Pacific Groep buys back Working Spirit in first buy-and-build deal
What's the deal? Pacific GroepDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired Deventer-based IT staffing firm Working SpiritDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → from UnicaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, closing the deal on October 2, 2026. Terms were not disclosed. It is the first acquisition under Pacific Groep's buy-and-build strategy, which centres on specialised staffing at the intersection of compliance, risk, and IT.
A homecoming: For Pacific Groep majority shareholder Richard Oosterhuis, the deal is a return. He founded Working Spirit in 2003 and sold it to Unica in 2022.
"Working Spirit is a company I built with great passion for almost twenty years," Oosterhuis said (translated from Dutch). "That we can now bring it back is a unique opportunity."
Why now? Unica sold Working Spirit because it no longer fit its future strategy. Oosterhuis framed the timing around rising demand: "The pressure on IT departments increases every year," he said.
What's the endgame? Pacific Groep is assembling a group of specialised staffing labels. With Working Spirit added, it reaches a combined annual turnover of more than €10 million and nearly 100 employees, with a further acquisition planned for 2027.
What changes for customers? Working Spirit stays active under its own name as an independent label within Pacific Groep. The team moves from Deventer to Woerden, then relocates to Pacific Groep's new building in Soest on January 1, 2027. Existing client and contractor agreements continue unchanged, with Oosterhuis serving as the initial point of contact.
Working Spirit works with IT professionals for clients in government, healthcare, and the energy sector. Pacific Groep sees overlap with its existing IT label, BlacktangDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. "Working Spirit and Blacktang fit together seamlessly," said shareholder Joep Burgers, adding the larger talent pool lets the group bid on tenders and serve clients faster and more broadly.
The signal: The deal shows how specialised staffing firms are consolidating to scale talent pools and compete for larger contracts. For Pacific Groep, combining organic growth with targeted acquisitions is the playbook for building a focused group across compliance, risk, and IT.
Read more: dutchitleaders.nl
Image credit: thetaxhaven
