A safe and durable building starts with concrete

In recent years, Willy Naessens Nederland has built several cold stores in the food industry, including the new premises for Wilko Fruit in Breda, phases 2 and 3 of the logistics DCs for the Greenery in Barendrecht and the new premises of Kivits-Goes Handling and VGK Cool Logistic in Ridderkerk. All with their own prefab concrete concept. 

From design, engineering, production of the precast concrete elements, ground work, transport and assembly to handover; Willy Naessens manages and supervises the entire building process itself. The originally Belgian company has been active in the Netherlands since 2015 and is based in Nieuwkuijk (NB). Naessens is a specialist in building business premises using its own prefabricated concrete concept: robust, aesthetic, safe and value-retaining. "Thanks to our 'vertical integration', as we call it, we have all the important aspects within a construction process in our own hands," says Jeroen de Bonth, director of Willy Naessens Nederland. "This means there is one single contact point for the customer. We prefer to think along from the very beginning." 

Wanting to achieve a good result together; that is an important characteristic of the company. "On the work floor there is a familiar and warm atmosphere," says employee Suzan Dorgelo. "Short lines and fast communication are essential to us. Not only among ourselves, but also, or perhaps especially, with our customers. That is simply the most pleasant way to work." De Bonth confirms: "We like to be next to the client, in order to design the best possible building within our concrete concept. That also ensures a good, competitive price/quality ratio".

Prefab concrete concept

Unlike in-situ concrete, Willy Naessens works with prefabricated, or precast, concrete elements. The elements for the construction of a building are prefabricated in Willy Naessens' own factories, after which they are transported directly to the building site in their entirety. Once on site, they are immediately assembled. "This ensures a fast and orderly construction process. In addition, quality and planning are guaranteed.

"In addition, the demands on the quality of new business premises are increasing," continues De Bonth. "Partly by the customers themselves, but certainly also imposed by the government through strict laws and regulations. Because we have several food processing companies in our portfolio, we know what is going on in the industry. Take, for example, the HACCP rules and compartmentalisation for fire resistance." 

Partly because of those strict laws and regulations, the use of concrete is becoming increasingly popular, notes the director. As to why, he says: "Concrete is inherently robust, fire-resistant and has a long lifespan. An additional advantage is the accumulative capacity: the large mass ensures that the temperature can be regulated well and thus remains constant. This is one of the reasons why concrete is ideal for business premises in the food industry."

Quality

Prefab concrete, either in combination with steel or not, produces a multifunctional end result. "It is used for freezer halls, distribution centres, offices, car parks, business units, storage of hazardous substances, you name it. Our precast concrete meets the strictest requirements and complies with current laws and regulations. We believe in our product and adapt it to suit the circumstances. For example, fully fire-resistant compartments for the storage of hazardous substances.  Thanks to this flexibility, we are able to meet the needs and wishes of our customers. We immediately translate those wishes and requirements into an optimised construction plan," says De Bonth.

Naessens also strives for quality within the organisation. KAM coordinator Yme Jager: "We are certified for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and VCA**. Last month, we once again successfully passed a surveillance audit; something to be proud of," he concludes with a big smile.

www.willynaessens.nl