At furniture manufacturer Leolux in Venlo, the internal conflict between current management and former top executive Jeroen Sanders is escalating. Two interim directors, appointed by the Enterprise Chamber, are asking the court to bar Sanders from making any further public statements about the company. According to them, his criticism is causing "significant harm" to the business. 
© cultuurinvenlo.nlFormer top executive Jeroen Sanders.
Sanders led Leolux for 32 years, handing over management to his son, Sebastiaan Sanders, in 2014. Following the COVID-19 crisis, the family business ran into financial difficulties. In 2024, the Enterprise Chamber intervened, appointing two interim directors to restore order. They discovered an empty treasury and, with the family's support, secured an emergency loan. A reorganization followed, along with the departure of Sebastiaan Sanders.
Relations deteriorated when Jeroen Sanders , writing in the Dutch newspaper De Limburger, called the interim directors "completely incompetent" and accused them of authoritarian management. According to the directors, he also shared confidential information with staff, which Sanders denies. They argue that his statements caused unrest within the company and ask the court to order him to be quiet.
Sanders speaks of "intimidation" and in turn demands the dismissal of the two interim managers and an investigation into their policies. The Enterprise Chamber will hear the case in a fortnight' time. Leolux, meanwhile, remains uncertain about its future.
© Gé Beurskens, Reclamebureau Magenta
From left to right in the photo: Gert van Heuvelen, Particon director, Bernd Jan Klein Entink, Leolux director on behalf of the Enterprise Chamber, Venlo, Sebastiaan Sanders, 3rd-generation shareholder Leolux.
Source: De Limburger
