Gebr. de Haan Bussloo has unique bond with A1

The A1 is an important connection between economic areas inside and outside the Netherlands. Good traffic flow is important for the accessibility and economic development of the region. Because of these reasons, the A1 between Apeldoorn and Twello is being widened. The highway is actually in the backyard of Gebr. de Haan Bussloo. The earthmoving company therefore has a unique bond with this national highway. A history that goes back many decades, because during the construction of the A1, the family business already took care of the sand extraction from the current recreational lake Bussloo. And now they are deployed by Heijmans for the necessary earthmoving work on and around the A1.

Gebr. de Haan Bussloo has become big with the sand extraction from recreational lake Bussloo. "For more than thirty years we were allowed to take care of the sand exploitation there with our own sand dredger," says Roy de Haan, who together with brother Guido forms the second generation in the family business since 1992. "The sand was used for infrastructure projects such as cunet replenishment and for preparing sites for construction. After thirty years, we stopped doing this in the early 1980s. We were not allowed to deepen or enlarge the lake any further. Around that time, we were also subcontracting all kinds of earthmoving work, and we subsequently expanded that specialty." 

Progressive in automation

In addition to large-scale earthmoving, the core activities of Gebr. de Haan Bussloo include preparing plots of land for building, the construction and sealing of landfills and the construction of nature projects. "We work exclusively as subcontractors in this regard, a conscious choice. Furthermore, we are a progressive company and have been working with machine control since 2007. Yep, we were there early," Roy says with a laugh. "For example, we successfully sealed and profiled, coincidentally also for Heijmans, a large landfill site for the first time on the basis of GPS in 2007. Many projects and machines followed. All machines are equipped with GPS machine control, from our crawler cranes and self-propelled dumpers to shovels and tractors. Automation is an important issue and our employees find it extremely pleasant."

Weekends and nights

On the A1, Gebr. de Haan Bussloo has contributed to both the first phase and the section between Apeldoorn and Twello. "In addition to the road widening, we were also involved in the radical reconstruction of the approach and exit ramp near Bredenoord," says Guido. "We worked here mainly on weekends and nights, at times when the exit ramp was closed. A huge job that required a lot of effort and planning from our colleagues and machines, but with a lot of pleasure. Everyone enjoys doing their part to make a project a success. We are sincerely proud of that. By the way, even as management we are not too shy to assist."

Gebr. de Haan Bussloo's machinery fleet is up to date. "At the A1 we deploy only machines with Stage V engines and run on HVO 100 biofuel produced from renewable and sustainable raw materials. In addition, our people are trained in running as efficiently as possible. That together ensures a huge CO2 reduction and maximum safety."