When George de Groot came to Canada, his first intention was to supply his knowledge about precision leveling to greenhouse builders; but as soon as he set foot on land, he also became an important player in the development of sports fields and recreational parks. "Nowadays, we are responsible for the leveling of 80% of the artificial turf fields in our region. Furthermore we also do a lot of work in construction, parking lots and recreation."
But the greenhouse industry still remains the core business for George de Groot Laser Grading & Excavating Inc., and many greenhouse builders and growers throughout North America rely on their expertise nowadays. Based in Virgil, Niagara-on-the-Lake, de Groot is still the only company in Canada that is specialized in laser grading and leveling of greenhouse projects.
According to de Groot, precise leveling has become increasingly important. As greenhouse projects are getting larger and taller, the slightest unevenness in a surface can lead to huge differences in the end. For this reason, growers and greenhouse builders give priority to a superior precision laser graded surface.
"When a greenhouse is 7,5 meters high, the surface must provide a secure base to the piperail and ensure a secure working environment for the crop workers. Uneven surfaces will always result in wet spots in the greenhouse, with all their consequences."
Besides his extensive knowledge on grading and leveling, George de Groot brought special machinery from the Netherlands to Canada. "The leveling blades that we use are equipped with advanced laser technology to ensure the most precise results, with or without slope."
"Furthermore we also have smaller and more flexible machinery that can be used inside an existing greenhouse structure, in this way we can also level a project during the construction (when the pipes are still hanging at the posts). As well as this, the machines are designed to level and revamp existing greenhouses."
The latter is something de Groot does more often, for example when growers retrofit their greenhouses with steel gutter systems.
But there is more; de Groot's company is also involved in realizing nursery production sites with irrigated floor systems and production areas.
Over the past 6 years, de Groot has been involved in the excavating, grading and leveling jobs for leading North American greenhouse growers such as VineFresh Acres, MightyVine, Cosmic Plants, Mastronardi, Truly Green, St. David Hydroponics, Intergrow and Suntastic. They work in close proximity with greenhouse builders like Havecon, South Essex Fabricating and Deforche, just to name a few.
According to de Groot, it is the expertise and craftsmanship that is appreciated by the clients. "At first sight, leveling might look like an easy job, but not many others can get the job done this precisely. Furthermore, clients appreciate our flexibility in the projects. We are familiar with the tight planning in a greenhouse project, so we always aim at getting the job done in time, in order to allow the construction to go on as planned."
For more information:
George de Groot Laser Grading & Excavating Inc.
PO Box 1129 Virgil,
ON L0S 1T0
Phone: 905-933-7810
905-933-7810Fax: 905-468-4309
info@degrootlasergrading.com
www.degrootlasergrading.com