A merger in times of corona

Together with Drees & Sommer's Dutch team, about 100 employees have been working from the Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven regions since then. "It has been an exciting first year for our renewed organization, not least because of the corona pandemic. But one year after the merger, we can look back on a successful integration of both our organizations," says managing director Michel de Haan.

The BOAG brand name will soon be permanently abandoned. Both organizations will then continue together under the name Drees & Sommer Netherlands. Ton Heijmans, formerly chairman of the board at BOAG, is one of the managing directors of Drees & Sommer Netherlands. "Our two organizations have proven to be truly complementary in our services to clients. It was an ideal marriage from day one." For Drees & Sommer, the merger with BOAG was an important step both in the Dutch real estate market and in the further European development of Drees & Sommer. "Together we are growing further as a leading, European real estate expert driven by innovation and circular economy."

Collaboration

"A merger during a period of lockdowns has some additional challenges," De Haan says. "Meeting live, getting to know each other personally and sharing knowledge is by far ideal in an integration process where you want professionals to work together. Fortunately, technology stands for nothing and we still know how to find each other better and better through the various online sessions and events. And soon the first live meeting for Drees & Sommer Netherlands is on the agenda, which everyone is really looking forward to. The renewed DNA of our organization is beginning to take shape!"

One-stop-shop from a sectoral approach
Drees & Sommer advises, supports and assists organizations with real estate, housing and infrastructure issues. De Haan: "We always look at opportunities for sustainability, innovation, cost efficiency and digitalization. And perhaps most importantly to make a project a success: always with a focus on the wishes and needs of the end users."

Ton Heijmans: "Both BOAG and Drees & Sommer were already working with a sectoral approach: since the merger, in addition to our extensive experience and know-how of the Dutch market and laws and regulations, we also have a lot of specific knowledge and expertise from our international supporters. We are, as it were, a one-stop-shop for parties from, for example, the education, logistics, life sciences or hospitality sectors."

"We have found that after the merger we can offer our clients an even broader range of services. Take, for example, the new Amare cultural center in The Hague, where we previously also did the project management and now take care of the facilities advice, the fit-out and the environmental communication. And at the new building of the Clusius College in Hoorn: there we have been involved from the feasibility study, are now providing the integral project management and are also taking on the design process for part of the interior. And so we can name many more projects where we can optimally unburden our client."

"We can already see many benefits of our merger after one year," De Haan also agrees. "Together we have enormous clout and have multiplied our national and international knowledge and expertise. For topics such as sustainability and digitalization, such an international approach is very useful. The large Drees & Sommer organization also gives us an edge in technological applications and new concepts. All this means that we can also handle complex housing and infrastructure issues."

Top team for top projects

"The merger is also positive for our current and future employees," says Heijmans. "We are attracting tremendously nice projects and Drees & Sommer offers space within and outside the Netherlands to continue to develop, grow and specialize. The expansion of our organization, our services and project portfolio has also made us much more attractive as an employer, we notice!"

Drees & Sommer Netherlands strives to be among the top project management firms as well as best employers. "In the past year we were able to add many top projects to our portfolio - for example, the highly sustainable new headquarters of ABN AMRO Bank in Amsterdam, the transformation of the former national monumental Rotterdam post office into the spectacular multifunctional concept POST, and the new construction of logistics centers for Amazon and others," De Haan lists. "An impressive project portfolio that shows that we are well on our way to the top. And top projects are done with a top team, so we are always looking for new talent and continue to invest in developing our team."