Global Tunnelling Experts

What Global Tunnelling Experts does

Global Tunnelling Experts (GTE) is a specialized B2B workforce staffing and human resources company serving the global tunnel construction industry. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands, the company recruits, mobilizes, and manages qualified personnel—particularly Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operators, electricians, fitters, foremen, and engineers—for mechanized tunnelling projects worldwide. GTE operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herrenknecht AG, the world's market leader in mechanized tunnel technology, with co-founders Claus Nielsen and Kevin Browning both having started as fieldworkers on tunnelling jobsites. The company claims involvement in 65%+ of all TBM projects globally, with 270+ completed projects across 48 countries and daily deployment of approximately 400 personnel.

Name

Global Tunnelling Experts

Legal name

Global Tunnelling Experts B.V.

Website

https://global-tunnelling-experts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Global Tunnelling Experts is a B2B workforce staffing firm specializing in TBM operators and tunnel construction personnel for infrastructure contractors worldwide. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herrenknecht AG, the global TBM manufacturing leader.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Workforce Staffing Services

NAICS

Other Specialty Trade Contractors (2389), Site Preparation Contractors (23891)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tunnel Construction (Road, Rail, Utility) (IMAFAEAC), Tunnels & Underground Rail Civil Construction (IMAFAFAE), Mining & Heavy Equipment Operator Staffing (BPACAEAI)

Keywords

• Tunnel construction staffing
• TBM personnel recruitment
• Tunnelling workforce management
• Tunnel boring machine operators
• Construction personnel mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Capelle Aan Den Ijssel

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Personnel Staffing Services: GTE employs workers globally and provides them to tunnel construction projects. Revenue is generated by charging clients for personnel services, including all-in-one support covering recruitment, payroll, travel, accommodation, visa/work permits, and administrative management. Only actual working hours are invoiced to clients, providing flexible staffing solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Tunnelling Experts employs qualified tunnel construction workers globally and provides them to construction companies on a per-project basis. Its "All-in-One" service covers recruitment, payroll, travel, accommodation, visa/work permits, timesheet management, incident management, and demobilization, invoicing clients only for actual hours worked. Specialized staff includes TBM operators, electricians, fitters, foremen, supervisors, and engineers deployed for tunnel boring machine and NATM projects across 48 countries.

Product overview

Global Tunnelling Experts is a specialized workforce recruitment and management company for tunnel construction projects, operating as a fully owned subsidiary of Herrenknecht AG. The core offering is the 'All-in-One' service—a comprehensive workforce solution that handles the entire employee lifecycle from recruitment and training through mobilization, payroll management, ongoing personnel care, and demobilization. The portfolio centers on TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) Personnel Recruitment for mechanized tunnelling projects, supplemented by the TBM Trainee Program conducted at Herrenknecht's factory in Germany. The service suite includes specialized modules for Timesheet Management, Salary Administration, Incident Management, Problem Management, Travel Management, and Vacation/Leave Coverage—all designed to provide clients with qualified tunnel construction personnel while handling all administrative, logistical, and compliance requirements. The company also operates GTE Academy UK for additional training capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• All-in-One Workforce Services A comprehensive recruitment and workforce management service for tunnel construction companies handling the entire employee lifecycle — recruitment, mobilization, payroll, travel, accommodation, visa/work permits, timesheet management, incident management, and demobilization — for projects globally; clients are invoiced only for actual working hours.
• TBM Personnel Recruitment Specialized recruitment and placement of qualified Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) personnel — operators, electricians, fitters, foremen, supervisors, and engineers — for mechanized tunnelling projects worldwide.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Herrenknecht AGflagshipOthers · 1 January 2007Global Tunnelling Experts is a fully owned subsidiary of Herrenknecht AG, the world's market leader in mechanized tunnel technology. GTE was founded in 2007 through the acquisition and merger of a Dutch company and a Danish company (DanTunnel). This relationship provides GTE with access to the latest tunnel boring machine technology, training facilities at the Schwanau factory, and first-hand insight into market trends and demands. GTE directors Claus Nielsen and Kevin Browning started their careers as fieldworkers and maintain close ties to the parent company's operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Randstad: One of the world's largest staffing providers, with a Construction & Engineering vertical staffing trades and skilled labor for infrastructure projects. Overlaps with GTE in providing construction workforce, but at far broader scale and less TBM-specific.
• Skanska: Global construction and infrastructure developer with significant tunnel and underground works (e.g., metro, road tunnels). Comparable as a downstream buyer of tunnel workforce services; could also be considered a customer-style peer of GTE.
• ManpowerGroup: Major international staffing firm with a Construction & Infrastructure segment supplying trades and specialist labor. Comparable to GTE's outsourced-staffing-for-infrastructure model, though without GTE's TBM-specific specialization.
• Bechtel: Large-scale EPC contractor executing major tunnelling and infrastructure projects worldwide. Comparable as a buyer of GTE-style workforce services and a participant in the same project pipeline that drives GTE demand.
• Adecco: Global staffing group with construction, mining, and infrastructure staffing lines. Comparable as a blue-collar/skilled-trades staffing peer, though operating at much larger scale and across many sectors beyond tunnelling.
• Hays: Global staffing firm with a dedicated Construction & Property vertical covering skilled trades, project professionals and infrastructure roles. Comparable to GTE as a B2B staffing provider serving construction end-markets, though GTE is far more specialized in tunnel construction.
• Vinci Construction: European-headquartered construction group with extensive tunnelling and underground works (e.g., Grand Paris Express). Comparable both as a potential customer of TBM workforce services and as a comparable specialist in mechanized tunnelling delivery.

Emerging players

• COWI: Engineering consultancy with a strong tunnelling and underground infrastructure practice (notably immersed tunnels like Fehmarn Belt). Adjacent peer to GTE — both are deeply embedded in the same megaproject ecosystem and customer relationships.
• Dr. Sauer & Partners: Specialized tunnel engineering consultancy providing design and supervision services for underground projects. Adjacent to GTE's niche — both serve the same customer base of mechanized tunnelling projects, though on the engineering rather than workforce side.

Regional players

• Bauer Group: German-headquartered specialist foundation and underground engineering contractor. Comparable as a peer in the European tunnelling/underground construction ecosystem, with similar customer overlap though focused on execution rather than workforce staffing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-tunnelling-experts
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalWorkforce

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Global Tunnelling Experts