What Gebr. Van Kessel does

Gebr. Van Kessel is a diversified Dutch civil engineering and infrastructure contractor founded in 1950 and headquartered in Buren, Netherlands. The company operates six core service areas — road construction (Wegenbouw), landscape design (Landschapsinrichting), construction and real estate support (Bouw & Vastgoed), maintenance and management (Onderhoud & Beheer), replacement and renovation (Vervanging & Renovatie), and water management (Waterbeheer) — delivered through specialized subsidiaries including Sport en Cultuurtechniek, Bronbemaling, Onderhoud, Speciale Technieken en Producten (STEP), Smits Neuchâtel, and APH B.V., one of the largest asphalt producers in the Netherlands. Its underlying technology stack is built around proprietary certified methods: the STEP timber-renovation technique (BRL 1706-certified, with a 20-year warranty and ~50% cost savings versus replacement), the IFCO ground-consolidation method applied on 100+ projects, ViaDrain vertical drainage, VZG geotextile for dike reinforcement, and the modernized APH circular-asphalt plant capable of >500,000 tonnes/year with up to 80% recycled content.

The company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koninklijke VolkerWessels since November 2001 and generates revenue through a mix of one-time project fees (e.g., the ~€7M+ Stadsforum Tilburg reconstruction), multi-year maintenance contracts (BOC ZN West with Rijkswaterstaat covering ~250 km of national roads from May 2023; DBO Wegen Zuid with Provincie Zuid-Holland; 15+ year asphalt maintenance with Gemeente Rotterdam), hardware sales from APH B.V.'s asphalt products, and specialist advisory services. With approximately 550 employees organized across regional rayons (Oost, Midden/Zuid, West) and specialist sites in Tilburg, Utrecht, Geesbrug, and Hoogblokland, Gebr. Van Kessel serves a customer base concentrated in Dutch national, provincial, and municipal governments, complemented by selected private developers and consortium partners; go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by competitive public tendering, with no consumer-facing or e-commerce channels.

Name

Gebr. Van Kessel

Legal name

Gebr. Van Kessel

Website

https://kessel.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Gebr. Van Kessel is a Dutch civil engineering contractor (founded 1950, ~550 employees, subsidiary of VolkerWessels) delivering integrated infrastructure services — road construction, water management, structural renovation, sports facilities, and circular asphalt production — primarily to Dutch national, provincial, and municipal government clients through competitive public tendering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Construction Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental & Permitting Compliance During Construction (Erosion Control, Wildlife Mitigation, Monitoring) (EUAMAFAM)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Infrastructure construction
• Road construction
• Water management
• Ground consolidation

Headquarters

HQ city

Buren

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Construction Projects: One-time project fees for civil engineering, road building, sports facility construction, water management, and structural renovation. Revenue is earned over project duration; projects range from small-scale local works to large infrastructure contracts (e.g., multi-million euro projects such as Stadsforum Tilburg at ~€7M+). Billed against specifications/quotations; no public price list.
2. Multi-Year Maintenance Contracts: Recurring multi-year maintenance and management contracts for road networks, civil structures, and green spaces. Examples: BOC ZN West (5-year contract with Rijkswaterstaat, ~250 km of national roads), DBO Wegen Zuid for Provincie Zuid-Holland, and Noordwaard nature management. Provides predictable recurring revenue.
3. Asphalt Production and Sales (via APH B.V.): APH B.V. produces and sells high-quality asphalt mixtures to the road construction industry. Produces 100% circular asphalt containing up to 80% recycled old asphalt and circular stone aggregate. Production capacity: >500,000 tonnes/year. Major milestone of 300,000 tonnes produced in one year and 10 million tonnes cumulative with current installation.
4. Specialist Technical Services and Consulting: Specialized services including geohydrological advice, dewatering design, structural repair consulting, ecological management planning, and asphalt consulting. Delivered as part of project delivery or as standalone advisory engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gebr. Van Kessel is a Dutch civil engineering company that designs, builds, and maintains public infrastructure — including roads, tunnels, bridges, sports facilities, dikes, and water-management systems — through specialized subsidiaries covering road construction, dewatering, structural repair, and asphalt production. The company delivers integrated design-to-execution solutions and long-term maintenance contracts to government and private clients across the Netherlands, supported by proprietary methods such as the STEP timber renovation technique and the IFCO ground consolidation method.

Product overview

Gebr. Van Kessel is a diversified construction and civil engineering company organized under VolkerWessels/KWS, offering integrated infrastructure solutions through specialized divisions. The portfolio comprises six core service areas (Road Construction, Landscape Design, Construction & Real Estate, Maintenance & Management, Replacement & Renovation, Water Management), delivered through distinct sub-brands including Sport en Cultuurtechniek (sports field construction), Bronbemaling (dewatering services), Speciale Technieken en Producten (STEP - concrete/wood repair), and APH B.V. (asphalt production). Supporting offerings include the IFCO-methode for accelerated ground consolidation, Smits Neuchâtel (sealing systems), StreetPrint (asphalt patterns), and houtrenovatie (marine wood renovation). The company operates multiple regional offices (Rayon Oost, Midden/Zuid, West) and maintains subsidiaries APH B.V. and Smits Neuchâtel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wegenbouw (Road Construction) Road construction services including asphalt paving, sewer/drainage systems, paving, surface treatments, earthwork and foundation work, expansion joint installation, and bituminous work, delivered primarily to Dutch government road authorities.
• Landschapsinrichting (Landscape Design) Landscape design and implementation services including outdoor area design, sports fields and accommodations, green maintenance, and advisory services for municipalities and developers.
• Bouw & Vastgoed (Construction & Real Estate Support) Construction and real estate support services for builders, developers, and architects, including roof and facade greenery, site development, industrial floors, usage roofs, and parking garages.
• Onderhoud & Beheer (Maintenance & Management) Sustainable infrastructure maintenance and management services including green maintenance, civil structures, rail, and road maintenance under multi-year framework agreements such as the BOC ZN West contract with Rijkswaterstaat.
• Vervanging & Renovatie (Replacement & Renovation) Innovative renovation services for sustainable infrastructure connections, including civil structures, concrete repair, structural reinforcement, wood renovation, manhole renovation, and asset management.
• Waterbeheer (Water Management) Innovative water management solutions including screen techniques, wellpoint dewatering, drainage, and settlement acceleration measures for construction pits, infrastructure projects, and ground preparation.
• APH B.V. (Asphalt Production) One of the largest asphalt producers in the Netherlands, producing high-quality asphalt mixtures with up to 80% recycled material for the road construction industry, with production capacity exceeding 500,000 tonnes per year.
• Bronbemaling (Dewatering Services) Specialized dewatering services for construction and infrastructure projects, including horizontal, vertical, deepwell, and tension dewatering, with a fleet of over 500 pumps used to keep construction pits dry.
• STEP — Speciale Technieken en Producten (Specialist Repair) Specialist division for repair, sealing, and sustainability of concrete, asphalt, and timber constructions, including concrete repairs, joint sealing, liquid-tight systems, and BRL 1706-certified wood renovation of marine structures.
• Sportvelden en accommodaties (Sports Field Construction) Design, installation, and renovation of natural grass, artificial grass, and hybrid sports fields and accommodations meeting NOC*NSF standards, delivered to municipalities, sports clubs, and schools.
• IFCO-methode (Accelerated Ground Consolidation) Proprietary ground consolidation method combining groundwater lowering with vacuum consolidation to make soft soils construction-ready quickly, achieving up to 70–80% time savings versus conventional vertical drainage and applied on more than 100 projects.
• Smits Neuchâtel (Sealing Systems and Bituminous Products) Leading sealing systems and bituminous products company specializing in waterproofing and roofing applications, located in Utrecht.
• GOO4iT Future-proof Artificial Grass System

Quantifiable outcome

• ~50% cost savings with STEP timber renovation vs. full replacement
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, key, major, core and regular.

• GOO4iT Consortium (DSN Sports Grass, PLANN ingenieurs, AH Vrij Groen, Grond en Infra, The Green Village)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025The GOO4iT consortium, including Van Kessel Sport en Cultuurtechniek (Gebr. Van Kessel), DSN Sports Grass, PLANN ingenieurs, AH Vrij Groen, Grond en Infra, and The Green Village, developed and presented innovative future-proof artificial turf solutions for Gemeente Amsterdam and Gemeente Haarlem. The smart turf system combines rainwater buffering, field cooling, and energy generation via aquathermy. First prototype fields planned for 2026.
• VWML (VolkerWessels Materieel en Logistiek)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Gebr. Van Kessel collaborated with VWML (VolkerWessels Materieel en Logistiek) to develop a zero-emission equipment container enabling fully electric operation of power tools at sites without fixed power supply. VWML translated the concept into a practical design; containers are currently being built in Oosterhout. The solution is intended as a broadly applicable template within VolkerWessels.
• Combinatie KWS-Martens en Van Oord (KWS/MvO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Gebr. Van Kessel, in partnership with Combinatie KWS-MvO (a joint venture of KWS and Martens en Van Oord), installed approximately 2,800 metres of beaver protection grid (bevergaas) along the river Mark in the Brabantse Delta water board area in October 2023. The joint venture commissioned the work following a successful pilot in October 2023.
• RijkswaterstaatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Gebr. Van Kessel Onderhoud was awarded the five-year Basis Onderhoudscontract Zuid-Nederland West (BOC ZN West) contract in May 2023, covering approximately 250 km of national roads in West-Brabant. The contract is part of Rijkswaterstaat's new-generation maintenance contracts emphasising collaboration, knowledge exchange, and value addition over traditional work execution. Gebr. Van Kessel also performs dewatering work for other Rijkswaterstaat projects (Vlaketunnel maintenance, Prinses Margriettunnel repair, Noordwaard management since 2015).
• Dura Vermeer (via Civiele Aannemerscombinatie Schieveste v.o.f.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVan Kessel Sport en Cultuurtechniek (part of Gebr. Van Kessel) partnered with Dura Vermeer as Civiele Aannemerscombinatie Schieveste v.o.f. (CAS) for the design and construction of an Underground Waste Collection System (OAS) for the Schieveste area and surrounding residential projects in Gemeente Schiedam. The system provides efficient, environmentally friendly waste collection at no additional cost to residents.
• Aveco de BondtkeyTechnology or IntegrationGebr. Van Kessel Bronbemaling worked with Aveco de Bondt (engineering consultancy) during the design phase of the New Sea Lock IJmuiden project. Aveco de Bondt provided geotechnical and geohydrological calculations that formed the basis for dewatering design, permit applications, and selection of the appropriate dewatering method. Trial dewatering tests were conducted to verify the calculations.
• IFCO Funderingsexpertise BVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFCO Funderingsexpertise BV and Van Kessel Sport & Cultuurtechniek (part of Gebr. Van Kessel) jointly developed the IFCO consolidation method. IFCO provides geotechnical design, expertise, and consultancy; Gebr. Van Kessel provides technical execution via deep-drainage machines. Both parties have been involved in the method for over 30 years. Applied on 100+ projects.
• OpenIJ Consortium (VolkerWessels, DIF, BAM-PGGM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OpenIJ consortium (led by VolkerWessels, DIF, and BAM-PGGM) awarded Gebr. Van Kessel Bronbemaling the dewatering contract for the New Sea Lock IJmuiden — the world's largest sea lock (70m wide, 500m long, 18m deep). Gebr. Van Kessel kept five construction pits dry 24/7 with advanced monitoring. The consortium leads the project in partnership with Rijkswaterstaat as client.
• KWS Verkeer & MobiliteitregularChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGebr. Van Kessel collaborates with KWS Verkeer & Mobiliteit (sister company within VolkerWessels/KWS) for traffic management measures on Rotterdam projects. KWS designs traffic management plans and installs traffic control measures, which Gebr. Van Kessel then implements on its asphalt maintenance contracts.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• APK Groep: Mid-sized Dutch civil contractor with a comparable mix of road construction, infrastructure maintenance, and specialized concrete repair; competes for similar municipal and provincial tenders at a slightly smaller scale.
• A. Hak Groep: Dutch contractor focused on pipelines, cable infrastructure, and civil works including dewatering; comparable in scale and customer mix to Gebr. Van Kessel, with similar specialist positioning in utility and infrastructure projects.
• Mourik Industry: Mid-sized Dutch contractor active in industrial cleaning, environmental services, dewatering, and remediation; overlaps with Gebr. Van Kessel's Bronbemaling and STEP divisions on niche water-management and structural-repair work.

Broad incumbents

• Van Oord: Dutch marine contractor active in dredging, land reclamation, and water infrastructure; comparable on mega-project water engineering work and a partnership counterparty via Combinatie KWS-MvO on river Mark dike projects with Gebr. Van Kessel.
• Koninklijke BAM Groep: One of the largest Dutch construction groups with extensive civil engineering, road, and infrastructure operations; competes for the same Rijkswaterstaat and provincial mega-tenders but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster: Major Dutch marine and civil engineering contractor involved in large-scale water infrastructure, dredging, and coastal protection; competes for the largest dike, lock, and water-system tenders (such as IJmuiden) that Gebr. Van Kessel's Bronbemaling also serves.

Direct peers

• KWS Infra: Direct sister company within VolkerWessels and the closest comparable road-construction and infrastructure contractor in the Dutch market; shares parent, overlapping customer base (Rijkswaterstaat, municipalities), and collaborates with Gebr. Van Kessel on traffic management and asphalt projects.
• Dura Vermeer: Major Dutch construction and infrastructure firm active in road building, civil works, and real estate development; competes in the same municipal and provincial tender universe and is an existing collaboration partner of Gebr. Van Kessel on the Schieveste waste-collection project.
• Heijmans: Dutch listed construction and infrastructure company competing head-to-head with Gebr. Van Kessel for public-sector road, civil engineering, and maintenance tenders; similar scale and national footprint make it a direct strategic comparable.
• Strukton Civiel: Dutch civil engineering contractor specializing in infrastructure, water works, and concrete structures; directly competes for water-board, dike-reinforcement, and Rijkswaterstaat civil projects where Gebr. Van Kessel also bids.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KesselBuren
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/788202
• Instagraminstagram.com/gebr.vankessel
• Xx.com/gebrvkessel

Compliance19 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Gebr. Van Kessel