The Dutch bus builder VDL and the German trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull are candidates to take over parts of Van Hool, which is threatened with bankruptcy. De Standaard and De Tijd write this and the news has been confirmed from a good source. VDL and Schmitz are working on a joint file. The third candidate, previously mentioned, is the Flemish entrepreneur Guido Dumarey.
VDL and Schmitz would each want to take over a different part of Van Hool. VDL is logically targeting the bus activity, Schmitz is interested in the production of a number of industrial vehicles. Dumarey, who therefore has a separate plan, would like to take over Van Hool in its entirety after the bankruptcy and retain 1,800 of the 2,500 jobs.
The time for an agreement is running out, because Van Hool has set itself a deadline of March 31 in view of the acute lack of financial resources. Van Hool itself has still not commented on the identity of the prospective acquirers or the status of the negotiations.