'Together with our clients, we create the most beautiful projects'

The Rotterdam painting and finishing company Groenenboom was founded almost 85 years ago. In all that time, the company has had a host of fine projects to its name, especially large new construction jobs. 2021 was another successful year for the company, despite corona. "We owe that to the pleasant cooperation with our clients," say project manager Eric van der Kroft and project managers Michel de Heer, Sebastian Dresen and Sven Spreij.

As an example of a major project that Groenenboom delivered in the past year, project manager Michel de Heer cites the new court at the Zuidas in Amsterdam, the NACH. "That was a big project where we were busy for over a year. At the peak we had sixteen painters walking around there. Because it was such a big project, the foreman had to keep everything well under control. The work included sauce work, the application of anti-graffiti, and painting of paneling and window frames." This all went well because client Heijmans is a good acquaintance of Groenenboom. That goes for more contractors, project manager Sebastian Dresen knows. "Besides Heijmans, for example, we work a lot with companies like J.P. van Eesteren, Stebru, Dura Vermeer, Van Mierlo, Batenburg and Van Wijnen. The fact that we can look back on 2021 positively has to do with the pleasant cooperation. We are getting to know each other better and better, allowing that cooperation to grow further."

Thinking along at every stage

Another project recently completed is the Station Post Building (SPG) in The Hague. Dresen: "Our work only begins when the walls are standing. At the end of a project, we come and make everything neat and ready for delivery." Just because the painting company can't start work until a later stage doesn't mean it can't be called in early, Dresen believes. "We try to think along with the contractor beforehand. For example, two years before the renovation of SPG started, we set up tests for the architect and the contractor so they could choose a finish that matched the new look of the building. We always take into account the party that will be working before us and after us. Because we are very experienced as a company, we are able to think well with our clients."

Working safely and consciously

What is striking is that many of the projects where Groenenboom did the painting work appeared previously in Stedenbouw. Think of Grotius and the Stationspost building in The Hague, Little C and De Groene Kaap in Rotterdam or NACH and EMA in Amsterdam. Groenenboom is active throughout the Netherlands, but mainly in the Randstad. The company works with 25 staff members and a flexible shell of 60. Enough to handle even the very largest and most complicated projects. The staff is well trained and given the opportunity to specialize. The employees are VCA-certified and have a GPI. In addition, Groenenboom was recently certified for step 2 of the Safety Ladder, Sven Spreij explains. "We want to work safely and consciously throughout the organization, from the employees walking around on the construction site to the management. Our goal is to move up one rung every year."

Different disciplines

Unfortunately, some beautiful works could not continue in 2021, partly because of corona. What company didn't have to deal with that? Groenenboom will still start these projects in the new year. The company also wants to expand the existing disciplines in the future. "However, we will remain a real painting company. That's where the focus remains. We are all about delivering quality, in addition to dealing well with our clients," said project manager Eric van der Kroft.