GAVO

In 1917, Gerrit Jan Hermanus Goudkuil established his own business, GAVO, to manufacture mass-produced items. In the 1950s, the focus shifted to what continues to be their core business today: designing, producing and distributing ventilation products. These products are designed and made in series, customised to the needs of the client.

The range of ventilation products is extensive. It includes hundreds of vents, swirl diffusers, grilles, louvres, ventilation products and fans in all shapes and sizes. The formats differ as well. This can vary from a 10 by 10 cm grille to a by an architect commissioned custom-made louvre wall measuring 10 by 40 metres. Third-generation family company director Erik Goudkuil says: ‘Our team of twenty employees is extremely experienced and knowledgeable. We have a solution for every problem - or challenge, as we like to think of them. And we can supply this solution very quickly when necessary. We have a highly technical focus on our products, and we make no concessions in terms of quality. That is why our customers continue to work with us time and time again. I like to see both my staff and my customers as part of the family.”

The customers mostly come from the hardware and retail branches. GAVO has an excellent reputation in those areas. Half of the revenues come from the Netherlands, the other half is generated in Europe, particularly Germany and Belgium. They occasionally supply a country further afield, such as Japan. Consistently high quality is critical for Japanese clients: all their deliveries must be 100%, and that’s why they chose GAVO as their supplier.

Growth

GAVO expects to grow steadily in the coming years. They aim to do so by expanding their range. In particular, bespoke projects are becoming an increasingly important part of the business. This has resulted in the development of a new branch within GAVO, GAVO Concepts.  This includes all sorts of wall systems such as the louvre walls. The team works together with architects to realise these projects. Their requirements are translated by GAVO into bespoke products, and we see that these solutions are increasingly incorporated into many different types of buildings.

Export countries: Europe with a focus on Germany, Belgium and occasionally a country outside of Europe such as Japan.