Out and about with the jubilant green professional 

25 years in green

This year GAKO Groenvoorziening B.V. is celebrating its 25th anniversary exactly. Cor de Gans, who runs the family business together with his brother Dimitri, invites us for a trip down memory lane. We get in the car and together we visit several notable projects on which GAKO has left its mark in recent years. We also visit a number of current works where we receive a warm welcome. Cor's enthusiasm is appreciated. 

GAKO landscaping performs work in large-scale green space, both for governments and large contractor companies such as Heijmans, Jdb Group and Boskalis. "I am proud that such renowned clients knock on GAKO's door when they need a green professional," says Cor. "In addition to realizing green projects, we are also happy to give advice on the approach or assist with the green plan in the tender phase." Cor has barely uttered that last sentence when the phone rings. A well-known client asks if he would like to assist with a tender to dot the 'i' regarding the green plan. "No problem, I'll stop by late afternoon and we'll go over it together," it sounds. It's GAKO all over the place. "We are always there for our clients. Day and night."

Pruning, dredging and mowing

From GAKO's home base in Everdingen, we drive along the A2 to the first project, a huge garden around the former Telegraph building. On the way, we make up to three stops at various locations along the highway. "Look, here we recently trimmed 112 pollarded willows," Cor points to a row of neatly trimmed willows. "And this pond near the Old Copper Mill we recently dredged. Some 3,000 m3 of dredge has been dumped next to the pond in a specially created basin, while the other 2,800 m3 has been moved across to a vacant lot behind a gas station. In August this year we are going to unload it and sow it." We drive on and stop at another gas station. "Here we will start mowing soon." Just down the road from Utrecht on the A2 along The Wall, GAKO spent two nights. "Here we hitchhiked along with the depositions for the tunnel maintenance and in two nights for Heijmans sawed off and removed the brush."

Lots of overdue maintenance

Cor is regularly annoyed by the many overdue maintenance of the roadside greenery with many seedlings and wild shoots. "There is far too little looking after the greenery. It is an underserved child. We always run out of money, and then the green space suffers. There's such a mountain of overdue maintenance that I could easily have twenty employees walking in the green for a year. Look, here the median has not been mowed for far too long. You can't get those seedlings mowed off anymore," he points out. "Or here, this puddle, it's a meter above grade and not a damn thing is being done about it. Really incomprehensible. Green is my thing, I look at it and talk about it. Sometimes I take the plunge and share my findings with the contractor on duty." After all, Cor knows better than anyone else which party is responsible for which route.

Busy boss

And then we arrive at the former Telegraph building in Amsterdam. We park the car and walk around the building. "We completely redesigned the garden here a few years ago with 28,000 perennials and 170 trees. We also take care of the maintenance."   

Quickly we get back into the car on our way to Assendelft. Cor's phone is ringing red hot. He is a busy man. Clients appreciate GAKO's expertise, that much is clear by now. And that is confirmed by the gentlemen of the JdB Group in the shack at the newly built Kreekrijk project in Assendelft. We are welcomed with open arms. Since 2021, they have been working here on an attractive and green residential area with approximately 950 homes. GAKO is taking care, in phases and in good harmony, of the planting of the public greenery and the green yard fencing. Quite a job for the green professionals from Everdingen. Enough chatting and greeting in the shed, on to Noordwijkerhout! 

N206

In the Bollenstreek area, GAKO is well known. "From 2004 to 2023, we were allowed to take care of the greenery maintenance along the provincial roads here on behalf of the province of South Holland. It was therefore quite a loss that we just missed out on the new contract," Cor says honestly. "But anyway, that 'blow' we have fortunately overcome." We stop for a moment along the N206 Tjalmaweg. "On behalf of Boskalis, we planted 40,000 hederas and 530 trees here. Look how they're growing up, it's going well." Cor is visibly proud of how well "his" plants are doing. And the client is happy too, as GAKO has already been engaged again for the follow-up project, the N206 Europaweg. "Surely it's great that we, as green professionals, get to think along on such an extensive infrastructure project." 

Glory of yesteryear

Taking the N206, we finally arrived in Noordwijkerhout at the French and English Garden, the last project of the day. "In collaboration with JdB Groep, we have transformed the feral garden into a true gem. Plant species that were in the garden in the last century have been replanted and old elements have been brought back. A unique project for us with lots of appealing planting, where the glory of yesteryear is back in the park." Once again, it shows what GAKO is capable of. "We are a service-oriented, all-round green specialist that likes to think along with clients in the preliminary stages to achieve the desired result. We stand for our clients and for our people. Together we make the difference," Cor concludes. We drive back to our home base in Everdingen. Before yours truly is in the car, Cor is already on his way to his next appointment....