Connecting link between infra and habitat

GAKO Groenvoorziening from Everdingen has been active in green space in all kinds of GWW projects for many years. The family business works closely with contractors and connects infrastructure with livability and sustainability.

The company is led by brothers Cor and Dimitri de Gans and has twelve permanent employees, supplemented by a large flexible workforce. GAKO owes its strong market position not only to craftsmanship in construction and maintenance, but especially to the way in which it thinks along with projects. It is not just executing, but also advising and identifying. This makes GAKO a preferred partner for contractors such as Boskalis, Heijmans Infra B.V., Dura Vermeer, JdB Group and Vermeulen Group.

Projects illustrate that profile. In Amsterdam, GAKO laid out the garden at the former Telegraaf building, with 28,000 perennials and 170 trees. Near the A2 motorway, the company carried out dredging work and provided greenery at The Wall in Utrecht. Along the N206 Tjalmaweg, GAKO planted 40,000 hederas and over 500 trees. And in Assendelft the company is landscaping the public space at the new Kreekrijk district. The locations vary, but good green space management enhances the image and sustainability of the project everywhere.

Cor de Gans is known for his down-to-earth outlook and practical solutions. This not only results in good quality green space management, but sometimes also significant savings. He gives an example: “The availability of plants is often seasonal. As a client, you can then opt for expensive potted plants, but you can also wait a few weeks and work with bare-root plants. That saves tens of thousands of euros, without compromising on quality.”

This attitude runs as a common thread through all projects. GAKO does not see itself as a contractor who just completes a list, but as a partner who adds value from the beginning. By looking critically at planting lists, materials and soil improvement, clients are saved from unnecessary costs and delays. According to De Gans, this is not only in the interest of his company, but also of the sector: a road or structure can be as sound as it is, without good, sustainable greenery, the end result is incomplete.

As early as the tender phase, GAKO provides advice on soils, plant types, maintenance intervals and material selection. De Gans: “This is how we manage to avoid surprises such as delays, failure costs or extra maintenance.” In doing so, the company demonstrates that landscaping is not a closing item, but an essential part of a good design.

At the same time, the company continues to invest in modern equipment. Machines are new, well cared for and adapted to the demands of working along busy roads. For De Gans and its people, this is more than a calling card: it is a prerequisite for working safely, efficiently and with pride.

With that attitude, GAKO has developed in recent decades into a reliable player in the GWW sector: compact in size, but large in significance. As Cor de Gans himself puts it, “Without our people and without the trust of our clients we are nothing. Together we make the product. And we want to keep doing that for many years to come.”