Buchen Industrial Services N.V. offers industrial cleaning services, the waste management and waste transport as well as remediation of land and buildings. “We are leading in terms of technology, innovation and automated processes,” says General Manager Jurgen Spaenhoven.
“We have a lot of experience in the market and can provide the ideal solution for our clients.” The company was founded in 1976 and became part of the Buchen group in 2006. “Developing from a small, locally operating company to a subsidiary of an internationally active group, which is active in 26 countries, was a big milestone for us,” states Mr. Spaenhoven.
“The acquisition resulted in a boost for our business and gave us the possibility of stepping forward regarding the technical approach.”
At the end of 2011, the Buchen group with headquarters in Germany took over Xervon, which is one of the leading companies in the area of technical services for the erection and maintenance of industrial installations worldwide.
The service provider offers scaffolding, insulation, surface technology and piping as well as the full maintenance of processing facilities, location and shutdown management, and building prevention. “At the moment, the focus is on integrating Buchen and Xervon into a full service provider,” explains the general manager.
“The industries in Europe are still in a crisis and many sectors are decreasing. For this reason, it is important to be able to offer a full service package. Xervon rounds up our portfolio in a perfect way.”
Buchen Industrial Services offers a broad range of services for the chemical and petrochemical industry, ports, the steel industry and other heavy industries.
“Our core competence are cleaning services as well as taking care of the waste products,” points out the general manager. “We find the ideal solution for our clients and minimize their waste, reducing their ecological footprint.”
The company’s service portfolio comprises tank cleaning, chemical cleaning, sewage cleaning and cold cutting. The cleaning specialist mainly works with the highpressure water jet method, which removes even the most tenacious contamination.
Moreover, the water can be purified and recycled in respect to the environment. The waste treatment and waste management is another important business area, and Buchen offers the most economical and ecological disposal of the waste.
The firm has a large fleet of trucks, vacuum trucks, combination trucks and vehicles for the transport of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The third division is the remediation of land and buildings, and Buchen Industrial Services helps customers in remediating soils and stripping systems. The company also assists the government in case of calamities and is reachable 24/7 through its call center.
In Belgium, Buchen Industrial Services operates under two different types of legal entity. In Flanders, the company operates as an N.V. and Wallonia is covered by an S.A. “Buchen in Flanders is also active in the Netherlands,” illustrates Mr. Spaenhoven.
“The entire Buchen group has local seats and specialized divisions, offering the benefit of cooperations and synergies within the group.” Buchen Industrial Services realized a turnover of 27 million EUR in 2012 in Belgium and has a staff of 185 people.
The entire Buchen group has about 2,770 employees and realized revenues of around 325 million EUR in 2012. The Buchen group is an international service provider and follows its customers to different parts in the world. “We are well-known and our clients often ask us to join them and bring our know-how and technical experience with them,” says Mr. Spaenhoven.
“We work with local people anywhere in the world, but they adhere to our regulations and procedures on safety and education. We continuously work on developing know-how and trainings. We are a company driven by the people, who work for us. Our employees work very hard, often in potentially dangerous circumstances. Trainings and coachings are very important to ensure their safety. I take my hat off to our workers.”
Technology, innovation and automated processes as well as the benefits of synergies and cooperations within the group are the success factors of Buchen. “We specialize in niche markets,” states the general manager. “Our sector will go through a difficult development in the next years and is characterized by survival of the fittest.
The integration of Xervon into our portfolio is a challenge for the future, but also offers a lot of possibilities to expand our services and become a strong provider in the market.”