Started local, grown global: 55 years of BOAL Systems
It all began in 1970, in a modest shed in Monster, The Netherlands. Founder Marinus Boers produced the first aluminum components for greenhouse roofs there. At the time, aluminum was groundbreaking—today, it’s the standard. The company started small but with big ambitions. What began as a local endeavor has grown into a modern 23,000 m² factory and a business active across the globe.
55 years later, BOAL Systems now operates from a modern office and production facility in ’s-Gravenzande, employing over one hundred people, serving customers on every continent, and offering a portfolio that covers the full scope of modern greenhouse construction: from Venlo roof systems to integrated insect netting solutions and advanced sandwich panel systems. Yet anyone who speaks with the people inside the company quickly discovers that BOAL Systems is about much more than aluminum. It’s about collaboration: with greenhouse builders, with growers, and above all, with its own people.
The power of people
To thrive for 55 years in a rapidly changing world, adaptability is key. Equally important: having people who stay. This year, BOAL Systems is celebrating not only its anniversary but also two remarkable milestones, both of which began on September 1.
Geert van Holsteijn, 50 years of service, pioneer and longtime Director of R&D (until 2019). Inventor of countless components, a true systems thinker, and still active two days a week as an advisor.
Geert van Holsteijn: “What has touched me most is the aluminum Venlo roof with clamped connections, which still stands as the global standard today. I still see 95% of my ideas reflected in it. The real value comes from collaboration: with customers, growers, suppliers, and colleagues who feel more like friends than co-workers. Fifty years at BOAL Systems has been possible thanks to the freedom we are given to keep innovating.”
Sander van der Ven, 25 years of service, who started in Extrusion, became Sales Director and later Business Development Director within the BOAL Group. Since 2024, he has returned to ’s-Gravenzande as Managing Director.
Sander van der Ven: “Together, we have literally traveled the world, from Japan to the United States and everywhere in between. What unites us is the constant search for solutions that make sense both technically and commercially—and above all, the joy of doing that together. With the addition of new companies within the BOAL Group, even more opportunities have emerged.”
From components to complete concepts
In the past, greenhouse builders selected the parts or system, and the supplier delivered. Today, the dynamic has shifted. Projects are larger, more international, and more complex. The question is no longer simply: which aluminum profile? But rather: how do we create the best possible outcome together—for both builder and grower?
This shift required an adjustment to the business model. BOAL Systems has transitioned from being a parts supplier to becoming a project partner, actively contributing to design, efficiency, and performance. It’s no longer about individual products, but about integrated solutions that deliver maximum value. Within the BOAL Group, BOAL Systems collaborates with BOAL Extrusion, WNL Horti Insulation, HollandGaas, HollandScherming, and Alumat Zeeman to realize these complete solutions worldwide. Every day, our R&D teams pool their knowledge and expertise to develop new, innovative systems.
Looking ahead
55 years of BOAL Systems is not only a moment to look back, but above all, to look forward. We thank our customers, partners, and employees for their trust and collaboration, and we continue building integrated systems that make the horticultural industry stronger, more efficient, and more sustainable.