Precast concrete, so much more than just a good slab

Quality at heart

Impeccable quality, from the drawing work to delivery and aftercare on site. That's how LG Concrete makes a difference in the market. Moreover, by listening very hard to its customers, it keeps its finger on the pulse of new developments. Sustainability, efficiency, quality and a higher level of finishing will be the pillars for the years to come.

Right from its foundation in the 1960s, the then construction company LambertGeerkens chose prefabricated elements for the construction of agricultural buildings. The perfect control of the production process and thus the quality combined with the higher construction speed were important factors in that choice. A process to which the company increasingly devoted itself. A success story that also caught the attention of the Altez Construction Group, of which it has been a part since 2008. "Because we were already working together a lot in projects. What stood out then? Our quality. We pay the greatest care to the dimensions and composition of the concrete in production, but also to transport and aftercare on site," says Jurgen Vanelderen. The concrete wall elements, beams and columns are now used at home and abroad for numerous applications (hippico, stables and storage sheds, commercial buildings for SMEs, wine sheds, ...).

Quality from A to Z

No hollow words at LG Concrete. Thus, the company developed its own app to attest and track the quality of each panel from A to Z. Managing director Alain Greck explains: "Are the dimensions correct? Are all the cutouts correct? Have we reached the degree of finishing that the customer had in mind or do we still need to do some fine-tuning? In each production step, we carry out the necessary checks so that everything is right down to the last detail. Data that we can then also share with our customers." But for LG Concrete, quality starts above all with its own team. The driven employees at the production sites in Bree and Oudsbergen are the company's calling card for the business manager. "That's why we put a lot of time and energy into training and good communication. In other words, in making and keeping clear agreements. In this way we forge a strong team, so that every employee can contribute to a high-quality production process every day with the right job satisfaction and job pride. We regularly visit sites where our products are used. This allows them to see for themselves what beautiful reference buildings their eye for detail and quality have led to."

Finishing as per requirement

But the precast concrete of yesteryear has long since ceased to be that of today. "Simplicity used to be paramount. Now requirements are going crescendo and aesthetics and sustainability play a bigger role," says business process administrator Roel Goossens. "We have responded to this by continually expanding our range." LG Concrete's Therm range consists of inner and outer sheets between which an insulation layer is anchored. The GRFP connectors connecting the two shells provide exceptional thermal properties. Or how about the Deco range that gives you all the options for a finish in color, relief, gravel, (semi-)stone or stone strips? "Developments that came about by thinking along with our customers' process and analyzing how we can realize the customer's wishes as efficiently and quickly as possible," says Goossens

Continue to invest

A continuous process at LG Concrete. It recently invested in eight new tables to be able to cast precast elements up to 3.75 m high and 35 cm thick. Next year, the circulation control of the carousel system in Oudsbergen will receive a complete upgrade to be completely state-of-the-art again. Greck: "We are constantly investigating what can still be improved in our processes to achieve a better product for our customers." For the coming years, LG Concrete expects a lot from the renovation market. "Europe wants to make its patrimony more sustainable and we can also contribute to this with our solutions. For example, we are getting more and more questions about our own carbon footprint. This is why we are already working with hybrid and electric vehicles for on-site use. A detail perhaps, but for us this is the future. We want to evolve along with it," Vanelderen concludes.