De Bruyn family: Construction pioneers with assets of €55.77m
De Bruyn family
The De Bruyn family is renowned for its association with the Mechanical Brickworks of Ploegsteert. Founded in 1927, the company began as a small brick factory owned by Rémi De Bruyn. Today, it is renowned for its expertise in the manufacture of building materials and places itself in the Top 400 with an estimated fortune of 55.77 million euros.
Early production was limited to facing bricks, small-format facing bricksThese are shipped nationwide via a dedicated rail network. Over the years, the company has innovated by developing new products such as the "tralieblok"These products contribute to greater construction efficiency and offer improved strength and insulation characteristics.
In the 50s, product diversification accelerated with the introduction of Stalton floorsas a direct consequence of the acquisition of rights to an innovative Swiss product. The company has also set up an engineering office to further develop its innovations.
The death of Rémi De Bruyn in 1964 marks a new era of modernization under the leadership of his son Joseph De Bruyn. This period witnessed the progressive mechanization and digitization of production processes. During the crises of the 1980s, the company reinvented itself by training its staff in new trades and opening up its maintenance services to other companies, under the energetic leadership of Philip De Bruyn.
The machinebouwor machine building, emerged in 1986 as an independent entity called Cerateca key development towards diversification. The advent of electronics and information technology has enabled the division electrotechnics to gain in importance, leading to the creation of Ceratec electrotechnics in 1991.
In 2011, a substantial investment in a automated plant for the production of prefabricated ceramic walls symbolizes Ploegsteert's continuous innovation.
Familie De Bruyn maintains a neutral profile in the market, marking its history through constant evolution and a commitment to sustainable development, as evidenced by the creation of the nature reserve. The family and its companies remain an informative and progressive pillar of the construction industry.
