After 50 years, it’s time to stop being modest

General Director Peter van Veelen and Owner Martine Goedegebuure

Martine: “Peter and I have worked together for 34 years in this company, which was founded by my parents in 1973. We trust each other completely. I took over from them in 1997, when I was 28 years old. In the years that followed, we survived the financial crisis and steadily built up the company into what it is today: healthy, reliable, and rich in knowledge—both in design and execution. That puts us in a great position to spread our wings further. The market is facing some big challenges, and we’re in a position to meet them. That may sound a little bold—but to be honest, we’ve been too modest for too long. Because what we do really is quite unique. From this strong foundation, now is the right time for me to hand over the day-to-day management to Peter. That gives me the space to look for new opportunities and potential partnerships—internally and externally. I’m really looking forward to that.”

Our clients know it’ll be done right—that’s what makes us unique

What makes Bos Nieuwerkerk unique to you, Peter?

Peter:
“We deliver turnkey solutions for the discharge of flue and process gases, with the option of heat recovery to reduce energy use and cut CO₂ emissions. That alone is already fairly unique. But what truly sets us apart is this: clients who work with us know it’ll be done right. We take time to really understand their processes. And with our specialised knowledge and experience, we can always offer the best solution. We also provide performance guarantees on our systems. And we never overcharge. That’s why 85% of our projects come from returning clients—and that’s something I’m proud of.”

And what about you, Martine—what makes Bos Nieuwerkerk unique to you?

Martine: “We put people at the centre of everything we do. That includes our team, our network, and our clients—and they’re all equally important. We’re a family business that believes in honest, equal partnerships. Everyone takes responsibility, and agreements are kept. That’s the only way to achieve great things together. During my studies at Nyenrode, I researched what sets us apart in the market. What stood out was how consistently we follow through on our promises. That surprised people. We always saw that as a basic requirement, not a unique selling point—but apparently, it is.”

How do you prefer to work with clients?

Peter: “Ideally, we’re sitting at the table directly with the client, in an equal relationship with them and any other partners involved. It’s great when there’s room to look beyond the tender documents—to explore better or smarter solutions. Because of our experience, we bring strong opinions and look at projects from multiple angles: technical, legal, and planning. When we’re involved early, we can add a lot more value. That’s also important because our work comes at the end of the process—when time gets tight. We meet deadlines by doing the groundwork up front.”

Where does your strength lie?

Martine: “I used to say during a company tour, when opening the production hall door, ‘This is where it all happens.’ Now, I say that just as enthusiastically about our engineering department. Because our strength lies in both the flexibility and craftsmanship of our production team and the smartness of our designs. The fact that we have both in-house—that’s our biggest asset. And it gives us a strong position when working with clients and partners.”

The impact we can now make with heat recovery is something to be proud of

Sounds like you’re already getting better at not being so modest?

Martine: “A little, yes. A lot of what we do feels normal to us. But when I tell people that we engineered three 40-metre chimneys—including platforms—for a cocoa factory in Indonesia, and prefabbed them in our own production hall, I realise from their reactions just how special that is. And with the kind of impact we can now make in heat recovery, there’s even more reason to be proud.”

How do you collaborate internally?

Martine: “What’s typical for our company is that we don’t just ‘throw things over the fence’ to another department. We all feel responsible for what we create for our clients. I remember once seeing M10 bolts being used to mount dampers. I asked Kees, our engineer, if those were strong enough. He explained the calculations behind it—and I trust Kees completely. Then another colleague asked the same question, and again, Kees explained it patiently. A third person came by, asking the same thing—and again, Kees calmly walked them through the reasoning. He didn’t say, ‘Why are you interfering?’ Because we all appreciate that everyone stays sharp and alert about what we build.

How tight is the rope when you’re always going the extra mile for your clients?

Peter: “We always try to maintain a healthy work-life balance for everyone. Not long ago, we had a project in South Limburg where our colleagues were only home on weekends. Right after that, another job came in that would have to be done over a weekend. We told the client straight away—we’re not asking that of our people. Even if there were volunteers willing to do it, we wouldn’t have let them. The client kept insisting, and we kept saying no. In the end, it turned out the job could be done on a weekday after all. But we didn’t count on that—we wanted to protect our team. We’re a family business, and we work with both our heads and our hearts. We love doing business, but business is ultimately about people. And people need to be taken care of.”

Helping our clients run their systems as efficiently and sustainably as possible—that’s our mission

What are your biggest challenges for the future?

Peter: “Our challenges are directly tied to those of our clients. Environmental, noise, and safety regulations for industry are becoming stricter by the day. And under the European Green Deal, companies of all sizes must drastically cut their CO₂ emissions. Our role is to help our clients make their systems as sustainable and efficient as possible.”

How can you support clients in becoming more sustainable?

Martine: “By joining forces with Heat Matrix, we’re taking a major step toward sustainability. In the past, our focus was mainly upward—on transporting flue and process gases through our chimneys. Now, we’re looking down too—at the ground we stand on. Not just because it has to be more sustainable, but because we feel that responsibility. With Heat Matrix, we can ensure our systems recover both heat and energy.”

Will Bos Nieuwerkerk and Heat Matrix continue as two separate companies?

Peter: “Yes—both companies will keep their own identity and area of expertise. But we share the same DNA when it comes to people and clients. Bos Nieuwerkerk is often involved at the tail end of projects—we know how to deliver from A to Z. Heat Matrix comes in earlier, at a more conceptual and theoretical level. Together, we can deliver complete, sustainable systems and strengthen the client’s business case.”

We’re building flue gas and heat recovery systems for the future

What’s your focus today—and for the near future?

Martine: “Offering integrated solutions—that’s what our clients are asking for. And that’s exactly where Bos Nieuwerkerk and Heat Matrix found each other. We also want to continue growing in engineering and parametric design, and we’re exploring how robotics can ease the workload for our people in production. We’re rolling out new ERP software to optimise our processes. We’re working on making our building more sustainable. With Heat Matrix, we recently became distributor of a Danish manufacturer of compact heat exchangers. And we’ve taken our first steps into odour reduction. We’ve never seen this much change in such a short time. It can feel a bit turbulent, but it’s also energising. These developments are all aimed at keeping our businesses healthy and future-proof—while helping the industry rise to the massive sustainability challenge ahead.

Martine Goedegebuure, the new head of strategy

Martine has been involved in the family business since she was young. When her father experienced health issues, she and her mother organised the opening of the company’s new facility. She also contributed to Bos Nieuwerkerk’s ISO 9001 certification. Her graduation project at the HEAO focused on setting up a branch in Leipzig—shortly after German reunification in 1990. She officially joined the company in 1992 and took over leadership five years later. It was always clear to the whole family that she would one day lead the business. Her oldest brother Eddy works one day a week as an independent IT systems administrator for Bos Nieuwerkerk. Her youngest brother Walter switches between production and on-site assembly. In 2006, Martine completed the Executive MBA at Nyenrode Business University. Now, in 2023, she’s focusing on what she loves most: discovering and unlocking new opportunities to help businesses prepare for future challenges.

Peter van Veelen, the new managing director

Peter knew his way around the Bos Nieuwerkerk workshop even before he officially joined the company. He worked for his father, and when they needed to punch steel, they used Bos Nieuwerkerk’s machine—because they didn’t have one of their own. After his father sold the business, Peter applied to Bos Nieuwerkerk. He started in production, became a working foreman, and later head of production. He soon took over procurement, work preparation, and the operations office. He developed into the key link between sales, production, and engineering. Eventually, sales became his mission—always keeping the customer’s goals front and centre. He’s been part of the management team for fifteen years. Now, as the new managing director of Bos Nieuwerkerk and Heat Matrix, he will focus on sales and engineering. Part of the plan is for him to step back from production. That might just be his biggest test of self-control yet.