When Mourik n.v. started in Antwerp in 1974, industrial cleaning was their only core activity. Fifty years later, the company has grown in the shadow of the port to become an important player in many other fields, including civil and utility construction, soil remediation and demolition & asbestos removal. Nuclear services, concrete protection and building techniques have also become part of their activity package. To be ready for the next half-century, Mourik is planning a completely new facility on their current site on Groenendaallaan in Antwerp. "At the intersection with the Straatburg Bridge, we are going for a building that stands out architecturally. The intention is to move in by 2028," says Ronny Bertels, General Manager - Director of Mourik Belgium.
Meanwhile, the company - known for its striking yellow logo - with its headquarters on Groenendaallaan in Antwerp, has grown into an enterprise with about 300 employees and a turnover of more than 100 million euros. Two years ago, a branch of the group, Mourik Technics, opened in Hasselt, focusing on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Ronny Bertels became the head of Mourik Belgium in 2014 but knows the startup stories. "All praise to my predecessors Emmanuel Mabesoone and Michèle Eisendrath - Van Houtte, who started Mourik here in our country and helped make our company what it is today. In 1974, Mabesoone started with industrial cleaning because Mourik in the Netherlands was already familiar with it in the Botlek," Bertels recalls. "Fifty years ago, many factories in the port were still under construction. You could actually say that we grew along with the port and the industrialization of the rest of Flanders. Because gradually, other activities were added besides industrial cleaning. And our range also expanded, so now we are just as active in Ghent, Limburg and Brussels." outlines the General Manager - Director. Therefore, Mourik is constantly looking for new employees for all its activities.
DNA
The Dutch company Joh. Mourik & Co. Holding B.V., operating from Groot-Ammers in South Holland, is a third-generation family business that laid the foundation for what has grown into Mourik Belgium today. Despite the size of the company, the same DNA runs through all departments. "Quality, safety, innovation, and personal service come first. We simply enjoy investing in long-term customer relationships", says a convinced Ronny Bertels. Safety is a top priority at Mourik. "Safe working is primarily a matter of awareness. That's why at Mourik we pay special attention to a safety culture that helps and encourages people to work safely. Not because we have to, but because we want to."
Not an ordinary contracting company
When discussing construction activities, he immediately notes that Mourik is not an ordinary contracting company. "In this area, we are deliberately a niche player. If it's a special and challenging project with technical difficulties, we absolutely want to be involved."
Over the years, Mourik has also built a strong reputation in the field of remediation in general and groundwater remediation in particular. This has its origins long ago in Lekkerkerk, the Netherlands, which older individuals may remember from the news. "An entire residential area turned out to be built on a toxic waste dump. While the houses remained standing, our colleagues from Mourik in the Netherlands cleaned up the whole neighborhood. Since then, time has not stood still, and we at Mourik Belgium can also call ourselves experts in this field." Meanwhile, Mourik has also established a strong reputation in the field of demolition and asbestos removal, where buildings are safely cleared of asbestos using the latest techniques.
That Mourik Belgium is active in many markets fifty years after its start is also proven by the subsidiary Vogel Belgium n.v., which has been engaged in concrete protection and repair using the latest techniques since 2018. A few years ago, they worked on the Boerentoren to combat concrete decay. Mourik Belgium aims for additional growth in the coming years, either by expanding activities or through acquisitions. For instance, Mourik n.v. also has a stake in the Soil Recycling Center (GRC) with branches in Kallo and Zolder, where contaminated soils are cleaned both physico-chemically and biologically.
Grew up together with the industry
One of the special construction projects that Mourik will realise in Antwerp in the coming years is a completely new building at their current location. As the company has been located at a busy intersection near Kinepolis for many years, the intention is to design and build the building so that it becomes a landmark for passers-by. Mourik employees are scheduled to move in by 2028, ready for the next 50 years.
