70 YEARS GENAP

Dick van Regteren: "The future for the application of geosynthetic materials is endless."

Genap, or Groenvelds Eerste Nederlandse Agrarische Plasticindustrie, celebrated its 70th anniversary on the 7th of October 2021. The perfect time to look back on a rich history of projects in agriculture, horticulture and civil engineering. Dick van Regteren, owner of the company since 2007, has been part of that history since 1999. In that year, he joined Genap as a field salesman.

Let's take a quick look at what happened 70 years ago, back in 1951, when the company was founded by the entrepreneurial Groenveld couple. The first plastic welds were made at their home in Amsterdam. Heavy rolls of PVC were lugged to the house’s second floor. Genap was born. There was interest in the use of plastic film in agriculture from the start and applications in horticulture soon followed. The company moved to 's-Heerenberg in 1961, where its headquarters are still located today.

The possibilities of geosynthetic constructions are great, and soon the move to applications in civil engineering projects was made. It is mainly used to store water and manure in agriculture and horticulture, but in infrastructure, it is a solution for creating a dry construction pit. Genap has been at the forefront of the application of foil constructions in the ‘wet' Netherlands. In collaboration with the National Road Authority and a number of leading contractors, the national highway A27 at Amelisweerd, for example, was realised in this way.

Logically, this 'trick' is not only applied in the Netherlands. The work on the Öresund Tunnel - the link between Denmark and Sweden - can be called prestigious. In the late 1990s, Genap's installation team worked there on sealing the tunnel ramps. Geomembrane constructions can also be used for environmental issues. In 2015, for example, Genap covered the dikes around the once heavily polluted 'Boyukshor Lake' with a waterproof, oil-resistant geosynthetic construction using its own-developed immersion technology. Because of this, it was possible to prevent the lake from being polluted again.

According to Dick, the future for the application of geosynthetics is endless. "In view of the importance of sustainability, reusability and the relatively low investment value, I believe it is a market with global potential. Our basic materials are used for countless solutions. We already use a huge variety and have a portfolio exceeding 10,000 products."

As a result, Dick spends much of his time developing new markets and applications. "In recent years, I have been busy broadening our collaboration both nationally and internationally, and taking on projects in the civil engineering sector. This year, for example, we took over the activities and staff of Beutech Agro and opened a new branch in Steenwijk that focuses on the agricultural market. We have also entered into a joint venture with Naue GmbH in Germany, which carries out (international) projects in the water storage and civil engineering sector under the name of Naue Prosé Geotechniek bv."

Asked about his most memorable achievements, Dick mentions the establishment of Genap in Kenya. "We have set up a production and sales facility (water tanks and basins) in Nairobi with someone I met from a distributorship in 2001: Maji Water Storage. I love this. By producing locally, we can make an impact locally. We have now copied this concept to India and next year we will start in Mexico and Canada."

However, our Dutch ‘home’ market remains as important to Genap as ever. "The Netherlands is our breeding ground for innovations. Take, for example, our latest development, the 'Genap Energy Cover'. A cover that prevents algae growth and evaporation, and at the same time uses the surface to generate solar energy that the grower can use for their energy needs.

In early September, we fitted a rainwater basin at the Wageningen University Research location in Bleiswijk using this system in cooperation with TNO, Hyet Solar and the WUR. As soon as conditions allow, we can go there with groups of growers. Anyone interested in doing so is welcome to contact us."

Now, 70 years after it was founded, Genap has about 100 employees, and there are branches both nationally and abroad. In 2022, the ground will be broken in 's-Heerenberg. "We will partly demolish and partly rebuild, so that we are up-to-date in terms of space and appearance. The growth is so great that we simply need more production space. Even our recently opened production site in Steenwijk is not big enough to meet that growth."

The secret to this success? Dick can be very clear about it. "Our region, The Achterhoek, is characterised by a no-nonsense approach and I see that reflected every day in our organisation. We work hard and laugh just as hard with a loyal core of employees who carry the Genap DNA. A satisfied employee means satisfied customers; we have our 70 years in existence to thank for that."