Gebroeders Geens blows out 35 candles...

Today Gebroeders Geens has existed for 35 years. Frans and Marcel built their first Rollmops in 1987 and 2 years later they started their business in Hinnenboomstraat. The company is still there. The essence is still there, to relieve entrepreneurs of manual labor as best as possible.

35 years is a long time to look back on.

The company grew from two brothers to more than 60 employees in 2024.
From developing a Rollmops for a local entrepreneur, to 900 finished machines in 2023 and export to the Netherlands, Poland, France, Germany, USA, Denmark, Austria...
And in 2024, the family business will expand the production site in... the Hinnenboomstraat (of course).

Read here how it all turned out like this:

How it all started

In 1987, the first Rollmops left the ‘factory’. Frans and Marcel Geens were looking for a machine that could move clinkers fast and efficiently. Their first machine was developed with parts from a motorised wheelbarrow.

In 1989, the first brand-new Rollmops (that was renamed to Knikmops 50 in 2015) was produced by Gebroeders Geens n.v. The first Rollmops was still green and was assembled in the shed of the parents of Frans and Marcel. This space very soon became too small and they moved to the current location at Hinnenboomstraat 5. Fairly soon the request came from the Netherlands for a machine that could drive more easily through sand. The Rollmops with the 4x4 option (renamed to Knikmops 70 in 2015) was developed based on this request.

Rollmops

The journey to find larger and stronger machines had begun.

In 1997, the first Knikmops 90 rolled out of the gates. This agile machine would become a standard item during street work just as its predecessor. In 2002, this Knikmops was joined by a larger and stronger model: the Knikmops 130. They were the only options on the market for a long time.

At the request of the public, a larger and even heavier model was designed, the Knikmops 250, in 2008. Two years later, the Knikmops family was expanded more than ever before: new models at the request of the horticulture sector, the Knikmops 80. This model is sufficiently narrow to manoeuvre over garden paths. In a higher class, models were also added: the Knikmops 100. This was an evolution of our fixed asset, the Knikmops 90. To fill in the gap between the Knikmops 130 and 250, the Knikmops 180 model was elaborated.

In 2013, the telescopic arm was updated and therefore this option also became a success.

In the years that followed, all our models were given a more modern and practical look. We have fully committed to alternative energy sources during the last few years. The models are currently being developed and we hope they will soon come to strengthen our range.

Knikmops