What De Brug vzw does

De Brug vzw is a Flemish non-profit maatwerkbedrijf (social enterprise / sheltered workshop) headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium, founded in 1971 and operating since August 1973. Its statutory mission is the professional integration of people with a distance to the labor market, primarily individuals with psychosocial or other work-limiting disabilities. The organization employs 360 people — 270 doelgroepwerknemers (workers with a work limitation) and 90 supervisors/begeleiders — and operates from a 56,000 m² site of which 35,000 m² is built space, with an additional delivery address in Mortsel.

Operations are organized into three industrial/service divisions plus on-site and consumer-facing activities. The Industry division runs Wood, Metal, Spray-painting, and Upholstery departments equipped with a 5-axis Homag CNC, Trumpf TruLaser tube and flat lasers, a Trubend Center7020 press brake (described as unique in Belgium), automated sanding robots, a Homag edge-glue machine, and a Trotec Speedy 400 laser engraver. The Montage (Assembly) division covers Electronics (cable and wire-harness assembly, panel wiring, circuit-board population), Assemblage (display and stand production, refurbishment), and Water Treatment Devices — where De Brug assembles, tests, packs, and ships Hydro@Home/Delta Water Engineering water softeners internationally. The Verpakking (Packaging) division provides mailings, film packaging, manual packaging, and full fulfilment (receiving, QC, storage, shipping, returns) for customers including DPG Media. The company also runs Klant&Klaar and Enclavewerking — supervised on-site teams deployed at customer facilities — and operates De Kobbe, an employee hobby club.

Commercially, De Brug runs a hybrid B2B/B2C model: enterprise contracts for assembly, metalwork, woodwork, spraying, upholstery, electronics, packaging, and on-site enclave work (priced on quotation, typically multi-year), a consumer webshop selling circular and gift products made from production remnants (lamps, pet beds, wallets, pouffes, Easter eggs), and the Gevelbank sub-brand acquired in February 2024 (urban-mining benches sold via gevelbank.be). Revenue is supplemented by Flemish government employment subsidies tied to its maatwerkbedrijf status under the Department of Work and Social Economy. The company holds Qfor WSE (2021, renewed 2024), WSE kwaliteitsregistratie, Exclusief Inclusief, VCA, and a FAVV 'zeer goed' kitchen inspection, and operates a climate-neutral printing partnership with Konica Minolta/ClimatePartner offset via an Aruba wind-turbine project, with on-site solar covering approximately 40% of electricity consumption.

Name

De Brug vzw

Legal name

De Brug vzw

Website

https://debrug.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

De Brug vzw is a Flemish non-profit maatwerkbedrijf (sheltered workshop) in Mortsel, Belgium, employing 360 people across industrial manufacturing (wood, metal, electronics, upholstery), packaging and fulfilment, and on-site enclave services, serving enterprise clients such as Agfa, ENGIE Fabricom, and Hydro@Home, and selling circular consumer products via webshop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mortsel

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Productie en verkoop industriële goederen: De Brug produceert en verkoopt industriële producten via hun webshop en direct aan klanten. Producten omvatten houten producten (kamerlampen, tafellampen, theelichthouders, houten boeket, ligbedden voor huisdieren), circulaire producten, en maatwerk producten voor klanten. Prijzen variëren van €5.45 tot €140 afhankelijk van het product.
2. B2B dienstverlening en opdrachten: De Brug biedt betaalde diensten aan bedrijven: assemblage, verpakking, fulfilment, metaalbewerking, houtbewerking, spuiten/lakken, stoffering, elektronica assemblage, en enclave werk (werknemers die bij klanten ter plaatse werken onder begeleiding).
3. Overheidssubsidies en tewerkstellingssteun: Als maatwerkbedrijf ontvangt De Brug subsidies voor de tewerkstelling van mensen met een afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt. Dit vormt een cruciaal onderdeel van hun bedrijfsmodel.
4. Mailings en fulfilment diensten: Verwerking van adresbestanden, opmaak brieven, frankering, mailings onder folie of omslag, personalisering, en postafgifte inclusief transport.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

De Brug vzw is a Belgian maatwerkbedrijf (sheltered workshop / social enterprise) that provides contract manufacturing, assembly, packaging and fulfilment services to business clients across industrial departments including wood, metal, spray-painting, upholstery, electronics and assembly. The company combines industrial production capacity with a social mission to employ people with a distance to the labour market, and also sells circular consumer products through its own webshop.

Product overview

De Brug vzw is a sheltered workshop (maatwerkbedrijf) offering a diverse portfolio of manufacturing and service divisions. The core operations are organized into three main service areas: (1) Industry division comprising Wood, Metal, Spray-painting, and Upholstery departments producing custom furniture, metal constructions, and coated products; (2) Assembly division handling Electronics assembly, display/stand production, and water softener assembly; and (3) Packaging division providing mailing, packaging, and fulfilment services. Additionally, the company operates on-site services including Klant&Klaar (customer-site work) and Enclavewerking (enclave work). For consumers, the company sells circular products via webshop including the Gevelbank (facade bench), decorative lamps, pet beds, wallets, and pouffes made from production remnants. The company also runs De Kobbe, a social hobby club. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but rather a collection of specialized manufacturing and service departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gevelbank: Outdoor bench and facade bench product line for neighbourhood social cohesion, manufactured from reclaimed wood (urban mining) and production surplus materials. Available for purchase via webshop gevelbank.be.

Products and services

• Industrie (Industry) Multi-discipline manufacturing division comprising Wood, Metal, Spray-painting and Upholstery departments producing custom furniture, crates, pallets, stands, displays and metal constructions for B2B customers.
• Hout (Wood) production Woodworking department producing crates, pallets, stands, displays, furniture and office interiors using CNC machines, edge glue machines, four-sided planers and panel saws.
• Metaal (Metal) production Metalworking department offering welding, pipe processing, plate processing, construction and assembly, equipped with flat lasers, tube lasers, marking lasers, welding robots, folding banks, plate shears and sanding robots.
• Spuiterij (Spray-painting) production Spray-painting department for colouring, staining and varnishing of wood, spraying of metal constructions and plastic, sanding and finishing of parts in large volumes.
• Stoffering (Upholstery) production Upholstery department for furniture upholstering in fabric or leather, stitching of covers, cushions, flags, labels and mechanical rings in curtains and sails.
• Montage (Assembly) division Assembly division comprising Electronics, Assemblage and Water Treatment Devices departments, serving enterprise customers with manual and mechanical assembly.
• Elektronica (Electronics) assembly Electronics assembly service for cable and wire harness assembly, wiring of switchboards and panels, mounting connectors and displays, and populating and correcting circuit boards.
• Assemblage (General Assembly) Assembly department for production and assembly of stands and displays, repair and refurbishing, and various manual and mechanical assembly tasks for B2B customers such as Dobit.
• Waterbehandelingstoestellen (Water Treatment Devices) assembly Full-service assembly, testing, packaging, storage, quality control and logistics for water softeners produced for Delta Water Engineering's Hydro@Home brand.
• Verpakking (Packaging) and fulfilment Packaging and fulfilment division offering address processing, letter composition, franking, mailings under foil or envelope, personalisation, manual packaging, coding, labelling, display assembly and returns processing for clients such as DPG Media.
• Klant&Klaar on-site service On-site service where teams of De Brug workers perform specific tasks at customer locations under supervision of a De Brug team leader, with VCA safety certification covering temporary and mobile construction sites.
• Enclavewerking (Enclave Work) On-site work service where a De Brug supervisor and a small group of workers perform jobs at the customer's location, used by customers such as ExpoFloor.
• Gevelbank (Facade Bench) Social bench designed to bring neighbours together, made from reclaimed wood via urban mining with cushions from production remnants. Sold through the gevelbank.be webshop.
• Decoratieve tafellamp (Decorative Table Lamp) Decorative table lamp with wooden ribs providing atmospheric lighting, including lamp, made from production remnants and sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Kamerlamp groot/klein (Room Lamp Large/Small) Robust decorative room lamp made with reclaimed wood. Large variant: Height 200cm, Diameter 32cm. Small variant: Height 78cm, Diameter 23cm. Sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Decoratieve theelichthouder (Decorative Tealight Holder) Decorative wooden tealight holder with an opening in the centre for a tealight, made from production remnants and sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Lederen portemonnee (Leather Wallet) Wallet made from upholstery department remnants, designed for bills and coins, sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Ligbed voor huisdier S/XL (Pet Bed Small/XL) Luxury pet bed with legs made from wood department remnants, with unique fabric remnants from the upholstery department. Mattress cover has a zipper for easy removal and washing. Sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Toiletzakje/opbergtasje (Toiletry Bag) Multifunctional storage bag with zipper, made from upholstery department fabric remnants, with varying colours. Sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Houten boeket (Wooden Bouquet) Wooden bouquet consisting of five different flowers made from wood department remnants, positioned as a circular and lasting gift. Sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Paaseitjes (Easter Eggs) Easter eggs offered in 150g bag or 750g jar with a wooden lid decorated in Easter theme, filled with chocolate and milk chocolate with 51% hazelnut filling. Sold via the De Brug webshop.
• Poefjes (Pouffes) Pouffes made from approximately 90% production remnants from the wood and upholstery departments, available at reception and showroom.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% van elektriciteitsverbruik uit eigen zonnepanelen (550.000-600.000 kWh/jaar)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, medium and minor.

• Konica MinoltacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Klimaatneutraal partnership voor CO2 neutraal printen. Konica Minolta voorziet bizhub printers met eco-instellingen en CO2 compensatie service via ClimatePartner. Jaarlijkse ECO-rapportage voor verbruik in relatie tot CO2-uitstoot. Partnership gestart in 2021.
• ClimatePartnercoreOthersClimatePartner verzorgt CO2 compensatie via gecertificeerd compensatieproject: windturbineboerderij op eiland Aruba in Caribisch gebied. Certificaat publiek beschikbaar.
• Delta Water Engineering (Hydro@Home)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNauwe samenwerking voor assemblage, logistiek, testen en verpakken van waterverzachters. Metaalafdeling maakt tegendeksels voor vaten. Internationale leveringen naar Tsjechië, Zwitserland, Griekenland, Finland, Canada.
• ExpoFloormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnclave werking: medewerkers ter plaatse in magazijn voor voorbereiding gebruikte tegels en plinten. Metaalafdeling produceert metalen plinten en oprijhellingen. Elektrische bestelwagens voor gecombineerd personeels- en materiaalvervoer.
• Total RelaxmediumChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProductie van strandstoelen voor Total Relax. Volledig gefabriceerd en geassembleerd op houtafdeling. Producten te vinden op Tomorrowland.
• Rest MortselminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVerkooppunt voor circulaire producten van De Brug: poefjes, lampen, portemonnees, toiletzakjes, ligbedden voor huisdieren. Ook op zaterdag open.
• Groep MaatwerkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKoepel van maatwerkbedrijven. De Brug neemt deel aan campagnes zoals 'Onderneem slim. Zoek het niet te ver'. Driemaandelijks tijdschrift WerkVormen.
• VDABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSamenwerking voor tewerkstelling van mensen met arbeidsbeperking. VDAB verwijst kandidaten door en keurt goed voor tewerkstelling in maatwerkbedrijf.
• Escalante vzwminorOthersThuis voor mensen met een beperking. Donee van €600 cheque van De Brug voor mondmaskerproject tijdens corona.
• De SpeelhoeveminorOthersDagverblijf voor kinderen en jongeren die omwille van hun beperking niet naar school kunnen. Donee van €600 cheque.
• In de BuurtminorOthersBuurthuis in Mortsel dat o.a. voedselbedeling doet. Donee van €600 cheque.
• Politiezone MinosminorOthersSamenwerking voor training drugshonden. Politiehonden trainen op bedrijfsterrein van De Brug. Opleiding tot drugshond is 760 uur.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• bpost: Belgian national postal service with extensive parcel and e-commerce fulfilment capabilities. Directly comparable to De Brug's Verpakking division on mailings, fulfilment and parcel handling at much greater scale; serves as the dominant incumbent in the same service category in Belgium.
• Unilin: Large Belgian manufacturer of wood-based panels (MDF, particleboard), flooring (Quick-Step) and insulation headquartered in Wielsbeke. Demonstrates the operating scale and equipment capabilities available in the Flemish wood-products value chain that De Brug's Hout department ultimately serves, at substantially greater scale.
• Reynaers Aluminium: Belgian manufacturer of aluminium window, door and façade systems with a European production footprint. Comparable to De Brug's Metaal department on industrial metal fabrication, CNC/laser processing and finishing, though operating at substantially greater scale and serving the construction market.

Direct peers

• De Kringwinkel: Belgian network of social-economy thrift stores built around reuse, circularity and inclusive employment. Comparable to De Brug as a Flemish social-enterprise competitor that combines commercial activity with the employment of vulnerable populations and emphasises circular/sustainability positioning.
• Volckaert / Orbis vzw: Belgian social enterprise and sheltered workshop (under the Orbis Care group) operating a portfolio of industrial and craft activities for people with disabilities. Closely comparable to De Brug in social-economy mission, Flemish regulatory framework, and mix of manual and light-industrial service lines.
• Orban vzw: Belgian maatwerkbedrijf (sheltered workshop) in Limburg delivering multi-discipline industrial services including packaging, assembly, metal and wood work for B2B customers under the same Flemish Maatwerkbedrijf framework as De Brug. Directly comparable in social-economy mission, regulatory regime, and diversified industrial operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/debrugvzw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/debrugmaatwerkbedrijf
• LinkedInbe.linkedin.com/company/de-brug-maatwerkbedrijf
• Instagraminstagram.com/debrug.be
• TikToktiktok.com/@debrugvzw

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 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 De Brug vzw