TSG
TSG is a Dutch multi-label technical staffing platform deploying 3,000+ engineers and specialists across six European countries via six brands (STAR, Sensor, Litecad, ECC Solutions, Altio, NLIST) for energy transition, industrial, infrastructure, high-tech, and life sciences projects, serving 600+ enterprise clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersMoerdijk, Netherlands
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TSG does
The Specialist Group (TSG) is a Netherlands-headquartered multi-label technical staffing platform that deploys highly skilled engineers and technical specialists on a project or secondment basis to enterprise clients across six European countries. Founded in 2001 as STAR (originally serving the Dutch oil & petrochemical sector) and now backed by Oaktree Capital Management and TSG Management, the group has grown to approximately 3,275 employees (275 internal staff plus 3,000 deployed specialists) serving more than 600 enterprise clients including Shell, BP, Tennet, Stedin, Alliander, Vattenfall, Gasunie, Tata Steel, Pfizer, MSD, Bayer, Janssen, Neste, Yara, Dow, Northvolt, Enedis, and RTE. The platform operates through six specialized brands — STAR Group (flagship), Sensor, Litecad, ECC Solutions, Altio, and NLIST — each targeting distinct niches within energy transition (where over 80% of deployed specialists work), industrial, infrastructure, high-tech, and life sciences verticals.
TSG generates revenue through markup on deployed specialist salaries plus service fees, with revenue streams spanning technical specialist secondment (STAR, Sensor, Litecad, Altio), full-lifecycle project staffing including engineering, construction management, safety, and commissioning (STAR), and international recruitment and relocation services focused on South African technical talent for the Dutch market (NLIST). The company has no proprietary technology platform — its core asset is the curated specialist pool and long-standing enterprise relationships — and relies on a direct enterprise sales model with dedicated account managers for major accounts. Recent strategy under Oaktree ownership emphasizes aggressive buy-and-build M&A (five acquisitions 2023-2025), geographic expansion (France entry 2026, Germany shared service centre 2025), and cross-label collaboration to serve the European energy transition buildout. STAR alone reported approximately €190 million in revenue in 2021; no consolidated group-level revenue has been disclosed in the source material.
TSG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TSG
- Legal name
- The Specialist Group International B.V.
- Website
- https://www.thespecialistgroup.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- TSG is a Dutch multi-label technical staffing platform deploying 3,000+ engineers and specialists across six European countries via six brands (STAR, Sensor, Litecad, ECC Solutions, Altio, NLIST) for energy transition, industrial, infrastructure, high-tech, and life sciences projects, serving 600+ enterprise clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TSG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Technical Staffing Services
- NAICS
- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Utilities & Telecom Field Technician Staffing (BPACAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)
Keywords
Where TSG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moerdijk
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices17 records
Markets served
TSG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Technical Specialist Secondment: TSG deploys technical engineering specialists on a project and secondment basis. Specialists are placed at client organisations for temporary assignments, with TSG managing employment, compliance, and HR functions. Revenue is generated through markup on specialist salaries plus service fees.
- Project Staffing Services: Full-service project staffing where TSG provides complete teams for major industrial projects. Includes engineering, construction management, safety experts, commissioning engineers, and other technical roles. Service covers the entire project lifecycle from design through commissioning.
- International Recruitment & Relocation: NLIST label specialises in recruiting international technical talent (particularly from South Africa) and handles full relocation services to the Netherlands. Provides comprehensive support including employment, documentation, and integration assistance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project staffing services - pricing based on specialist level and project duration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
TSG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TSG provides highly skilled technical specialists to enterprise clients on a project or secondment basis across the power, chemicals, infrastructure, high-tech, and life sciences sectors. The company operates through six specialized labels (STAR, Sensor, Litecad, ECC Solutions, Altio, NLIST) that recruit, employ, and deploy technical professionals while managing payroll, compliance, and HR functions. Over 80% of its deployed specialists work on energy transition projects, and the company supports clients with international recruitment and full relocation services.
Product overview
The Specialist Group (TSG) is a multi-label technical staffing platform that provides highly skilled technical specialists for specialized technical projects on a project or secondment basis. The company operates through six distinct labels/brands: STAR Group (flagship technical staffing agency), Sensor (technical secondment services from merger of Sentijn and Or-Quest), Litecad (technical specialists for power/infrastructure/industry), ECC Solutions (project validation data), NLIST (international specialist relocation), and Altio (Swedish energy transition staffing). Together these labels serve sectors including power, chemicals, infrastructure, renewables, high-tech, and life sciences across Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Austria, and France.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- STAR Group: Flagship label of TSG providing technical engineering specialists for power, chemicals, infrastructure, renewables and life sciences. Market leader in industry and sustainable energy staffing in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and France.
- Sensor
- Litecad
- Altio
- NLIST
- ECC Solutions
Products and services
- STAR Group Flagship TSG label providing technical engineering specialists for power, chemicals, infrastructure, renewables, and life sciences projects across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and France. Market leader in technical staffing for industry and sustainable energy.
- Sensor National Dutch technical secondment services provider created from the merger of Sentijn and Or-Quest, placing experts in civil engineering, infrastructure, construction, electrical and mechanical engineering for energy transition projects.
- Litecad Provider of approximately 150 technical specialists for power, infrastructure and industrial sectors, supporting sustainability projects including hydrogen production, grid hardening, energy efficiency and electrification. Based in Hoogeveen.
- ECC Solutions
Quantifiable outcome
- Every week about 60 specialists start a new assignment with STAR
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use TSG
Customer profileNamed customers30 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
TSG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
TSG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- VopakminorTSG specialist Lea Schipper works on-site at Vopak's Rotterdam office as Procurement Support, demonstrating TSG's long-term client relationships.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TSG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brunel International: Amsterdam-headquartered global specialist staffing firm focused on engineering, energy, and industrial markets. Direct competitor to TSG's STAR label with overlapping sector focus and pan-European presence.
- YACHT (Randstad subsidiary): Dutch technical staffing firm under Randstad focused on engineering, IT, and energy-transition specialists. Closest direct competitor to STAR in the Netherlands with similar customer roster.
- Airswit: Global workforce solutions provider specializing in engineering and technical staffing for energy, infrastructure, and process industries. Direct competitor particularly relevant to TSG's Altio and STAR labels in the Nordics and DACH.
- Atlas Professionals: Global specialist recruitment firm dedicated to energy, marine, and infrastructure. Direct competitor particularly for offshore wind, hydrogen, and grid-related specialist deployments similar to Altio and STAR.
Broad incumbents
- Hays plc: Global staffing firm with a large engineering and technical specialism covering energy, infrastructure, and life sciences. Larger and broader than TSG but competes directly for technical specialist mandates in Europe.
- PageGroup (Michael Page): Global professional services recruitment firm with engineering, technical, and energy-transition practices across European markets. A broader incumbent that competes for similar candidates and clients.
- ManpowerGroup: Large global staffing company with dedicated engineering, energy, and infrastructure divisions across Europe. Operates at greater scale than TSG but competes for the same enterprise accounts and specialist supply.
Regional players
- BelFlex: Belgian technical staffing and secondment specialist focused on engineering and industrial sectors. Comparable to TSG's Sensor label in Belgium and competes for similar enterprise clients in the Benelux region.
Emerging players
- Covalen: European technical staffing and managed services firm with strong presence in Ireland, Netherlands, and UK. Focused on engineering, life sciences, and energy sectors — partial overlap with TSG's multi-label offering.
- Proforce Staffing / Energy Resourcing: Specialty staffing firms serving energy and infrastructure clients across Europe with focus on renewables and grid projects. Comparable emerging players within the same technical-specialist secondment model that TSG competes against in adjacent geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TSG social profiles
Digital presenceTSG compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
TSG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TSG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
TSG subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
TSG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TSG M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TSG
What does TSG do?
TSG provides highly skilled technical specialists to enterprise clients on a project or secondment basis across the power, chemicals, infrastructure, high-tech, and life sciences sectors. The company operates through six specialized labels (STAR, Sensor, Litecad, ECC Solutions, Altio, NLIST) that recruit, employ, and deploy technical professionals while managing payroll, compliance, and HR functions. Over 80% of its deployed specialists work on energy transition projects, and the company supports clients with international recruitment and full relocation services.
Is TSG a public or private company?
TSG is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was TSG founded?
TSG was founded in 2001. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is TSG based?
TSG is headquartered in Moerdijk, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does TSG make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Technical Specialist Secondment is the primary driver. The others are project Staffing Services and international Recruitment & Relocation.
Who are TSG's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brunel International, YACHT (Randstad subsidiary), Airswit and Atlas Professionals. Broad incumbents are Hays plc, PageGroup (Michael Page) and ManpowerGroup. BelFlex is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Covalen and Proforce Staffing / Energy Resourcing.
Does TSG have an API?
No public API is recorded for TSG.
What industry is TSG in?
TSG's product category is Technical Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAEAG, Utilities & Telecom Field Technician Staffing, with a secondary code of BPAHAIAL, Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services. Its NAICS code is 541990 and its SIC code is 8700.