Knol Akkrum

What Knol Akkrum does

Knol Akkrum is a family-owned Dutch civil engineering contractor founded in 1946 and operating as Jac. Knol Grond-, Weg- en Waterbouw B.V. Since relocating from Aldeboarn to Akkrum in 2007, the company has run its operations from a 3-hectare integrated site that houses a construction workshop, concrete fabrication shed, and office building. The firm specializes in piling, foundation systems, complete foundation delivery, concrete construction, water engineering, and structural steel fabrication certified up to Execution Class 3 (Executieklasse 3), serving both as main contractor (hoofdaanneming) and subcontractor (onderaanneming) on civil engineering projects.

The company operates a specialized equipment fleet that includes pile driving rigs (heistellingen) with hydraulic blocks from 2.5 to 9 tons, a 9-ton PD-stelling rig used on a 1,700-pile project, approximately 30 modular barges (koppelpontons) and working floats for water-based access, and around 800 steel road plates for rental. It employs in-house 3D design software to engineer custom structural connections and developed an in-house technique called makelaargeleid trillen (guided vibration piling), which enables H-beam installation with 25mm accuracy. With approximately 45 employees, Knol Akkrum executes projects ranging from small works lasting a few days to large infrastructure projects lasting up to 1.5 years.

Knol Akkrum serves three primary customer segments: public infrastructure clients (government agencies, provinces, and municipalities), civil engineering contractors requiring specialist subcontracting, and building contractors and project developers needing complete foundation systems. The company operates primarily in Northern Netherlands (Groningen, Friesland, Flevoland) and conducts ongoing piling work in Germany through a long-standing partnership with Schweers Grundbau. Revenue is generated through project-based construction contracts priced per quote plus a secondary equipment rental stream (road plates, barges, working floats, dragline mats). The firm holds ISO 9001:2015, VCA**, CO2 Bewust Niveau 3, NIWO, and Safety Culture Ladder Trede 3 certifications, and is a member of NVAF.

Name

Knol Akkrum

Legal name

Jac. Knol Grond-, Weg- en Waterbouw B.V.

Website

https://knol-akkrum.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knol Akkrum is a family-owned Dutch civil engineering contractor founded in 1946, specializing in piling, foundations, concrete construction, water engineering, and structural steel fabrication. The ~45-person firm serves public infrastructure clients and construction firms across Northern Netherlands and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Construction Services

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors (23811), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Foundation piling
• Concrete construction
• Water engineering works
• Construction equipment rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Akkrum

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Civil engineering construction services: Knol Akkrum generates revenue through construction project fees as both a main contractor and subcontractor. Projects range from small works of a few days to large infrastructure projects lasting 1.5 years. Services include piling, foundation systems, concrete construction, water engineering, and structural steel work.
2. Equipment rental: The company rents out construction equipment including steel road plates (approximately 800 units), modular barges (approximately 30 units), working floats, and heavy-duty ground protection plates (draglineschotten). Delivery and positioning can be arranged.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Knol Akkrum is an all-round civil engineering (grond-, weg- en waterbouw) construction company specializing in piling, complete foundations, concrete construction, water engineering works (bridges, locks, weirs, pumping stations, culverts), and structural steel work with welding up to Execution Class 3. The company operates as both main contractor and subcontractor on public infrastructure, civil engineering, and building projects, and additionally rents out construction equipment including road plates, modular barges, working floats, and dragline mats.

Product overview

Knol Akkrum is an all-round civil engineering construction company specializing in ground, road, and water construction. The company operates across nearly all aspects of civil engineering with strengths in piling, foundations, and civil engineering structures. The core offerings include: concrete construction (Betonbouw), complete foundation services (Complete Fundering), construction work with welding capabilities up to Execution Class 3 (Constructiewerk), water engineering works including bridges and locks (Waterwerken/Waterbouw), sheet piles and pipe piles (Damwanden & Buispalen), prefabricated concrete piles (Prefab Heipalen), internal piling techniques (Inwendig Heien), and pre-drilling services (Voorboren). Additionally, the company offers equipment rental including road plates, modular pontoons, working floats, and dragline mats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Betonbouw (Concrete Construction) Concrete construction services for residential and commercial buildings (concrete foundations, floors, basements) and civil engineering structures (bridges, viaducts, bridge cellars, deck slabs). Delivered by experienced construction crews using the company's own equipment.
• Complete Fundering (Complete Foundation) Complete foundation service delivering foundation piles, ground work, foundation beams, drainage, and ground floor installation with full measurement services for residential and commercial building contractors.
• Funderingswerkzaamheden (Foundation Work Services) Foundation work services including water works, sheet piles and pipe piles, prefab piles, internal piling, and pre-drilling for civil engineering and building projects.
• Constructiewerk (Structural Steel Construction) Steel construction and welding services capable of welding up to Execution Class 3 (Executieklasse 3), including temporary bridges, mooring piles, dolphin structures, and strutting frames, using an in-house workshop with 3D design software.
• Waterwerken / Waterbouw (Water Engineering Works) Water engineering works including construction of steel, concrete, and wooden bridges, locks, weirs, pumping stations, and culverts, with capability to execute work from water using the company's own barges and working floats.
• Damwanden & Buispalen (Sheet Piles and Pipe Piles) Sheet pile and pipe pile installation services for shore protection, quay walls, construction pits, and trenches, as well as cylindrical steel pipe piles for foundation support of heavy structures.
• Prefab Heipalen (Prefabricated Concrete Piles) Installation of prefabricated concrete piles produced in controlled factory conditions for foundations of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure.
• Inwendig Heien (Internal Piling) Internal piling technique where piles are driven from the inside using an internal hammer, minimizing vibrations and noise for urban areas and near existing structures.
• Voorboren (Pre-Drilling) Pre-drilling service that bores holes in the ground prior to pile driving to facilitate installation in difficult soil conditions such as very hard soil layers or areas with many obstacles.
• Verhuur (Equipment Rental) Rental of construction equipment including approximately 800 steel road plates (various dimensions), approximately 30 modular koppelpontons (barges), working floats, and dragline mats (draglineschotten). Delivery and positioning services can be arranged.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 1,700 precast concrete piles (20m, ~8 tons each) installed for 2,200m of quay wall in a single project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schweers GrundbaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Schweers Grundbau, a German foundation company. Knol Akkrum conducts piling work in Germany throughout the year using their various pile driving rigs (2.5 to 9-ton hydraulic blocks). Projects range from residential buildings to large industrial halls with hundreds of piles. The partnership benefits from Knol Akkrum's familiarity with German laws and regulations.
• Jongema DrachtenminorOthersJongema Drachten was contracted by Knol Akkrum to place two large stop piles (1.4m diameter, 30 tons) on the Prinses Margrietkanaal for bridge protection. Knol Akkrum then fitted and finished the piles with required hardware, lighting, and signs.
• Van Spijker (Meppel)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKnol Akkrum performed piling work for Van Spijker, a contractor from Meppel, installing approximately 1,700 precast concrete piles for a 2,200m quay wall as part of the new Middelsee residential district.
• NVAFminorOthersMember of the NVAF (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Funderingsbedrijven), an industry association that has promoted quality, safety, and professionalism in foundation work for over 75 years.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• NVAF member firms (e.g., Heijmans Infra, Volker Staal en Funderingen): Knol Akkrum is a member of the NVAF (Dutch Association of Foundation Companies). Other NVAF members share the same industry code of conduct, certification expectations, and serve overlapping Dutch foundation customers.

Direct peers

• Bauer Spezialtiefbau: German foundation specialist with piling, ground improvement, and water engineering services. Comparable scope and German market exposure that overlaps with Knol Akkrum's Schweers Grundbau-mediated work.
• De Vries Titan: Netherlands-based foundation contractor executing pile driving, sheet piling, and water engineering works. Directly comparable to Knol Akkrum on services, Execution Class 3 capability, and Northern/Western Netherlands project geography.
• Voorbij Funderingstechniek: Dutch piling and foundation specialist offering prefab concrete piles, sheet piles, and vibration techniques across the Netherlands. Closely comparable to Knol Akkrum on core piling/foundation scope and Execution Class certified delivery.
• Franki Grondtechnieken: Dutch geotechnical contractor specializing in foundation piles, sheet piling, and ground improvement. Comparable offering and customer base (Dutch civil contractors and public clients) to Knol Akkrum's piling and foundation services.
• Schweers Grundbau: German foundation company that serves as Knol Akkrum's fixed partner for ongoing piling work in Germany (residential to large industrial halls). Directly comparable in scope, though acts as client/partner rather than competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Heijmans: Large Dutch construction and infrastructure company covering civil engineering, building construction, and property development. Overlaps with Knol Akkrum in civil piling/foundation contracting but operates at far greater scale across the Netherlands.
• VolkerWessels: Major Dutch construction group operating across infrastructure, energy, and building. Overlaps with Knol Akkrum in civil engineering contracting (piling, foundations, waterworks) as a broader incumbent with multiple subsidiaries.
• Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster: Dutch global marine contractor and heavylift services provider active in water infrastructure, quay walls, and coastal defense. Adjacent to Knol Akkrum's Waterbouw offering but at much larger scale and global reach.
• Keller Group: Global geotechnical contractor offering piling, ground improvement, and foundation services. Comparable technical offering to Knol Akkrum, but operates globally with much larger scale and capital base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KnolAkkrum
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• Instagraminstagram.com/knolakkrum
• Xx.com/knol_akkrum

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Knol Akkrum