The story of Reimert Group
In our country's youngest province, you get all the space you need as an entrepreneur to grow. To pursue your dreams. The bottom of the former Zuiderzee is bursting with entrepreneurial spirit. Flevoland is clearly different. You see it and you feel it.
Plenty of work
On the excavator, brothers Gijs and Herman Reimert travelled from Raalte to the new land in 1978. Almere had just fallen dry, so there was plenty of work. Especially in earth moving. They seized the adventure. With success. Because more than 50 years later, the Reimert Group grew into Flevoland's largest construction company. In Flevoland, you literally and figuratively have the space to do business," says managing director Erik Kijlstra.
Brothers Gijs and Herman had been running a construction company in Raalte for 10 years when they moved to the new country. They were confident about Flevoland's future. Almere Haven then had only 200 inhabitants and Herman Reimert settled here in 1978 with his young family in a rented house. That also served as an office.
Pleasant entrepreneurship
The Reimert Group comprises a total of seven operating companies. Reimert Bouw en Infrastructuur, Ubink Bouw en Onderhoud, De Wilde Grond-, Weg- en Waterbouw, Beugel Infrastructuur, Cirwinn recycling, engineering firm Ruim and Zandexploitatie Drenthe. There are now 170 permanent employees and - including subcontractors and hiring - between 400 and 500 people at work every day.
Business is also about ensuring a pleasant working environment, Kijlstra believes. 'It's a cliché, but it gives me great satisfaction to see that employees feel comfortable. You can say all kinds of things as management, but the success of your company is determined by the people who work there. Besides, there are a lot of coincidences or risks that come your way that you can't do anything about. But even then, it is reinforced - or not - by those who work at your organisation.'
More than half a century after its founders sought adventure on the new land, the Reimert Group operates in all Flevoland municipalities. It is pleasant doing business in Flevoland, Erik says. 'It is quite manageable, because you have relatively few municipalities in this province. The lines between business and government are short.'
Plenty of space
Erik has direct contact with administrators and officials. 'Not so much to discuss all kinds of complicated things, but also to think about sustainability together, for example. Almere is a new, young city. A lot can be done in the polder. You notice that on all sides. There is room for enterprise and the government encourages that.'
'Almere wants to be at the forefront, also when it comes to sustainability. That is also our ambition. It's wonderful if, as a company, you can think along with the municipality to actually give hands and feet to that.' In the coming years, the company will focus mainly on circularity: bringing waste, building materials and other materials back into products.
Intended for - the enthusiast
Trust and cooperation
'We very much want to continue with sustainable equipment in the future, so we like to think about how processes can be more efficient. Every time we ask ourselves: is this the way or can it be more sustainable? Money alone is not enough. You will have to do it together as business and government. That can't last a day too long, in my opinion.'
The Reimert Group is mainly active in the public area. 'That's also where you as a municipality can come up with great things for it. It's one of the few tools you have as a government. Taking steps together. It's a matter of trust, and trust creates cooperation. We think that is the only way to be able to take the next step.'
