Pierre van den Borne
Van den Borne is a company with a long history, built on entrepreneurship, craftsmanship, and a clear vision. The company was founded in 1974 by my father, and at that time we focused on the sale of machines and tools for the agricultural sector.
How climate shaped our course
At an early stage, it became clear how significant the impact of climate and weather conditions is on our market. The extremely hot summer of 1976 led to a sharp increase in demand for pumps and irrigation systems. This growing demand resulted in increasing specialization.
In 1988, I joined the company myself. My brother was already active within the group at that time and working at our company DiBO. Two years later, in 1990, an important strategic decision was made: Van den Borne was differentiated into several entities, each with its own focus on specific product and customer combinations. A very clear course was deliberately chosen, with our focus fully on pumps and irrigation. This marked the creation of Van den Borne as we know it today: the specialist in professional irrigation.
New market developments
Since 1995, automated irrigation has been a core part of our product range and an important driver of Van den Borne’s growth.
This growth led to our first strategic relocation in 2000, to a new and larger business facility. Development continued with an expansion of the building in 2011 and the addition of extra locations in 2017 to keep pace with increasing demand.
Operating from multiple locations gradually made our logistics processes more complex. To work more efficiently, strengthen our service, and enable further professionalization, we once again chose a central, future-proof location.
In 2019, we therefore moved into our current location in Valkenswaard – an important step that allows us to support, unburden, and serve our partners and customers even better with reliable and innovative irrigation solutions.
From 1974 up to and including 2000
From 2000 up to and including 2019
From 2019 to the present
Changes in the irrigation sector
Alongside this physical growth, the market also evolved. The irrigation sector continued to expand, and international competition increased. This meant that we, too, looked beyond the Benelux. In 2018, we took our first steps into the German market, followed by the opening of our Van den Borne GmbH sales office in the German city of Bonn in January 2023.
The ambition to accelerate our international growth led to our first international acquisition in 2023: KAR UK – a key step in our continued expansion across Europe.
Quality over quantity
From the very beginning, one vision has been central to our company: quality over quantity. We deliberately choose A-brands and believe that a good product must go hand in hand with knowledge and craftsmanship. That is why we invest in knowledge transfer and training for our customers. We are convinced that the combination of high-quality products, technical expertise, and practical experience results in sustainable, reliable installations you can depend on.
To this day, we therefore continue to focus on growth and professionalization, both within the Benelux and beyond, enabling us to support you with a broad and up-to-date product range, short communication lines, and expert advice.
In this way, we continue to build together towards the most efficient, sustainable, and reliable irrigation systems of the future.
Pierre van den Borne
Van den Borne Group
