Davy De Vlieger (Spuntini): "We prefer to invest in Belgium"

INTERVIEW – The first external boss to lead the family business, Davy De Vlieger, isn't here to babysit. Between strategic acquisitions and transforming the sales force into a "war machine," the CEO of Spuntini is rolling out a clear roadmap. His mission? To transform the traditional wholesaler into a "total partner" for the foodservice industry, capable of delivering just as much "food happiness" as valuable services. All while financing this transformation through sustained growth and expansion.

© Davy De Vlieger.

Almost a year. In February 2025, the Van Bever family welcomed their first external CEO, Davy De Vlieger, to the head of their thriving business. The goal: to sharpen their strategy, realize their growth ambitions, and prepare for the torch to be passed to the second generation. "We have always had Spuntini's long-term vision and sustainable growth at heart," founder Nico Van Bever likes to remind people.

The "young boss" of the Belgian hospitality wholesaler is a pure product of the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. Davy De Vlieger began his career in the late 90s selling... diapers and shampoo. A regional representative for Procter & Gamble at the time, this Germanic languages graduate had no idea where he would end up.

Nearly three decades later, after heading the Belgian branch of Omega Pharma alongside a certain Marc Coucke, and piloting GBFoods, the Belgian subsidiary of the multinational Continental Foods (distributor of brands like Devos-Lemmens, Royco, and Liebig), Davy is still evolving in the FMCG universe that fascinates him.

"Last year was a special year," the Van Bevers concede. Spuntini launched construction of a new headquarters for the French market, revamped its online shop, acquired the wholesaler Givana XL, organized Horeca Experience Days in Bruges, held the first "live shopping" event in Belgium, and changed leaders... "Together with the family, and specifically with Sam and Lise Van Bever, we will continue to shape this beautiful success story," assures Davy De Vlieger.

Gondola Foodservice: You arrived as an external CEO in a rapidly growing Belgian family business. How were you received?

Davy De Vlieger, CEO of Spuntini: The onboarding was super positive. The family has built a magnificent company with a turnover of 175 million euros. The message was clear: "We created this, but now we need help to professionalize the whole thing, structure the growth, and prepare the company for the second generation." It’s a very lucid and constructive approach.

Is there a need to scale up, hence calling on a CEO with a background as solid as yours? Or are the specific pressures of the Belgian market the reason for strengthening the organization?

It is not a reaction to the market. The motivation is primarily internal: to continue delivering results and supporting growth while transforming the company so that it can, perhaps one day, be led by the second generation. It’s about ensuring the longevity of the business.

Concretely, what does "professionalizing" Spuntini mean? And what are the priority projects?

We have defined a three-year roadmap, structured around several strategic axes. Each axis is broken down into very concrete projects. First, we transformed the sales force into a true centralized "war machine" with national objectives, abandoning the old model where representatives were tied to specific depots.

Second, digitization and harmonization. This ranges from implementing our new ERP (Business Central) across all sites to consolidating eight accounting systems into one for a clear reading of results. We are also deploying a WMS (Warehouse Management System) in our largest sites, as well as an HR system to standardize the remuneration policy. It is an end-to-end transformation, with several projects running in parallel and constant internal communication.

Listening to you, there is a significant investment in digital transformation, process transformation, and solutions, from ordering platforms to data analysis. Is this inevitable for a player like you?

Absolutely. If we want sustainable growth, it is necessary. We cannot simply keep adding staff with every new project. Automation is necessary. Spuntini has the means to match these ambitions. We first worked on accelerating revenue and optimizing purchasing to generate the margins needed for these investments. We have the means. It’s a virtuous circle: immediate results motivate the teams.

Spuntini has the means for its ambitions. But how do you manage deep investments in digital transformation without eroding profitability, especially in a sector where some players are struggling?

We proceeded in stages. We first changed the sales structure to accelerate revenue growth. This "top-line" acceleration, combined with savings made in purchasing, gave us the necessary space to make the current investments. That’s why we respected this order: first accelerate revenue and negotiate on the net result. Only once these solid foundations were in place did we launch the major transformation projects, investing in tools, programs, and teams.

What is the time horizon for a transformation like this?

It is a year-and-a-half process. We started in March-April, and we should be more or less ready by the end of 2026. By that date, we should already be very far along in the process.

Beyond the tools, in terms of strategy and identity, should Spuntini become a "full service" wholesaler, seeking economies of scale and better prices?

Not exactly. Our initial mission was "Deliver food happiness." Today, we want to be the trusted partner of the restaurant industry. We are transitioning from the status of a supplier primarily delivering to one type of point-of-sale in Belgium to that of a partner capable of offering a solution to all Horeca establishments, hotels, restaurants, cafés, brasseries, etc.

This happened through two strategic acquisitions: Biebuyck, a frozen food producer, and Bella Sicilia, a specialist in Italian products. This offer, combined with what we already had, allows us to accelerate in the restaurant and brasserie market. Today, 60% of our turnover comes from establishments that were not part of Spuntini's original target. On top of that, we are working very hard to propose an offer that includes services, in order to become a true total partner.

Speaking of which, what would these services include?

I’ll give an example: giving our clients access to partners for digital solutions. We negotiate rates for them. If they work with player A or B through us, they benefit from this negotiated rate. Other examples will follow, such as connections and partnerships with accounting, legal, and business experts. We will communicate on this soon.

In a sector used to negotiating price per kilo, how do you monetize this transition from "product delivery" wholesaler to "advice and solutions provider"?

We validate it by working on our customer loyalty. Price is important, yes, but so is service. The solutions Spuntini brings to its clients solve their current problems. By adding this service dimension, we hope to reinforce loyalty that is already higher than I thought. The client thinks: "They don't just help us with the product, but also with our operations." That is where we want to make the difference compared to the competition.

Speaking of competition, you highlighted the company's commercial performance, but your growth is also external. What are Spuntini's criteria for targeting a player for acquisition? Complementarity, natural synergies, or the balance sheet?

First, complementarity, as with Bella Sicilia, which allows us to accelerate our "total partner" strategy in the restaurant sector. As for synergies, that’s like our latest acquisition, Givana XL in Lokeren. There, we have immediate synergies in purchasing because we have almost the same product portfolio. And we also have synergies regarding the sales force.

According to a recent study by our partner Graydon, the Belgian wholesale market boils down to "buy or be bought": with 40% of companies showing vulnerability to an economic shock. Is this an opportunity for you?

Absolutely. The market is moving enormously. There are still far too many small-sized players with between 5 and 15 million euros in revenue. If you compare it to the Netherlands, it is a completely different market. But yes, this offers opportunities for a company like ours that wants to grow organically and through acquisitions. If there are means and possibilities, we buy, because the synergies are not negligible.

Conversely, what would be a "red flag" regarding a potential target that would slow you down in this consolidation strategy?

We prefer to start from our own strengths, but if we saw the market shrinking in volume or if we started losing market share, we would pause to focus internally. But today, that is not the case. The market for restaurants, fast food, sandwich shops, etc., is growing slightly. It is a huge and resilient market, even after Covid. Spuntini is in a luxury position; I don't see any short-term indicators that would force us to change strategy.

So your approach remains that of a generalist wholesaler, without a desire to over-specialize in promising niches you might have identified?

No, not today. We remain generalist, but diversified nonetheless through an offer combining products and services.

You mentioned the example of the Dutch market. With strong financial results in both Belgium and France, is it time for Spuntini to tackle the Netherlands?

No. We looked at the Dutch market, but it is dominated by players doing a billion euros like Hanos, Bidfood, or Sligro. The small players have already been bought up. If there is a single euro to invest, we prefer to invest it in Belgium. We prefer to invest to consolidate our position. We are aiming for the Top 5; we are currently 6th or 7th. Then, in France, where we have three sites and a new one under construction, there are still many growth opportunities.

Is the strategy in France aligned with that of Belgium?

100%! The product offering is different, of course, but the general approach and strategy are the same.

From your privileged position, have you observed any particular developments in relationships with food suppliers and the brands you distribute?

Yes, a trend has been accelerating for three or four years: the introduction of private labels (store brands) by distributors. This phenomenon, present for twenty years in mass retail, is arriving among wholesale distributors like us. We have to offer a private label for customers focused solely on price. That is really something new. In itself, it's not dramatic, but well, it complicates the number of references in the offer and so on.

Is there no advantage for your company?

For us, it is more of a defensive strategy. We remain a distributor of A-brands, on which we earn more money in absolute value.

And the Spuntini brand?

We already had our Nibbly brand, but we still launched four new private label brands this year to cover the bottom of the market, though we aren't going to advertise them massively like a supermarket would.

No "7 for 2" deals like Albert Heijn?

(Smiles) No, that we won't do.

To conclude, you told me on the sidelines of our interview that the foodservice sector has remained a "black box" in terms of data for too long. Is that why you became one of our members?

Yes, it is a gap that has lasted for years. What is important to me is that with Gondola Foodservice, we will finally obtain reliable data on the market. Because the sector lacked people with the experience to initiate such a project, and because it requires significant financial resources as it is very costly. With the arrival of Gondola, which comes from retail but with a data culture like Nielsen or GFK, we will finally benefit from the experience and means to tackle this hyper-fragmented market. We will finally be able to talk about numbers and no longer just sentiments.