Group Victor Peeters
The right cleaning solution
Group Victor Peeters was founded in 1955 by Mr. Victor Peeters, as a modern cleaning company that has since worked in government and industrial markets.
The company has positioned itself as a leader in modern cleaning techniques and today ensures that its highly motivated team of employees and modern equipment is available to clients seven days a week, 24 hours a day. “Almost 60 years since the business was founded Group Peeters is still a family business and we are quite proud of that,” says commercial director, Bart Vanstiphout. “After all, it says something about the nature of the company. We are a business of hardworking people and quite often generation after generation works for us. Group Peeters now has more than 800 employees, a fleet of over 400 vehicles, is spread across nine locations in Belgium and the Netherlands, and continues to grow.”
The company offers a comprehensive package of cleaning services throughout the industrial, sewer and tank sectors including solutions for pipelines, storage tanks, production units, air fin coolers, reactors, industrial chimneys and flare installations. Furthermore although cleaning remains the company’s core activity, Victor Peeters has grown to offer an extended service package including catalyst exchanges, tank coatings, waste management, camera inspections, infrastructure maintenance, blasting, turnaround management and control, consultancy and tailored training, as Bart elaborates: “Our experience and expertise has turned us into an all-round provider of industrial services in a multidisciplinary way, which allows us to offer our clients a single point of contact. As Group Peeters complies with the highest QHSE standards we are the perfect partner for projects on any site. From shutdown management and cleaning, coaching and training of management or local contractors, to customised equipment and rapid r sponse teams – we assist clients to reach the full potential of the their installations.”
From its headquarters in Herentals, Belgium Group Peeters has grown to achieve a turnover of 89 million euros in 2013 and the business continues to invest in education, equipment and innovation, reaching as much as 11 million euros in 2014. The company has recently opened an international division that has allowed it to reach clients in new markets. “The reputation of Group Peeters has led us to several partnerships outside of Belgium’s borders. Through the first successful projects in France and Germany during 2013 and ongoing projects in Malaysia and Dubai during 2014, we decided to spread our knowledge and services. We created an international team to assist in increasing the productivity and business performance of the companies we work with. For 
every project we can assign the right specialists needed to perform the job,” Bart says.
“Many multinationals are looking to increase efficiency, to maintain high standards and expect knowledge of their installations from their partners,” he continues. “Customers want a supplier with the same standards and values as their own. There is more and more awareness and attention for sustainable processes like reduction of emissions, environmentally friendly detergents and the health and safety of workers throughout the full scope of operations.”
The development of bespoke industrial cleaning services is increasingly important for Group Peeters as the company continues to expand and reach new clients. Its continued investment and delivery of targeted solutions has allowed the company to build an international reputation for quality and innovation, as Bart outlines: “Group Peeters is a pioneer in industrial services. We are ahead of the curve in making sure that our technologies, machinery and fleet are constantly updated in line with the newest trends and developments. In co-operation with our clients the company’s engineers develop bespoke solutions to establish safer, environmentally friendly and cost-saving ways to finish projects. We have our own research and development hall, where we develop, build and test new designs and innovations.
“Recently we developed a boiler cleaning project for Dow Chemicals in Germany. This concept was based on automation to provide a ‘non-entry’ method for safer working conditions. We develop new techniques with non-entry and automatic cleaning whenever we can to ensure the health and safety of the people involved. As a result of the success of this project we are now rolling out a similar project for another customer. Another interesting project was an innovative rail for Holtec in the US to conduct our air fin cleaning system over the air fin coolers automatically. The combination of the rail and our air fin cleaner prevents the cooler from experiencing downtime and eliminates the need for cranes for cleaning. Following the installation local people were trained to operate the equipment. The system brings a return cooler capacity of up to 35 per cent and is much safer than manual cleaning.”
Although Group Peeters provides flexible, custom-designed solutions in a broad spectrum of applications, the majority of its clients operate within the petrochemical and energy sectors, where they rely on the company’s ability to quickly address ad-hoc projects and its strong dedication to HSE standards. For example, during September 2014 Group Peeters completed a project at the Valero Pembroke refinery in South East Wales, where it cut out approximately 25 square metres of 15 centimetres thick concrete refractory from a ‘riser’ efficiently and cost-effectively.
As Group Peeters continues to grow and establish a wider customer base it will rely on its highly trained staff and strong knowledge base to carry the business forward, as Bart concludes: “Our people are the most valuable asset of the company; they are the heart of the business and its ongoing continuity. Our focus is not on short-term profit but on long-term returns. We pay a lot of attention to safety and the health of our team, sustainable operation and environmentally friendly methods. As part of our growth we plan to open a new location in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, east of Germany. We selected this location for two reasons; first of all it is situated in the industrial heart of the region, and second because it is a perfect base from which to fulfil the demands of surrounding countries in the south, such as Poland and Romania as well as Denmark in the north. We have also become established in the Middle East within Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, we will make big steps in innovating and bringing in techniques such as the use of laser technology-online and bringing chemical cleaning in-house.”
Group Victor Peeters
Services: Industrial cleaning and services