Business Description

Jan de Gier started De Gier Drive Systems as a sole trader in 1954. Jan got into horticulture because his father Teun de Gier has trade relations in the horticultural sector. Greenhouse horticulture was already on the rise at that time. The company initially focused on the installation and maintenance of heating systems in glass greenhouses. They soon expanded into the production of various suspension systems and metal products. The company grew steadily in this fast-growing market. There was a lot of competition, but the added value of the products was low: “This made us think. We wanted to move in a different direction."

Encouraged by the growth of the market, De Gier started to manufacture and sell gear racks. However, the market demanded more, and another ambitious challenge emerged. A Dutch greenhouse builder asked De Gier to add motors and other drive systems to its existing range of gear racks. The challenge facing De Gier was to develop high-quality drives at a competitive price whilst at least matching the quality of the best competitor. De Gier began investing heavily in its production capabilities. In 1984 De Gier started selling drive systems. It was the first supplier on the market to launch a heavy-duty gear rack.

The introduction of this full range of drives was very challenging. Improvements were made based on customer experience and insights. Again the company invested heavily in modern production facilities and well-trained people to further improve the quality of its products. The industry kept on growing and the requirements kept increasing, so De Gier continued to invest and improve its products. The turnover doubled, accompanied by further growth in livestock farming and crop storage. It was time to make some strategic choices. De Gier chose to be the first Dutch supplier to focus on export, as the construction of poly greenhouses was experiencing tremendous growth in other countries.

The company's internationalisation meant it hired foreign staff and started to focus on the Spanish and Mexican markets. In 2001, De Gier entered the Spanish greenhouse construction market by establishing De Gier Sistemas de Tracción. In 2005, John de Gier took over the company from his father. After that, the company continued to grow. In 2014, De Gier decided to open a location in Mexico. In order to achieve the necessary growth, the plant area nearly doubled in 2018. The entire production hall was redesigned with better and more modern production equipment, and completely new, state-of-the-art assembly lines were installed. As a result, the entire logistics process improved considerably.

Services Offered

• Installation and Maintenance of Heating Systems
• Suspension Systems
• Gear Racks
• Drive Systems