Yvonne Schaltin: The Discreet Literary Empire of 83 Million Euros at ZNU

Yvonne Schaltin

Zuidnederlandse Uitgeverij (ZNU)based in Aartselaar, stands out in the Flemish economic landscape. This company family is run by the sisters Frieda and Yvonne Schaltin. Originally specializing in books for children and teenagers, the publisher now generates half its sales from non-fiction books for adults, covering the fields of tourism, leisure, and home and garden books.

Expansion

ZNU's significant expansion came in 1994, when the company acquired 37 % of Standaard Boekhandel shares from the Dutch Perscombinatie-Meulenhoff group. In September 1995, ZNU took majority control of Standaard Boekhandel by purchasing additional shares from Gewestelijke Investeringsmaatschappij voor Vlaanderen (GIMV). Today, ZNU controls 99 % of this chain with around 80 stores in Flanders and Brussels.

Discretion and Management

Visit The Schaltin family is known for its discretion, preferring to avoid public appearances and disclosures of information about their business. Nevertheless, there's no denying that ZNU remains profitable, operating as a veritable "cash machine". Yvonne Schaltin also owns 33 % of ZNU, Hilde Schaltin sadly passed away at the end of 2016. Jan Vande Velde, an important ZNU executive, is also one of our key personalities. This enabled Yvonne Schaltin d'accumulated a fortune of over 80 million.

International presence

In addition to its operations in Belgium, ZNU has subsidiaries in France and Spainwhich amplifies its presence and influence in the European publishing sector. The company also owns Azura major player in online book sales, adding a digital dimension to their traditional activities.

Ranking and Influence

With assets valued at 83,228,000 euros, Yvonne Schaltin places ZNU in the top 300 on a list of the world's wealthiest individuals. ZNU's position and influence in the world of non-fiction literature, combined with its solid family management, make it a key player among the world's leading publishers. Flemish publishers.