Jonny Roelofsen has sold 50% of the shares of Roelofsen Horse Trucks in Raalte to the Norwegian businessman Bjørn Rune Gjelsten. With this sale, Roelofsen Horse Trucks is taking an important step to guarantee the growth and continuity of the company. “In Bjørn Rune Gjelsten we have found a solid partner who thinks along with us in strategy and policy towards the future,” Jonny Roelofsen (57) explains.

As one of the largest manufacturers of luxury horse trucks in Europe, Roelofsen Horse Trucks (founded in 1987) is an important player on the market. The company can be characterized as a real family business, in which Roelofsen’s daughters Dominique (29) and Fabiënne (26) also play an important role. Investor Bjørn Rune Gjelsten (63) is a successful businessman and in addition to his business successes, he is also known for his great sporting achievements in offshore powerboat racing, making him World Champion and European Champion several times in the period 1998 – 2006. Since a few years the Norwegian is also involved in equestrian sport through the jumping career of his daughter. This brought him into contact with Jonny Roelofsen and while getting to the family Roelofsen he also got more knowledge about the company. This led to a business conversation and to the investment in the company. “Roelofsen Horse Trucks is a quality product, and a solid family business”, Mr. Gjelsten says. “The Equestrian market is growing and my ambition is to support the company’s future growth”.

The acquisition fits in with the earlier expressed growth ambitions of Jonny Roelofsen, who announced a few months ago that he had purchased a large plot of building land in Raalte. “Nothing changes within the business operations and everything remains the same for our clients,” explains Roelofsen. “But with a partner like Bjørn Rune Gjelsten, we are opting for growth and expansion of our brand, both nationally and internationally.”