From 0 to 7 Countries: The Quality Guard Growth Story

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-05-28

At just 30 years old, Achile Van Gierdegom leads a company with 95 employees, six offices, and operations across seven countries. That's a lot of responsibility for someone who started a decade ago as a co-founder of Quality Guard. What began as a niche solution for food safety and auto-control inspections has turned into a scalable business model that's expanding fast. If current trends hold, they'll double their revenue again this year. Quality Guard isn't building hype or a flashy app. They're building a product that works. A system that scales. And they pair it with a clear buy-and-build strategy. ### The Journey from Niche to Global Achile didn't just stumble into success. He stepped into Quality Guard 10 years ago, when it was a small operation focused on food safety compliance. Today, the company serves clients in seven countries, with a team that's grown from a handful to 95 people. The secret? They don't chase trends. They focus on solving a real problem: helping businesses manage food safety and auto-control processes. That focus has allowed them to build a repeatable, scalable model.  ### Balancing Speed and Structure Growing fast is hard. Growing fast while keeping your culture intact is even harder. Achile talks openly about the tension between speed and structure. When you're acquiring other companies, how do you integrate them without losing what makes your team special? He describes himself as "street smart" rather than "book smart." Impatient. Commercial. Grounded. But behind that speed is discipline. Behind the expansion is a model that works. - **Key insight:** Speed without discipline leads to chaos. Structure without speed leads to stagnation. - **The balancing act:** Know when to push hard and when to pull back. - **Culture first:** Integration is about people, not just processes. ### What It Really Takes to Scale Across Borders Expanding into multiple countries isn't just about signing contracts. It's about understanding local regulations, building trust, and adapting your approach without losing your core. Achile's advice for young entrepreneurs? Don't try to be everything to everyone. Focus on a niche that matters. Build a product that solves a real problem. And be patient enough to let it grow. > "The real work isn't in the first sale. It's in building something that lasts." — Achile Van Gierdegom This conversation is about building. About growing without burning out. And about what it really takes to roll out a company across multiple countries. ### The Buy-and-Build Strategy in Action Quality Guard's growth isn't accidental. They've executed a deliberate buy-and-build strategy, acquiring smaller players and integrating them into their system. The key? They don't just buy companies. They buy talent, culture, and local expertise. - **Step 1:** Identify strong local players in food safety. - **Step 2:** Acquire them, but keep their leadership in place. - **Step 3:** Integrate systems while preserving what made them successful. ### A Final Word on Growth Achile's story is a reminder that you don't need to be the loudest person in the room to build something big. You just need to be clear on what you're building, who you're building it for, and why it matters. For more episodes, visit belgische-ondernemers.be. Thanks to our partners: Teamleader.be (win a duoticket for the Work Smarter Event on June 4, 2026) and Cloudpoint.be, the IT partner for every SME.