Concrete specialist grows into big business

A new company building, larger orders and an even more specialized approach to the portfolio: since Erwin and Nicole Ruiter became full owners of BSE Betonwerken last year, the Ermelo-based company seems to be gaining momentum. Among other things, BSE is currently working on the new building for the RIVM in Utrecht.

BSE concrete works was started in 1975 by Erwin's father. "A year before I was born, he started laying first floors and two years later prefabricated assembly projects were added," Erwin says. "That went very well. Until 2010, BSE employed 75 people and owned a large fleet of machinery. Then the crisis hit hard in the construction industry and BSE did not escape a major downsizing either. In fact, by 2013 it was almost over."

Owner

From that low point, Erwin continues on his own with BSE, steadily building a healthy business with a growing order book. "Through hard work, since 2019 we are full owners and also completely free from the banks. And that's a good feeling. We recently bought a piece of land in Ermelo to build a new, private office with a shed there."

A BSE crew at work in front of the new RIVM building.

Checks

By "we," Erwin refers in addition to himself to his wife Nicole, who is now also part of the family business. Nicole not only does human resources and payroll, she can also be found regularly on the construction sites. "I'm a jack-of-all-trades at BSE. On the big works, like the RIVM, I go by every Monday to check the hours. The other day, both Erwin and the foreman at the RIVM had a cold and - due to corona measures - were unable to show up. I then did the daily rounds and quality checks with a foreman from another job. This world is not foreign to me, my father was a contractor so I grew up among building materials and construction workers."

Co-maker

BSE betonwerken has undergone a major professionalization in recent years. The main activities are still concrete works, precast assembly, system floors and wide slab floors for residential and commercial construction. Erwin: "Gradually we became involved in larger projects. In the beginning we were at best a hired subcontractor there, now we sit at the table as co-maker in large developments and are asked to actively think along to solve problems. The work is becoming increasingly specialized and if you work with large contractors and are solution-oriented, it is appreciated and they know where to find you. We now have enough knowledge in-house to play an advisory role as well."

Training

It is clear to Nicole and Erwin that BSE has developed into a professional party that delivers quality. Nicole: "That is more than just nice company clothing with a logo on it. BSE works with a team in which experienced foremen, project managers and steersmen work well together; our logo was deliberately made in the style of The A-Team. We are also serious about providing training for our employees, and our cooperation with employment agencies is excellent. We want to have professional teams working everywhere, because BSE stands for reliability and quality."