Achmea to sell Achmea Vitale to Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk

Acquisition will strengthen Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk's competitive position

Achmea Vitale is to become part of Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk. Parent company Achmea reached agreement with Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk on the sale of the occupational health and safety service provider. This transaction fits well with the largest Dutch insurance group's strategy of concentrating on its insurance activities. Provision of occupational health and safety services is one of Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk's core businesses. All of Achmea Vitale's 800 staff will transfer to the new owner. No financial details of the transaction are being disclosed.

Achmea Vitale was created in mid-2008 by the merger of three occupational health and safety service providers (Achmea Arbo, Commit and Prevend). Achmea Vitale will continue to operate within Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk as an independent business under the Arbo Vitale name. Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk (875 staff) is a joint venture between companies specialising in employment and health: occupational health and safety service providers MaetisArdyn and Health Services and companies with expertise in sustaining employability (GIMD, Skils and Margolin).

Marius Touwen, General Manager of Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk, is looking forward to Achmea Vitale's staff joining his organisation. "Bringing together these occupational health and safety service providers will significantly advance our competitive position, and that is vitally important in today's highly competitive market. The strength of this alliance resides in the synergy between Arbo Vitale and MaetisArdyn in particular. Expansion will make us even stronger, enabling us to develop innovative forms of occupational health and safety service for our clients."

Willem van Duin, Chairman of Achmea's Executive Board: "The sale of Achmea Vitale is a good example of a win-win situation. It enables Achmea to pursue its strategy, focusing on life, non-life, healthcare, income protection and pension products that are understood by and accessible to our customers. Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk, for which provision of occupational health and safety services is a core business, will be a good home for our staff working in this field. Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk and Achmea Vitale can offer a comprehensive range of products to promote the sustained employability of personnel. Together, they have the potential to secure their position as a strong and dependable organisation for their clients and thus as an authority in the field."

Achmea’s Rob Becker (left) and Marius Touwen, director of ‘Zorg van de Zaak Netwerk’ seal the transaction with their signatures.