Everything seems to be marked by the buy-and-build strategy at the Boal Group, as they are focusing on both purchasing new facilities and extending the existing ones. Adri Pols gets off to a flying start as CEO of the Boal Group, because he has a lot to say: "Our goal is really to let the current activities grow organically in combination with acquiring new companies that suit us. We have a lot to offer the industry as a group. And that will only increase."
Adri, in his relatively short time at Boal, already has notable achievements to his name. One of these is the appointment of the five-man group management board. Each member of the board brings the necessary knowledge and expertise.
The Boal group management raises its glass to a bright future
On the far left of the photo is Adri Pols. With this group management, Adri guarantees more professionalism and strength for the whole Boal Group. "We are happy to accommodate that."
The second gentleman from the left raising his glass is Cees van den Heuvel. Cees is CFO within the Boal Group. His objective for the coming years is to "further strengthen the solid financial position as well as for IT. "As a group, we want to play a leading role in the digital field, and by this, I do not mean for internal use only. Our customers will also benefit from this. We want to offer them smart solutions. I also have a major role to play in the area of finance for our acquisitions as part of the Buy and Build Strategy."
On Cees' left sits Tessa van Westrenen. She has the position of CHRO. A "powerhouse", is what Adri calls her. She has a technical background. This allows her to have a quick understanding of the environment she is working in. Tessa: "My goal is to bring in talent, develop it and keep it. Diversity within our entire team is important to me. The time that technology was only for men is over. I am convinced that a good mix brings out the best in the company. We are also going to professionalize the HR organization by focusing on performance and knowledge management, among other things."
Robert Jan de Goeij, second from right, is CCO at the Boal Group. He knows the ins and outs of greenhouse horticulture. He will be a familiar face to many; he has been around in the sector for many years. In his role as CCO, he has final responsibility for the commercial activities of all seven companies within the group. The various brand identities with which the market is already so familiar will, however, be retained. "We are going to strengthen each other in the broadest sense of the word. Our customers will reap the rewards because our products are compatible, which sometimes also means that the customer has fewer points of contact. Unburdening our customers is key."
On the right-hand side of the photo, Jelle van der Zwaan raises his glass. With his twenty-year background in managing factories, his position as COO is tailor-made for him. Jelle: "Over the next few years I'm going to focus on the safety aspect; working safely and feeling safe are incredibly important to me. The sustainability aspect is a derivative of this; we have agreed that we will emit 25% less CO2 by the year 2030. That's a big job. But it is feasible."
One big team
Currently, the Boal Group consists of seven companies: Boal Systems, Boal Extrusion, Holland Screens, Holland Netting, Alumat Zeeman, WestNederland, and Westland Dak en Wand. Robert Jan de Goeij's aim is to forge these seven separate companies together. The aim is to strengthen each other so that everyone benefits, both internally and externally.
Robert Jan: "We are already seeing people visiting each other more often and sharing knowledge. The first results are already visible in the field of innovation. As soon as we are ready, we will bring out more news. By the way, do you know that we are already producing about 400 ha of sustainable greenhouses per year? Mark my words... there will be more. Our ambition and professionalization will put us on the map even more."
Robert Jan also takes the opportunity to introduce his closest colleagues. The team consists of Robin Hakkert (Sales Director BOAL Systems), Gert Hollaar (Commercial Director West Nederland), Peter Rense (Sales Director Holland Scherming), Marcel Schulte (Commercial Director Holland Gaas), Bert Strikkers (Commercial Director Alumat Zeeman) and Sander van der Ven (Group Business Development).
From left to right and from bottom to top: Robin, Gert, Peter, Marcel, Bert and Sander
ESG rating
One of the other achievements is ESG. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. A good ESG rating means that a company manages its environmental, social, and governance risks well, compared to similar companies.
Adri: "Together with an external party, Boston Consulting Group, we have worked hard to map out this score for our company. In concrete terms, for us it means a future-proof company through risk management in the areas of the environment, society, and corporate governance. For 'Environment' you can think of CO2 footprint and water use. The social section includes safety, for example. And the 'Corporate Governance' section includes, for example, business ethics."
In the past few months, all those involved have worked very hard on ESG within the Boal Group. Adri: "An independent agency then established that we belong to the top in our category. And even that we are in the top 1% in terms of ESG rating out of more than 15,000 companies assessed in total. That is a world-class achievement of which we are very proud." More information on this result and on the role of sustainability at the Boal Group can be found here.
For more information:
Boal Group 
Tel + 31 (0)174 316 100
info@boalgroup.com
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