Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
Why construction needs women
The construction and infrastructure industry is not known as a woman's world. Yet Melissa Buijens proves that it can be. At 25, she took a bold step: turning her father's traditional sand business into a full e-commerce business in sand and soil materials. Her story shows that it is precisely in this sector that enormous opportunities lie for women with guts, vision and entrepreneurship.
The family business was founded in 1985 as a classic sand business, primarily focused on large B2B projects in construction, road building and sports surfaces. In 2012 came the request from her father to join the family business. Melissa slept on it for a few nights and saw opportunities in a market that barely existed online. She started a webshop in sand and related materials, available from one cubic meter up.
What began as an experiment grew rapidly. “By 2015, we had already surpassed the traditional parent company. By now we are fully focused on e-commerce. All of the Netherlands and Belgium are supplied, via 180 subcontractors, seven filling stations and multiple transporters. The principle? Just like a meal delivery company: delivered locally, arranged centrally. Efficient, scalable and innovative,” Melissa says enthusiastically.
But it wasn't easy. As a young woman in a man's world, Melissa was not always taken seriously at first. “Drivers invariably asked where ‘the boss’ was. Suppliers called my father after.” Still, she persevered. Fourteen years later, the situation has completely turned around. “Everyone knows: at Zandcompleet a woman is at the helm.” Precisely her feminine approach proved to be a strength. While men are directly businesslike, she often starts with personal contact. “Just informally, then get to the point. Drivers call directly if something comes up. Relationships are close. It took years to build that trust, but now it works in my favor.”
And that is exactly the message to women who are unsure about a career in construction or infra. “There is room for a different style of leadership. The industry needs innovation, power of communication and the ability to transform.” Melissa transformed a traditional family business into a modern digital player, with no in-house staff. “We work exclusively with independent partners. No fixed contracts, but working together by mutual choice. That requires trust, but also offers freedom.”
She also sees huge opportunities in technology and AI. “It used to take thousands of development hours to build something, nowadays you can build a new application in a short time,” she says. “Connect supply and demand smarter, use data to optimize logistics and make niche products easier to find.” Construction has long since ceased to be just physical work, but a digital playground for innovative entrepreneurs.
Melissa grew up among the sand depots, was allowed to operate a crane as a little girl, and still feels a warm heart for the industry. Her father's clients, some of whom have been in business for forty years, still work with her. That combination of tradition and innovation makes construction unique. Still, she is clear. “Women still have a long way to go in this sector. But that is precisely why it is a promising place. Those who dare to deviate from the beaten path can make an impact here.”
