The success story of Edward and Geoffrey Piguillet sounds like a fantastic entrepreneurial adventure. It began in 1994 in an attic room in Berkel en Rodenrijs. With a borrowed laptop, he and his father and brother set to work reconditioning air-handling systems. Almost 20 years later, a brand-new building was built in that same Berkel, though the borrowed laptops were gone.

The origins of the Piguillet Group lie in the coating and cleaning of air handling systems. Words like sustainability, energy conservation, and higher efficiency quickly come to mind. And in the current market, where CO2 emissions and sustainable business practices take precedence, there is no rest to be found for this true Berkel entrepreneur.

 

"If there's a fire, for example, there's soot in the system. We blow it out using a patented system. And that's incredibly important for the utility, shipping, and offshore sectors," says Edward. Teams are flown all over the world to work on ships in dry docks, for example. "We have teams working in Dubai, Singapore, and Cadiz. A container of material is sent to the dry dock, where teams of four to six people immediately get to work."

Much more than air

 

Piguillet now has three pillars firmly in place: air-side systems, for optimizing climate control systems in offices and buildings; water-side systems, for cleaning and disinfecting commercial drinking water and process systems; and sustainability, which optimizes air handling units. This reduces energy and maintenance costs while also reducing CO2 emissions.

“In the event of an emergency, our added value is
"only now it is really clear"

And although there are a few other parties in the Netherlands that offer somewhat similar services, Piguillet offers the possibility to act really quickly in the event of an emergency and not leave until everything is safe and completely resolved.

Adjust and relieve

"The work the mechanics do is physically demanding. They almost always have to work beyond their capacity," Edward continues. "When a mechanic finishes early, it's helpful to have a colleague step in. Using the GPS trackers in the vans, the planner can see exactly where everyone is, where help is needed, and thus manage the crew very efficiently."

TrackJack’s trip registration is also used to review working hours. Every week, a secretary checks whether the recorded hours match the hours spent in the vehicles. “It is a control tool. At the same time, the mechanics know that the GPS system is installed, and it offers a great many benefits. They don’t have to log mileage for the tax authorities or company car tax, and of course, no one says no to help from a colleague on an assignment,” says Edward.

From PostNL to prison

And where the family business started with three people in an attic room, it has now grown into a very healthy organization with more than 60 employees.

The new building, which will be used for cost estimates, sales, and administrative tasks, opened in early 2022. The technicians are also there occasionally, but are mostly on-site at clients' premises to carry out orders. The new building is naturally equipped with state-of-the-art climate control systems, and the bar and canteens also look impeccable. The highlight? The gym, equipped with all sorts of Technogym equipment.

 

Edward concludes: “Staff must, of course, enjoy working here. And ideally, they should also have a Certificate of Good Conduct, since we are also authorized to provide our services in all prisons in the Netherlands and the Palace of Justice in The Hague.”