Turn key builder from Veenendaal starts own window frame production

Hardeman BV from Veenendaal has been constructing industrial halls and offices throughout the country for many years. In the Dutch landscape of builders, they are - in their own words - a bit of an 'odd man out'. Where most construction companies in recent decades have fully committed to outsourcing, hiring and concentrating on their core tasks of sales, work preparation and execution, Hardeman invariably chooses to pull the strings themselves as much as possible throughout the process.

Vertical integration

Het bedrijf heeft bijvoorbeeld eigen ontwerpers en constructeurs in dienst, maar ook een eigen materieeldienst met meer dan 100 hoogwerkers, een eigen transportafdeling met 30 vrachtwagens, torenkranen en ga zo maar door. Naast de complete montage worden praktisch de complete bedrijfsgebouwen ook in hun Veenendaalse fabrieken gefabriceerd. Dan mag je denken aan de staalconstructies, dak- en wandbeplating maar ook bijvoorbeeld aan lichtstraten en isolatiepanelen. Hardeman kiest voor deze verticale integratie om op deze manier zo zelfstandig en flexibel mogelijk te blijven en een optimale prijs-kwaliteit verhouding aan te kunnen bieden voor de bedrijfspanden.  Dit gaat soms zover dat Hardeman zelfs het onderhoud en/of de financiering van de bedrijfspanden verzorgt. 

New frame factory

The newest link in this chain has been a full frame factory in Veenendaal since September 2020. "We used to apply a lot of aluminum in the more high-end commercial buildings and offices, because we just couldn't achieve the right detailing and appearance with the plastic window frames. Especially with the larger facades," says Arnold Hardeman. "Because we did see the potential of plastic, especially in its insulation value and quality, we started looking for a profile supplier who could think along with us so that we could also carry out the high-quality projects in plastic with the desired look."

Finally, Hardeman and Gealan found each other in the S9000NL series. With its high profile chambers, narrow profiles and AcrylColor finish, Hardeman delivers complete curtain wall-like facades with this profile series, in a quality and at a price not thought possible in the past. In building previous plants, Hardeman discovered how crucial mutual trust and good cooperation between the manufacturer, the machine builder, the suppliers and the employees is. Suppliers had to be selected in the middle of the first wave of the Corona virus so much consultation went by Microsoft Teams or by mail. 

"That was the hardest part," Arnold continues. "Normally you receive a supplier, you squeeze each other's hands and you look each other in the eye and you know what kind of meat you have in the tub." 

In the end, a long-term partnership was chosen with Gealan (profiles), Scheuten (glass), Winkhaus and Buva (hardware and Isostone lower sills), Kruba (machinery) and Klaes (software). "Six shots in the dark, what a top team," Arnold says in conclusion. "And I am extra proud of my son, who built the entire factory from scratch and together with the men on the shop floor manages to deliver a top performance every day!"