From Bouwen aan Vlaanderen | text Tim Janssens
There are companies that employ people, and companies that help people grow - by giving them opportunities and allowing them to make their mark. Furnibo clearly belongs to the latter. This becomes evident in the stories of four long-standing colleagues who each contribute, in their own way, to the impressive evolution of this forward-thinking Class 8 contractor. With its in-house precast department and flagship projects such as SILT, Furnibo has become a well-established name in the construction landscape of West and East Flanders.
They share their professional journeys, their views on Furnibo’s innovative direction, and how teamwork, digitalisation and sustainability go hand in hand with ambition - all while maintaining a strong focus on the human aspect. “As an employee, you rarely encounter a ceiling here.”
Could you tell us how you first joined Furnibo and how your role within the company has evolved since then?
Chris Hallemeersch: “With my twenty years of service, I’m the elder statesman of the group.” (laughs). “I previously worked for another construction company in Ostend, and a former colleague asked whether I might consider moving to Furnibo. That one phone call changed my life - I accepted, and later even moved to Veurne. I spent fifteen years as a crew leader, but five years ago I was ready for a new challenge. Since then, I’ve been responsible for our in-house precast department, which I helped establish from the ground up.”
Maarten Neyens: “With four years of experience, I’m the youngest of the group.” (laughs). “I’m originally from Veurne, so I already knew Furnibo by name when I started my construction studies. I got the chance to do an internship on the Wintercircus site in Ghent, and afterward I joined the company as a site manager. It’s great that the colleagues who supervised my internship are now my direct teammates. The playful teasing that comes with it - like jokingly being called ‘the intern’ - is something I happily take in stride.”
Robbe Verfaille: “My path was quite similar: I did my first internship here and stayed on afterward. Furnibo appealed to me because of the frequent use of architectural concrete. Even before I officially graduated as a civil engineer, I had already applied. I first spent some time on-site myself, but when the opportunity arose to become a BIM coordinator and manager, I embraced it. I’ve always been fascinated by drawing, so the move toward digital construction was a natural fit. I also focus on IT and data within the company. The fact that I can assess which software truly adds value is extremely useful. The combination of my technological skillset and engineering background is an ideal match.”
Elke Duvillers: “I’m a trained architectural engineer and have now been working at Furnibo for nearly seven years. While searching for a job with strong technical content, I spoke with several contractors, but this is where everything fell into place. I started as a site manager and have been working as a project engineer in work preparation for about four years.”
What makes Furnibo such an enjoyable and attractive employer?
Elke Duvillers: “Here, the focus is on delivering forward-thinking construction projects, not just on volume. I think that is a very strong foundation.”
Maarten Neyens: “The sense of collegiality is a huge advantage as well. You can approach anyone with questions - regardless of their role, level of experience or how long they’ve been here. The company also invests a lot in strengthening those bonds through teambuildings, after-work events, company visits and more.”
Robbe Verfaille: “The human aspect is indeed a key pillar of our company philosophy. What also appeals to me enormously is that we never stand still as a company — we’re always pushing forward. As a result, employees receive real opportunities, responsibility and trust, even when they’re still young or inexperienced. I was only 26 when I started leading our team of BIM engineers, but that was never an issue. That says a lot about this company. Furnibo grows bottom-up: young people evolve naturally, move into new roles over time and follow their own path. You rarely hit a ceiling here. It’s no coincidence that staff turnover is so low.”
Chris Hallemeersch: “That hasn’t changed in all these years. When I started here, Furnibo had forty employees - today we have 150. Everything has evolved and become far more professional, for example in terms of on-site safety. But in human terms, the essence has stayed exactly the same.”
A major industry-wide evolution is the increasing focus on sustainability. How is Furnibo responding to this?
Maarten Neyens: “This falls under the responsibility of our new prevention advisor, who invests a great deal of time and energy into identifying how we can further reduce our CO₂ footprint - both in execution and in waste management. For example, on some sites we already use battery systems to power utilities instead of relying on polluting diesel generators.”
Elke Duvillers: “And that gives us advantages in public procurement as well. Having certain sustainability certificates provides a competitive edge. In that respect, we’ve stepped up our efforts again this year. Soon, we will advance another level on the CO₂ Performance Ladder.”
One striking evolution within the company is the in-house production of prefabricated brick façade elements. What led to that decision?
Chris Hallemeersch: “Partly because it has become increasingly difficult to find skilled bricklayers who can work efficiently, and partly because producing prefabricated elements allows us to keep far better control over the construction process. We’re no longer dependent on weather conditions and can deliver to the site just in time, which significantly shortens on-site construction time. In short: everything becomes more predictable and the risk factor is much lower. The quality benefits as well, and it allows us to execute complex brickwork patterns with ease while reducing construction waste. Choosing to produce our own prefabricated brick façade elements has proven to be a bull’s-eye. At first, we produced only for our own projects, but we now also supply external clients - for example, for the O’Sea 3 development in Ostend. So yes, we certainly have our hands full,” he laughs.
Elke Duvillers: “The fact that it eliminates the need for façade scaffolding is another major advantage of our prefab concept. It broadens the range of projects we can take on. In dense urban environments, there’s often not enough space for scaffolding or material storage, but prefabricated façade elements allow us to work around that. The establishment of our in-house prefab department also coincided with the digitalisation of our operations. Today, we build everything digitally in BIM before we even set foot on site. The emphasis is now much more on thorough preparation.”
Robbe Verfaille: “Not all clients are fully on board with this approach yet, but the shift undeniably enables us to build far more efficiently. The speed we can achieve on site today is unprecedented. BIM is our standard working method for every project, large or small.”
Maarten Neyens: “And we really reap the benefits during execution. We have far fewer ‘headaches’, to put it in West Flemish terms. Everything runs much more smoothly and efficiently because potential clashes and issues are already resolved beforehand. The paper plans of the past have largely been replaced by laptops and tablets, allowing us to zoom in on specific construction details. It makes the entire process much clearer.”
Besides BIM, are there any other digital tools that you use on a regular basis?
Maarten Neyens: “Yes, for example 3D scans using a drone. The resulting point cloud is then overlaid on the 3D building model to check for clashes, map out basement and foundation walls, accurately estimate earthworks, and so on. When tolerances are tight, we always verify via a 3D scan to ensure that everything will fit.”
Chris Hallemeersch: “Our first 3D scans were carried out during the construction of the Suikertorens nearby, mainly to verify whether the façades were perfectly aligned. That provided essential information for mounting the prefabricated brickwork. In the future, our prefab activities will undoubtedly become even more digital. I’m thinking, for instance, of using QR codes.”
Elke Duvillers: “We also hold digital meetings on a regular basis and use a variety of other software tools - for HR purposes, resource planning, depot management and more.”
Robbe Verfaille: “Artificial intelligence has entered the picture as well. We closely follow all developments, because if we choose to implement AI, we want to do it properly - it shouldn’t just be a gimmick. At the moment, we mainly use language models, which we’ve integrated into a web app to create a secure data environment for the entire company. Our employees can now receive digital support with text-related tasks, helping them save valuable time during busy periods and allowing them to focus even more on their core responsibilities.”
What does the future look like for you, and for Furnibo as a company?
Robbe Verfaille: “There will be no shortage of challenges in my role over the coming years. The AI tools we currently use are only the tip of the iceberg. Undoubtedly, more construction-focused applications will follow, so it’s crucial to stay alert and make the right choices. The fact that a colleague and I are given the time to work on this every day says a lot about Furnibo’s forward-thinking mindset. That’s why I look to the future - both mine and the company’s — with confidence.”
Chris Hallemeersch: “I still genuinely enjoy working here. I’m someone who thrives on challenge, and there’s plenty of that at the moment — from orders and quotations to coordination and planning. With the prefab story evolving as it is, I’ll be busy for quite some time. If things keep progressing at this pace, our prefab department will soon be too small. Who knows, we may eventually need a new location - but one step at a time.”
Elke Duvillers: “Chris is much more than the head of the prefab department. He has so much on-site experience that we often consult him when we run into questions or issues. He frequently comes up with a valuable tip or an old-school solution that helps us move forward. That’s another example of the collegial spirit that makes a real difference in critical moments. As for myself, my priority for the coming years is to continue growing with the company. As my experience increases and our projects become more complex, the work only gets more fascinating and challenging. I really appreciate that I can apply my knowledge and experience to create genuine added value.”
Maarten Neyens: “I haven’t been with Furnibo for very long, but I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. Personally, I’d love to take on larger and more complex projects in the future. References such as the Suikerbrug in Veurne and SILT in Middelkerke look fantastic on a CV, and I’m sure many more will follow. I’m very passionate about the execution side of the job on site, so moving into a project manager role isn’t an immediate priority - but never say never. Especially not at Furnibo,” (laughs).