Aertssen Group

What Aertssen Group does

Aertssen Group is a Belgian, family-owned industrial services group founded in 1964 by Marcel Aertssen and now led by the third generation of the founding family. The group operates four core divisions: Aertssen Infra (earthmoving, demolition, road construction, hydraulic engineering, soil remediation, asbestos removal, quarrying, and a new Piping unit), Aertssen Lifting (crane rental with a fleet of 200+ cranes from 40 to 1,000+ tons plus SPMTs and industrial services such as shutdown management), Aertssen Transport & Logistics (exceptional heavy transport, port terminal operations, warehousing, forwarding and project logistics), and Aertssen Trading (resale of used construction equipment worldwide). It serves construction contractors, industrial and petrochemical operators (Borouge, NMDC, Duqm Refinery, Carmeuse), public-sector clients (Etihad Rail, social housing, Belgian municipalities), and large megaproject owners, including stadium and data-center builds during the Qatar FIFA World Cup and Microsoft Azure deployments.

The group runs on a high-capital-intensity model: owning rather than subcontracting specialized equipment, with engineering support from 3D machine-control systems, VR and digital-twin lift planning, a proprietary A-CE crane protection system, and a digital lift-chart application. Geographic footprint spans Belgium (HQ Stabroek, with regional offices in Verrebroek, Beringen, Hermalle-sous-Huy, Zandhoven, Lier, Limburg, Charleroi, Gent, Brussels and Liège) plus Aertssen Machinery Services hubs in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Singapore and Aertssen Logistics USA in Georgia, with projects delivered across 30+ countries. Revenue is generated through project-based B2B contracts with quote-based pricing; key certifications (ISO 9001/14001/45001, VCA Petrochemie, AEO, Level 5 CO2 Performance Ladder, Tracimat membership) and three consecutive Deloitte Best Managed Company Gold awards (2024-2026) underpin eligibility for complex industrial and public tenders.

Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales through dedicated business unit contacts and on-site engineering engagement. Growth is driven by an active M&A program (G. Smeyers 2021, Van Rooy 2021, SVK 2024 jointly with Beerens), geographic expansion (USA in 2024), new service lines (Piping division 2025), and sustainability-led fleet renewal (first electric mini-excavator launched 2024).

Name

Aertssen Group

Legal name

Aertssen Group nv

Website

https://aertssen.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Aertssen Group is a Belgian family-owned industrial services group offering infrastructure works, crane rental (200+ cranes), exceptional transport and logistics, and used-equipment trading, serving construction, petrochemical, port, rail and public-sector clients across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Construction and Industrial Services

NAICS

Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Construction Machinery Manufacturing (333120), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Trailer & Heavy Transport Equipment Providers (SPMT, Lowboy, Multi-Axle) (TLADAGAM), Gear & Lifting Equipment Rental (Cranes, Spreaders, Forklifts, Reach Stackers) (TLAHALAD), Construction & Industrial Equipment Rental/Leasing (Earthmoving, Material Handling, Aerial) (TLABAHAF), Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

Keywords

• Heavy civil engineering
• Crane rental services
• Exceptional transport logistics
• Earthmoving infrastructure works
• Used construction equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Stabroek

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Services: Heavy civil engineering services including earthworks, demolition, soil remediation, asbestos removal, road construction, hydraulic engineering, and infrastructure works. Revenue generated through project-based service contracts for public and private clients.
2. Crane Rental & Lifting Services: Rental of mobile cranes, tower cranes, and crawler cranes with operators. Fleet of over 200 cranes covering various weight categories (40 to 1000+ tons). Industrial services including rigging, shutdown management, and module installation.
3. Transport & Logistics: Exceptional transport services (market leader in Belgium), terminal operations, warehousing, forwarding, project logistics, and technical services. Includes permit acquisition, customs clearance, modification, maintenance and assembly services.
4. Trading (Used Equipment): Sale of used construction equipment giving machines a second life. Handles equipment from own business units and third parties, finding new owners worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aertssen Group delivers end-to-end heavy construction and industrial services from a single point of contact, organized into four business units: Aertssen Infra (earthworks, demolition, soil remediation, asbestos removal, road/sewer construction, hydraulic engineering, quarrying, piping), Aertssen Lifting (rental of 200+ mobile, crawler and tower cranes, plus industrial lifting and shutdown services), Aertssen Transport & Logistics (exceptional/heavy transport, terminal operations, warehousing, forwarding and project logistics), and Aertssen Trading (resale of used construction equipment worldwide). Services are delivered by in-house engineering teams with a fleet of modern heavy equipment and operate across Belgium, Middle East, USA and select international markets.

Product overview

Aertssen Group is a Belgian international construction and industrial services company organized into four core business divisions. Aertssen Infra provides earthmoving, demolition, road construction, hydraulic engineering, and specialized services (asbestos removal, soil remediation, piping). Aertssen Lifting offers crane rental (200+ cranes, 40-1000+ ton capacity) and lifting project services with industrial services capability. Aertssen Transport & Logistics handles exceptional transport (Belgian market leader) and comprehensive logistics including warehousing and project logistics. Aertssen Trading resells used construction equipment globally. The group has expanded through acquisitions including G. Smeyers (groundwater dewatering) and Van Rooy (foundation works), and operates internationally through Aertssen Machinery Services in the Middle East, Asia, and USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aertssen Trading: Sells used construction equipment giving machines a second life
• Aertssen Machinery Services (AMS)
• Driven by Safety

Products and services

• Aertssen Infra - Heavy Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Works Integrated infrastructure contracting services for construction companies, industrial clients and public works: earthmoving, road construction, sewer construction, hydraulic engineering, demolition, environmental works, asbestos removal, soil remediation, quarrying and infrastructure construction, plus machine rental.
• Aertssen Lifting - Crane Rental and Industrial Lifting Services Rental of mobile, crawler and tower cranes (fleet of 200+ cranes from 40 to 1000+ tons, plus SPMTs), together with engineered lifting projects, rigging, shutdown/turnaround management and module installation for industrial and construction clients.
• Aertssen Transport & Logistics - Exceptional Transport and Project Logistics Market-leading Belgian exceptional transport service for oversized and overweight cargo, complemented by terminal operations, warehousing, forwarding, project logistics and technical services including permit acquisition, customs clearance, modification, maintenance and assembly.
• Aertssen Trading - Used Construction Equipment Sales Resale of carefully maintained used construction equipment sourced from Aertssen's own business units and from third parties, sold to new owners worldwide to give machines a second life.
• Aertssen Piping - Pipeline Installation, Maintenance and Repair Specialized Piping division within Aertssen Infra providing installation, maintenance and repair of pipeline systems for industrial and public clients - petrochemical sites, port terminals, utility networks and public infrastructure - covering fire suppression, sprinkler, drinking water, gas, process and pre-insulated district heating networks.
• Aertssen Services - Maintenance and Technical Services Dedicated maintenance and technical services division providing comprehensive support across all Aertssen operations.
• Aertssen Machinery Services (AMS) - International Heavy Equipment Rental International subsidiary providing heavy equipment rental for earthmoving and lifting work across Abu Dhabi (UAE), Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the USA, supporting large international projects with 55+ mechanics deployable in the Middle East.

Quantifiable outcome

• Level 5 on CO2 Performance Ladder - highest sustainability certification level
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Beerens & Aertssen (SVK acquisition)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2024Joint acquisition of SVK (previously owned by Beerens). SVK is a stone/composite materials company. Aertssen and Beerens partnered for this acquisition, expanding into stone trading sector.
• UnilincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2024Strategic partnership for circular wood processing. Aertssen Infra and Unilin combine expertise in circular economy initiatives, with Unilin focusing on wood-based solutions and Aertssen providing infrastructure and processing capabilities.
• Van RooycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2021Foundation company from Beerse specializing in concrete works, basement construction, foundation and revetment techniques. 2020: 50+ employees, 16 million euro revenue. Acquisition supports Aertssen Infra growth strategy for integrated service packages.
• G. SmeyerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2021Dewatering specialist from Zandhoven acquired in phases. Originally 50% owned, remaining shares acquired to integrate groundwater dewatering and geothermal solutions into Aertssen Infra service offering. 43 employees, 7 million euro revenue. Provides expertise for dry construction pits.
• TracimatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemolition management organization. Aertssen was the first contractor to join Tracimat, supporting selective demolition and maximum circularity of waste and raw materials.
• LiebherrminorOthersEquipment supplier relationship. Aertssen Transport successfully transported Liebherr drilling rigs (62 tons) from Liebherr factory in Nenzing (Austria) to Antwerp on multiple occasions.
• EMW (Equipment Middle East)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for Hail & Ghasha project in Abu Dhabi. EMW provided equipment and trained personnel for polderization and rock placement works for NMDC. 100+ equipment pieces deployed with 55 mechanics.
• National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClient for Hail & Ghasha project - construction of 11 islands for future gas and oil extraction. Aertssen/EMW provided equipment and services for polderization and rock placement.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sarens: Belgian-headquartered global crane rental, heavy lifting, and engineered transport specialist. Directly comparable to Aertssen's Lifting and Transport divisions, with a larger international footprint but overlapping customer base in petrochemical, energy, and infrastructure megaprojects.
• Mammoet: Dutch-headquartered global leader in heavy lifting and transport with a large crane and SPMT fleet. Closest competitor to Aertssen's Lifting and Transport & Logistics businesses across petrochemical, offshore, and civil infrastructure projects worldwide.
• Wagenborg: Dutch heavy transport, lifting, and shipping specialist with extensive exceptional-transport capabilities. Directly comparable to Aertssen's Transport & Logistics division, particularly for oversized and overweight cargo across Northwest Europe.
• Collett & Sons: UK-based heavy haul and lifting specialist serving infrastructure, renewable energy, and industrial sectors. Comparable to Aertssen's exceptional-transport and lifting offering with similar project-based, multi-crane engagement model.
• BigLift Shipping: Dutch-headquartered heavy cargo shipping and project logistics company with breakbulk and oversized cargo expertise. Adjacent peer in the project logistics value chain, comparable to Aertssen's exceptional-transport and forwarding capabilities for international megaprojects.

Broad incumbents

• Liebherr: Swiss-German family-owned manufacturer of mobile, crawler, and tower cranes with its own rental fleet and service operations. Competes with Aertssen's Lifting division across crane supply and heavy-lift services, and is also a current Aertssen customer (rigs transported from Nenzing factory).
• Terex Corporation: US-listed heavy equipment manufacturer producing cranes, aerial work platforms, and materials handling equipment. Competes with Aertssen across equipment supply and selected rental/leasing use cases, but operates at much greater scale and as a manufacturer-distributor rather than a project-services specialist.
• Caterpillar: World's largest construction and mining equipment manufacturer with adjacent rental and services businesses. Comparable to Aertssen as a heavy-equipment ecosystem participant, though Caterpillar's scale and OEM focus make it a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor in lifting services.

Regional players

• DEME Group: Belgian marine engineering, dredging, and offshore contractor with infrastructure capabilities. Comparable as a Belgian-headquartered heavy civil contractor competing for similar infrastructure and offshore projects, though with a marine/dredging focus rather than crane rental.
• Jan De Nul Group: Belgian family-owned civil engineering, marine, and infrastructure contractor with significant international project delivery. Comparable as a Belgian heavy civil contractor operating internationally on similar large-scale infrastructure, energy, and maritime projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aertssen Group