Market leader in water management

In view of climate change - lots of rainwater in short periods of time alternating with periods of severe drought - water collection, cleaning, retention and disposal are the central themes in ACO's product development.

Water is important for people and nature. "With innovative, thoughtful and high-quality drainage products and systems, we try to protect people and nature in the best possible way," begins Paul Gruson, Managing Director at ACO Netherlands. "We have a wide range of products and offer solutions from the shower drain at home to the drainage at Schiphol Airport for the heavy jumbo jets. In doing so, we are not tied to one type of material. We are a multi-material company. That gives us freedom in selecting the right material and production method for the requested application."

Knowledge partner

ACO is a German family-owned company, but with a decentralized philosophy and a high degree of autonomy in all countries. "This is what makes us in the Netherlands so capable of responding to market needs. In a world that is changing, we value mutual contact and performing together. That is why we are knowledge partner of our customers in the field of water management and want to exceed our customers' expectations with all our products and services. With our years of knowledge and experience, we help designers, contractors and clients with any water management issue. Is there a question about collecting, cleaning, retaining and disposing of water? We make our knowledge available free of charge, so that better thought-out and feasible solutions can be found that can be processed faster. AskACO is what we call that, a 'way of working' that we propagate and that customers could well make more use of."

Water Management

"For the entire drainage chain, we supply the necessary components except for the pipes," Gruson summarizes. "Due to the increasing need for climate adaptive measures, the importance of good line drainage systems, infiltration systems and infiltration gutters is increasing. We often sit down with clients at an early stage to develop an integral vision together for 'managing' stormwater." Particularly in the area of infiltration, the vision has changed in recent years. To this end, ACO has developed the infiltration gutter. "Today, people prefer to infiltrate rainwater on site. In the city, however, space is limited. Moreover, cables and pipes require shallow infiltration solutions. Our infiltration gutter captures rainwater and infiltrates it locally, high on the surface, into the soil. This prevents the soil from drying out and relieves the sewer system."

Climate Adaptation

Climate adaptation in towns and cities is an important topic, according to Gruson. "We not only have to deal with the problem of too much rainwater (downpours), but also with increasingly long periods of drought. The importance of more green space and less paved surface in the city is recognized. There is a need to collect and buffer rainwater rather than drain it as quickly as possible. To then use it to water green areas in the city. Municipalities now spend a fortune on watering plant beds and trees. A shame. It can be done differently. We have developed a number of smart solutions to bring water to green areas and water them very efficiently from below. One example is our RainBloxx. Think of it as a form of irrigation. A product currently attracting a lot of interest due to climate adaptation. By using the collected rainwater for greenery, it also relieves the sewer system and improves the living environment in the inner city. Water management full stop."