Convoi Europe B.V. was formed in 1997 following the amalgamation of three different companies, each with a rich past. Below, you will find a description of these companies and some information about the formation of Convoi Europe B.V.
Convoi Europe BV and Convoi Belgium NV both trade under the name of 'Convoi'. The name, logo and livery were introduced in 1998 when Marcon took over the company of Geytenbeek Europe BV in Utrecht. Marcon’s history likewise involves a long series of takeovers, so that the present company has many different predecessors with a history that stretches back to 1924.
Dabekausen
The Dabekausen company was founded in Heerlen in 1924 and over the years gained specialist experience in the transport of abnormal loads. The company was primarily active in the coalmining industry transporting large boilers. The customers we worked with at the time still retain links with the present-day company. In fact, Dabekausen was responsible for a revolutionary new design, the transformer car. Dabekausen was taken over by the Lintzen Group from Sittard in 1982. The heavy transport business was later sold to the Van der Vlist company. This company still exists today and operates under the name of Dabekausen Zwaartransport Born.
Geytenbeek
The Geytenbeek family business was started in the 1930s. It actually began life as a butcher’s shop in Zeist, but later the family stated to focus more on the removal business. In 1937, the company already had three large trucks at its disposal and occupied sizeable premises. After the Second World War, the company expanded rapidly, partly as a result of some major orders from the American Embassy. In 1966 the company was taken over by Van Gend & Loos and in just six years the company expanded from a workforce of 12 to 100. It was during this period that the 'industrial services’ and ‘office relocation’ activities were developed. Nowadays these same activities are carried out under the names of ‘Industrial Relocation’ and ‘Project Relocation’ respectively. Art the time, it all started with hospital and health care relocations. The company also developed a specialisation in the transport of computers in air-suspension trucks ate an early stage.
Archive management services were started when the archives of Nedlloyd were handed over to Geytenbeek. Ever since then, this activity has been expanding rapidly and has become a highly successful part of Convoi’s business.
In September 1997, Van Gend & Loos (at the time a Nedlloyd subsidiary) sold the Geytenbeek activities to Marcon Nederland B.V. and continued trading under the name Geytenbeek Europe B.V., whose activities also incorporated the Geytenbeek site in Brussels, which has since become Convoi Belgium NV.
Marcon Nederland B.V.
Marcon was established as a business in the 1950s. It started out as a demolition business in Born. It was the first company in the south of the Netherlands to get hold of an old army crane. In 1959, Marcon was commissioned to dismantle the Expo exhibition site in Brussels and a new crane was acquired for this purpose. From this moment on business flourished for Marcon. In 1965 the first hydraulic crane was purchased and in the years that followed, Marcon Nederland BV moved to Sittard. It has been part of the Lintzen Group since 1984. Crane hire activities led to assembly work being developed. Customers asked whether machines could be relocated using lifting gear. Installation and operationalisation were a natural extension of this work. Today this highly professional task is carried out by the Industrial Relocations division.
Convoi Europe B.V.
After the acquisition of Geytenbeek by Marcon in 1997, it was decided that the name, logo and livery would be changed to show greater uniformity. It was decided to opt for a new and modern house style. The 'Convoi' name was adopted and in September 1998 was announced at the Evoluon building in Eindhoven. The sky blue livery and logo have now become a familiar sight in the world of relocation. The name 'Convoi' was a considered choice, since 'Convoi' is the Vietnamese word for an elephant. Anyone will know that an elephant is strong, sociable and has an excellent memory. The elephant figure can also be seen in the company logo, showing, as it does, the head and two ears. In Latin, ‘Convoi’ means travelling together (in convoy), which reflects the horizontal and vertical transport activities of the business. The house style has contributed to a modern, uniform and professional image which fits in with the dynamism which is Convoi. The ‘Convoi, your best move’ is conveys the succinct message that Convoi is the ideal candidate for all your transport problems, whether it be for prefabricated concrete, machines, offices or archives – Convoi will always be your best move!
Convoi Belgium NV, is now located in Vilvoorde and is a subsidiary of Convoi Europe BV. This subsidiary is primarily specialised in Industrial Relocation, Project Relocation and Archive Management.