SnowWorld and the shareholders of the SIS Leisure Group have reached agreement on the acquisition of the SIS Leisure Group by SnowWorld. The SIS Leisure Group operates indoor ski halls in Rucphen and Terneuzen in the Netherlands as well as an indoor Skydive in Roosendaal.

After the acquisitions in December 2018 of SnowWorld Amsterdam and Alpenpark Neuss (25%), SnowWorld is realizing a further strengthening of its geographic network with this acquisition. In addition, activities are added that SnowWorld has not previously exploited, such as indoor skydiving and ice carting.

SnowWorld now has 7 locations and strengthens its position as European market leader in indoor winter sports.  They are SnowWorld Zoetermeer, SnowWorld Landgraaf, SnowWorld Amsterdam,  Alpenpark Neuss (25%), Skidôme Rucphen and IceKart Rucphen, Indoor Skydive Roosendaal and Skidôme Terneuzen (pictured above).

The SIS Leisure Group originated in 1982 with the creation of a dry ski slope in Rucphen by the parents of the current director and major shareholder, Nicky Broos.  In 1995, Mr Broos opened an indoor ski hall in the Netherlands in Rucphen, adding the only all year round indoor ice kart track in 2011. In 2006 he also opened the Indoor Skydive in Roosendaal, the first to do so in the BeNeLux region. From 2012, the SIS Leisure Group also operates the indoor ski hall in Terneuzen. Every year the group realizes a turnover of approximately € 8 million with an EBITDA of almost € 2 million.

With this acquisition, the total number of visitors to SnowWorld’s ski runs has grown to more than 3 million.

SnowWorld finances the acquisition entirely from the finance deal it concluded with KBC Bank and Belfius at the end of 2018.

“The acquisition of SIS Leisure Group is strategically important for SnowWorld,” says Wim Hubrechtsen, CEO of SnowWorld. “This will complete the national spread, and with the Rucphen and Terneuzen sites we can also reach a large part of Flanders. We also want to bring more diversification within our group. With the Indoor Skydive and the Icekart center that ambition is perfectly fulfilled. Finally, Nicky Broos is a pioneer in his profession in the Netherlands, so I am looking forward to the collaboration.”

“Consolidation in this market is inevitable to keep the necessary growth going,” Nicky Broos knows better than anyone else.

“When SnowWorld came to us with the question of whether it could buy SIS, we experienced it as an honour. It bears witness and strength when you seriously examine such an opportunity. We have made a trade-off that is based on the growth opportunities for the future, the position in the market and the composition of the company. This sum and many conversations have led us to decide to continue with SnowWorld.”