Today marks exactly sixty years since Piet Bom founded the company that would later grow into Bom Group. Over those six decades, greenhouse horticulture has undergone major changes: the sector has internationalized, projects have become larger, and contracts more complex. Yet according to Rob de Wit, Commercial Manager at Bom Group, the company's foundation still lies in Piet Bom's way of working: a high technical standard, well-thought-out products, and projects realized in close cooperation with the grower.
"Piet Bom was a true innovator. Many things that are now standard originated from his ideas. We still benefit from that today. It's also what we represent: we are known for high-tech solutions, but above all for technically well-engineered projects."
© Delpher
PLJ Bom B.V. Greenhouse Construction is a company celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and is known as an innovative quality builder of greenhouses.
This text is from a 1996 ad in the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad (right). While the company name has since changed to Bom Group and a different anniversary is being celebrated this year, the core remains unchanged: growers come to Bom for the quality of its projects. In recent years, the greenhouse builder has completed projects such as Low Carbon Farming and Thanet Earth in the United Kingdom, the Endless Summer project for Steiner in Germany, heating installations for Dutch Berries in the Netherlands, and research greenhouses for Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in Bleiswijk. Remarkable projects have also been realized in China and Kazakhstan, including local production.
"We don't have difficult customers, but sometimes we do have challenging projects," Rob de Wit says with a smile when asked whether Bom selects projects based on complexity. "What we mainly see is that Bom truly acts as a partner for the grower."
© Arlette Sijmonsma | HortiDaily.comRob de Wit, Bom Group
He explains that greenhouse construction is never about a standalone product. "A greenhouse is part of a total solution. Climate control, screening systems, and heating must work seamlessly together, nowadays also integrated with climate computers, sensors, and even harvesting robots and AI systems." This is precisely why collaboration has become increasingly important, not only internally but also with other parties in the sector. Bom Group is part of Atrium Agri, a partnership of greenhouse horticulture companies.
"In high-tech projects, we often work with partners before the project even reaches the customer. We engineer it together." This is especially crucial for international projects. "Dutch growers understand the market and know who to involve. Internationally, growers place that trust entirely in us. In that case, you're not just representing Bom, but effectively the whole of the Netherlands. Projects have to succeed, they are our calling card."
Sixty years of innovation
According to Rob, Bom's strength lies not only in the product itself. "In principle, a greenhouse can be replicated. But the knowledge and experience we've built over sixty years, that is our added value."
He illustrates: "Anyone can produce an aluminum gutter. But what if it's 200 meters long, with glass installed? With temperatures ranging from -10 to 30 degrees Celsius? And with multiple screen systems? I visit customers with a 20-year-old Bom greenhouse that has never experienced glass breakage. In fact, there are still greenhouses from the 1970s in operation."
This brings us back to the company's founding and to Piet Bom himself. At the age of fourteen, he started in metalworking in the heating sector, later moving into greenhouse construction, particularly for wide-span greenhouses. At thirty, he founded PLJ Bom Kassenbouw. Without formal qualifications but with strong technical insight, he began building Venlo greenhouses, later expanding into screening and heating systems.
© Bom Group
This technical reliability and robustness earned the company a strong reputation, both in the Netherlands and in Germany, its first export market. "A solid, reliable product, built by skilled professionals," Rob explains. Combined with Piet's innovative drive, constantly developing and improving.
This brings us back to the company's founding and to Piet Bom himself. At the age of fourteen, he started in metalworking in the heating sector, later moving into greenhouse construction, particularly for wide-span greenhouses. At thirty, he founded PLJ Bom Kassenbouw. Without formal qualifications but with strong technical insight, he began building Venlo greenhouses, later expanding into screening and heating systems.
This technical reliability and robustness earned the company a strong reputation, both in the Netherlands and in Germany, its first export market. "A solid, reliable product, built by skilled professionals," Rob explains. Combined with Piet's innovative drive, constantly developing and improving.
His best-known invention is likely the aluminum gutter. Previously, coated steel gutters were used, but Bom introduced a system that separates rainwater and condensation water while increasing light transmission. The patent followed in 1986, and forty years later, aluminum gutters remain the standard in international horticulture.
Other innovations followed, including the swing mechanism, the frameless ventilation window, the ABS slip block, and the facade screen.
And there are many more innovations from Piet's hand, often developed without extensive drawings, but through hands-on experimentation, testing, and refinement. "Technical insight, practical skills, and continuous dialogue with the grower about what works and what doesn't."
© Bom GroupProject Ely Fenland
International and intercontinental
Bom continues to hold a strong position in the Netherlands and Germany, with many additional countries added over the years. In the 1990s, the number of international and intercontinental projects grew significantly. Today, the company is active in regions including China and the Middle East.
"We have built projects in Canada, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia, among others. These are conditions completely different from Europe. You have to be flexible and adapt solutions to the climate."
The international market also makes the company, like the entire high-tech horticulture sector, sensitive to geopolitical and economic developments. Still, greenhouse horticulture has always been cyclical, according to Rob. "High-tech horticulture projects are large and complex. Once they receive the green light, they can be difficult to steer. Sometimes multiple projects come at once, followed by periods of lower activity."
Factors such as energy prices, the war in Ukraine, and broader geopolitical developments currently influence investment decisions. Nevertheless, he remains confident about long-term demand. "A growing global population requires safe, pesticide-free food. That drives both high-tech projects and the scaling up from low- to mid-tech and beyond."
© Bom Group
Light in the greenhouse
© Bom Group
Even though Piet is no longer actively involved, innovation remains a core pillar. This has led to developments such as the Air in Control system and the TwinLight greenhouse structure.
"More light in the greenhouse has always been a key driver, as well as minimizing energy loss. With frameless ventilation windows, integrated insect screens, and TwinLight, you essentially have the perfect greenhouse in terms of light intake, uniform and strong. Innovative and reliable."
Bom continues to invest in product development and research into the greenhouse of the future, with themes such as raw material use and sustainability playing a key role.
"Steel and aluminum are highly recyclable, but the raw materials still need to be available, we depend on the global market, and horticulture represents only a small part of that. At the same time, we are used to offering a very high-quality product at a relatively low price. It's not my quote, but a square meter of laminate flooring is more expensive than a square meter of greenhouse. As raw materials become more expensive, that puts pressure on the market."
© Bom Group
At the same time, Rob sees opportunities. "Our strength lies in technical innovation, collaboration, and direct contact with the grower. We understand their challenges, whether it's automation or sustainability, and respond accordingly."
Where Piet Bom once stood at the center, Rob emphasizes that today, the company's innovative strength is carried by a whole team.
"We are now celebrating our 60th anniversary, but in recent years we have also been able to congratulate many colleagues on long or even decades-long service. And no matter how technical we are, it remains people's work. You don't win a project solely because you have the best solution, but also because it is entrusted to you. Ultimately, it is the people who make the company."
For more information:
Bom Group
[email protected]
https://bomgroup.nl
