported by the family office of Filip Balcaen, Baltisse, PIA Group is doubling down on digital platforms and AI to free up advisors to focus on client relationships. “It creates more time for our accountants and experts to focus on what entrepreneurs truly need today: personal discussions, strategic advice and guidance with complex decisions,” Steven says.
This idea was an important part of ADC’s decision to partner with the PIA Group. “Nowadays, our profession is changing faster than ever before. Peppol is just one example of the automation that is transforming our sector. Artificial intelligence will also fundamentally change the way accountants work. Making the right decisions in this environment requires both specialist expertise and the capacity to invest. For our younger partners, joining PIA Group is therefore a deliberate choice for the future.”
While competitors chase scale through standardisation, PIA has built something different over the last 15 years: a buy-and-build machine that actively preserves what it acquires. “Our strategy is to be bigger, to be stronger, but not to be the next Big Five. We love strong brands and we believe that, even within one group environment, there is room for several strong brands in the organisation,” Steven shares.
Read more: Steven Brouckaert explains PIA’s “don’t fix what’s not broken” strategy
The PIA Group started the year strong, with five new acquisitions in January strengthening its Benelux position and its March entry into Germany marking its first cross-border expansion – through LADM.
But Steven says their ambitions go further: “More and more enterprising firms are looking for a partner that respects their identity while also providing the scale to invest in people, technology and innovation. It is this combination that makes PIA Group unique. We will therefore continue to actively build our position, not only in Belgium and Luxembourg, but also in the Netherlands and Germany.”
