The Nieuwkoopse Plassen is a unique nature reserve located in the Green Heart (Groene Hart) of the Netherlands.
One and a half centuries ago there were multiple blacksmith forges in Nieuwkoop because the village was located on an important waterway route and intensive agriculture and reed cultivation took place in the region. Therefore, there was a demand for tools, parts and repairs. Work was hard and competition was high in those years. For this reason, two brothers from the Bodegraven family decided to join forces with a number of other forges. They wanted to gain a stronger market position, set up an efficient production facility, and achieve a market- and customer-oriented business operation.
The company grew and increasingly specialised in standardised products for making connections for components in home construction. The manual labour of blacksmithing was gradually replaced by machines. The company buildings were located on a dike and weak peat soil. Over time, this created limitations due to the increasingly heavier machines. Therefore, in 2000, the company moved from the village centre to its current address on Atoomweg.
The move created new opportunities for expanding the machinery and further developing business activities. In our factory of over 40,000m², we have, among other things, an injection moulding hall for plastic products, a wire hall for our wire products, and a band hall for the production of angle anchors.
We make all dies and moulds in our own toolmaking department. In addition, we have all the knowledge and capabilities in-house to continuously improve the optimisation of our production processes. This gives us the space and flexibility to quickly develop new products and optimally ensure quality. Our warehouse allows us to keep sufficient stock and deliver quickly. To maintain our high delivery rate and efficiency, we have started expanding our warehouse and shipping department. It is expected that the additional 3,000m² can be used in early 2024, bringing us to a total of 8,000m² of warehouse and shipping space. After all, construction must go on!
Documentation over the years
In 1984 the billionth cavity anchor rolled off the line
The first plastic product, the Lipclip in 1989
This makes us flexible and ensures continuous expansion of knowledge. In addition to advantages such as reliable delivery and traceability of products, another major advantage of being "Made in Holland" is that we have to comply with Dutch legislation. Sustainable materials, standards-compliant products, liability, good working conditions, etc. After 140 years, these have all become obvious qualities.
Everything is produced and developed in Nieuwkoop. An overview of the product (groups) can be found on this website. The most extensive product groups that we produce and develop are edge boxes, adhesive construction kits, fall protection, pressure plates, cavity anchoring systems, insulation fastening, wood connections and frame or element connections.
In addition to the physical products, GB offers an extensive package of supporting materials and services. This includes documentation, online tools, instructional videos, project advice, etc. We understand better than anyone that it can sometimes be difficult to select the right solution from our range within the great diversity of construction techniques. Especially now that regulations are increasingly demanding accountability for the completed building construction.
GB still exudes the family culture of yesteryear, and the fifth generation is at the helm. The company is distinguished by a personal approach combined with our craftsmanship. This method of operation is also appropriate for our industry and business relationships. After all, we've been doing it for years with enthusiasm and pleasure.