A firm foundation
Bergschenhoek Groep B.V. was started by H. Rook in 1919 as Huig Rook Bouw- en materialenhandel. He traded in sand and gravel from his position on the water. Together with his wife Adriana Rook-Speksnijder and his children, he sailed the rivers of Germany and the Netherlands and the family business was born.
The business was a success and activities expanded towards the mainland, under the name Gebroeders Rook N.V. The acquisition of premises in 1956 meant a milestone in the history of the family business. On this site in Bergschenhoek, Huig Rook began Hercules N.V. The concrete goods plant specialised in concrete interior wall cladding: a product used for ventilation ducts and flue gas discharges in private residences.
In 1965, another change took place and the company changed its name to Industrie- en handelmaatschappij Bergschenhoek B.V. Thanks to the explosive rise in housebuilding in the Netherlands, the company witnessed tremendous growth in the nineteen-seventies. All concrete plants and power stations owned by the Rook family were running at full capacity. Developments in the housebuilding industry meant that demand for mechanical home ventilation and insulation were on the increase. Industrie- en handelmaatschappij Bergschenhoek B.V. responded to this demand and introduced helically seamed pipes and ventilation ducts.
Concrete makes way for steel
Developments continued and helically seamed pipes appeared to be extremely suitable for ground, civil and hydraulic engineering too. In 1980, the decision was taken to set up a separate department for activities in the field of civil engineering within the former Bergschenhoek Luchtcomfort company. To meet the great demand, Bergschenhoek Luchtcomfort opened a second production site in Staphorst in 1984.
Bergschenhoek Luchtcomfort was acquired within a short space of time. At the end of 1990, Obourg België S.A. bought the entire Rook group. A number of shareholders remained active in its management, however, and after two years, they bought Bergschenhoek Luchtcomfort back. The shareholders picked up where they left off and began to develop what they had begun at the end of the nineteen-eighties. Following a number of takeovers, Bergschenhoek Civiele Techniek has seen the light and will operate from Zevenbergen and Bergschenhoek.
The expansion is continuing and in addition to setting up new production sites, new products are also being added to the range. The Bergschenhoek Groep B.V. range is being expanded in a number of ways, such as by taking over the companies Cox Geelen, KWT and the Polish Roha Group Sp.zo.o. With the recent shareholding in Climate Recovery, the company is adding one of the most innovative and sustainable products in the field of air ventilation to its collection.
DNA for the future
Bergschenhoek Groep B.V.’s captivating history has provided the building blocks for the future. The fourth generation is now at the helm of the family business and the main driving force is the company’s long-term continuation. How the company presents itself today is mainly thanks to the third generation. Built on the foundations laid by Huig Rook, they have allowed the company to undergo tremendous development. From its trade on the inland waterways, the family business has developed into an internationally recognised company that operates globally in the fields of ventilation and air treatment systems, flue gas discharge and water management systems and civil engineering.