From 0 to 95 Employees: How Achile Van Gierdegom Built QualityGuard

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. Ten years ago, he joined QualityGuard, a business that started as a niche solution for food safety and self-checking. Today, it's a scalable model expanding fast—if current trends hold, they'll double revenue again this year. QualityGuard doesn't build hype or a flashy app. They build a product that works, a system that scales. And they combine that with a clear buy-and-build strategy. ### The Journey from Niche to Scale Achile didn't start with a grand vision of global domination. He saw a real problem in food safety—businesses needed reliable self-checking systems—and built a solution that actually solved it. From there, growth came organically. But scaling required more than just a good product. - Started with a focus on food safety compliance - Expanded into multiple countries through strategic acquisitions - Maintained a culture of discipline despite rapid growth ### Balancing Speed and Structure In any fast-growing organization, there's tension between moving quickly and building solid structures. Achile describes himself as "street smart" rather than "book smart." Impatient. Commercial. Down-to-earth. But behind that speed is discipline. Behind the expansion is a model that works. "We talk about how you take on international responsibility at a young age," he says. "How you do acquisitions without losing your culture. About integration and tension fields in a rapidly growing organization and the constant balancing between speed and structure." ### The Buy-and-Build Strategy in Action QualityGuard's approach isn't about creating buzz. It's about buying complementary businesses and integrating them without losing what makes each one special. This requires a delicate touch—bringing new teams into the fold while preserving the core values that made QualityGuard successful in the first place. > "Achile calls himself more 'street smart' than 'book smart.' Impatient. Commercial. Down-to-earth. But behind that speed is discipline. Behind the expansion is a model that works." ### Lessons for Entrepreneurs This conversation isn't just about one company's success story. It's about building. Growing without burning out. And what it really takes to roll out a business across multiple countries. For entrepreneurs in the United States, the lessons are universal: - Solve a real problem, not a trendy one - Build a model that scales before you try to scale - Stay disciplined even when growth feels chaotic - Keep your culture intact during acquisitions Achile's journey shows that you don't need to be the loudest voice in the room. You just need a product that works, a team that believes in it, and the patience to grow the right way. More episodes available at belgische-ondernemers.be. Thanks to our partners: Teamleader.be and Cloudpoint.be.