Platform on concrete and steel in construction
When Marco van Ardenne talks about T.C. v.d. Dool B.V., it’s rarely just about steel. Of course, for generations, this family-owned business has revolved around structures, greenhouses, and technology. But just as important are the projects surrounding them: organizing, coordinating, and carrying out work that is often more complex than average.
As director of T.C. v.d. Dool B.V., Marco, together with Vincent van den Dool, is at the helm of a company that has been active in greenhouse horticulture and steel construction since 1934. Based in the Westland region, the company undertakes new construction, renovations, and specialized projects both domestically and abroad. T.C. v.d. Dool B.V. has built a unique position for itself, particularly in raising the height of existing greenhouses and commercial buildings—a specialty that has enabled the company to expand its operations worldwide.
Marco: ‘Despite our international projects, our organization remains deliberately compact. With a small team and a large network of partners, we carry out projects that are much larger than the company’s size would suggest. That requires not only technical expertise but also a firm grasp of processes, planning, and finances.’
Behind every project lies a combination of engineering, work planning, procurement, logistics, installation, and coordination. ‘Our own staff handle part of the execution, while a network of regular partners takes care of the specialized work.’
As a result, T.C. v.d. Dool B.V. sometimes resembles a project-based organization more than a traditional construction company. ‘That says a lot about the way we work. The success of a project is determined not only by what we build, but above all by how all the parts come together. We have developed into specialists in this area.’
This approach also ensures that the company does not limit itself to a single market. Of course, greenhouses are an important part of its operations, but T.C. v.d. Dool B.V. also works on renovations, height increases, and expansions of garden centers, industrial buildings, and a wide variety of special projects. In doing so, it regularly serves as the general contractor, taking responsibility not only for the construction but for the entire project.
This holistic approach to projects is perhaps most evident in the specialty for which T.C. v.d. Dool B.V. is internationally renowned: raising the height of existing greenhouses and commercial buildings.
‘The origins of this go back to the founding of our company in 1939. What began as the relocation of entire greenhouses has evolved into a technique that is now used to carefully raise large greenhouse complexes and commercial buildings. We now have hundreds of hydraulic jacks and decades of practical experience.’
Still, according to Marco, the real expertise doesn’t lie in the lifting itself. ‘The real work isn’t in the jacking itself. It’s about making sure everything stays upright while the building is being raised. That requires specialized knowledge, experience, and people who understand what’s happening on a project. Because when a building is raised by several meters, it’s all about controlling the process. Because of that expertise, clients from all over Europe and beyond know where to find us.’
Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Iceland, France, Canada, the United States, and soon Sweden are now among the countries where T.C. v.d. Dool B.V. operates. This international growth stems from brand recognition, client references, and a specialized expertise that faces virtually no competition.
‘At the same time, this work aligns well with current trends in sustainability and reuse. In many situations, adding stories to an existing building proves to be significantly more cost-effective than building from scratch. Adding stories often costs about one-third of the price of new construction. This becomes particularly appealing when there are many existing systems in place.’
The company’s day-to-day work therefore primarily involves organizing, planning, and managing projects, with dozens of suppliers, subcontractors, material flows, and tasks that must all align perfectly. At the same time, it’s essential to constantly monitor whether a project remains within budget. ‘You just have to do everything that’s in your contract. And if it gets too expensive, tough luck.’
‘An additional feature, a forgotten component, or a change made during construction can directly affect the final result. That’s why I want to gain insight into a project’s financial progress as early as possible. I don’t want to find out after the fact that a project is more expensive than anticipated; instead, I want to see during implementation what consequences changes or additional work will have.’
When the need arose for greater insight and structure, T.C. v.d. Dool B.V. began searching for an ERP system. That turned out to be less straightforward than expected. ‘Many solutions were primarily designed for manufacturing companies or, conversely, for project-based organizations. But our business falls right in between those two worlds. We manufacture parts ourselves, engineer structures, and oversee assembly. In addition, a large part of our work revolves around cost estimation, project management, procurement, scheduling, and managing external parties. That combination made the search for a suitable system difficult. In fact, there’s almost no off-the-shelf package that fits our needs.’
What ultimately appealed to Liemar wasn’t that everything fit together perfectly from the start, but that the system accommodated the way the company operates. ‘You support not only construction companies but also the project office. And others can’t do both of those things at the same time.’
For Marco, that hits the nail on the head. ‘Many companies in the steel and construction industries don’t just manufacture; they’re also responsible for engineering, work planning, procurement, project coordination, and financial management. The visible end result is a structure, but the success of a project is often determined much earlier.’
The implementation of Liemar started at the ground level. Calculations, project registration, procurement, and financial monitoring are now increasingly managed from a single platform.
‘We’ve made significant strides, especially in the area of procurement. Virtually all orders are now recorded through Liemar. This makes obligations transparent, provides earlier insight into costs, and gives us better control over the financial progress of projects.’ Marco notices this especially with larger projects. ‘Now you know sooner how costs are developing relative to the budget. That’s a major advantage.’
That doesn’t mean the development is complete. On the contrary. The company is constantly exploring ways to further improve its processes, for example in the areas of cost estimation, project monitoring, and making better use of available information. ‘There’s still quite a bit of room for improvement. We’re making sure we gain more control, step by step.’
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Since its founding in 1985, Liemar has offered business and ERP solutions for project-based companies in steel and metal construction. Our mission is to optimize your company and processes as a partner and to create more insight together. This leads to more peace and efficiency, both for the entrepreneur and employees. With the 'New Return [...]
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