We design, build and maintain innovative solutions for smart agri factories worldwide. That’s no easy task in an ever-increasingly competitive market. Luckily, we have a four-decade legacy and a future-forward growth strategy for the years to come.

We’ve always prided ourselves on being future-forward – after all, we work on building the ‘Factory of the Future’ on a daily basis. However for the past couple of years, focusing on the future and anticipating it has quite literally been the focus of many of our conversations, plans, and decisions. ‘The nature of our business – we often work on projects that require detailed planning and that take several years from start to finish – forces us to look ahead,’ says CCO Rutger Keurhorst. ‘Where do we want to be in three, five, or ten years time? Which decisions do we have to make now to ensure we get there?’ The answers to these questions are crucial, because they allow us to keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past four decades: enabling clients to meet and exceed expectations when it comes to grading, packing, and delivering their produce. With our help, they can increase their performance, maximize efficiency and ensure continuity. Also most importantly: thanks to our automated solutions, they save time for the things that matter most.

How we started

Building a strategy based on a future you can only imagine can be a complicated task. Luckily, we have a strong legacy to fall back on. To be precise, Eqraft started out in 1984, when its predecessor Emmeloord Repair and Construction (ERC) was founded in Flevoland, one of the Netherlands’ main agricultural hubs. ERC developed the closed onion topper, a machine that’s still an important part of our portfolio today. Later, we added new machines to the product range: from grading to weighing, packing, and bin handling.

Over the years, we moved away from solely mechanical solutions towards high-tech systems. Our role gradually evolved to that of an integral supplier for agri factories all over the world. Now we serve clients from Europe to the Americas and Australia, and cater to various sectors, including onions, potatoes, and bulk products. Besides a range of machines for different parts of the process, we also off er project management and consultancy services. ‘For factory owners and managers, overseeing the installation of new equipment can be stressful, especially when day-to-day operations demand attention,’ says Rutger. ‘That’s why we have a team of experienced project managers that ensure every part of the process is meticulously coordinated: from communication with third parties to making sure the equipment is supplied and installed in the right order.’

A new home

‘The past few years have been exciting and were characterized by continuous growth,’ says Rutger. ‘We’ve taken on many new projects, both close to home and abroad, and our team has grown from 40 to 100 people in just a year and a half.’ No wonder the old head office was starting to get a little cramped – or, as Rutger puts it: ‘We were ready for a new location that matched our ambitions.’ That’s why the brand-new premises in Emmeloord, positioned centrally in the Netherlands, were opened in early 2024. The building meets the latest sustainability standards and boasts a spacious warehouse, assembly, and shipping area with multiple cranes, LED lighting, underfl oor heating, as well as modern workstations and meeting rooms. 

Foot on American soil

The new main office in the Netherlands wasn’t the only new location Eqraft opened recently: in the summer of 2024, we opened our first branch on American soil. ‘We’ve completed several big projects in the United States in the last couple of years. For instance at Blue Sky Onions, where we developed a complete processing line, including an electronic grader,’ says Rutger. ‘We’ve had a strong presence in North America for decades, so founding Eqraft Inc and having permanent representation in the US was a logical next step.’ The American Eqraft office and service center is located in Tri-Cities, Washington, one of the country’s prime agricultural regions. Eqraft Inc’s service center features a warehouse, workshop, office, service truck, and a mix of American and Dutch employees. The branch’s focus will be on proactive maintenance to minimize unexpected downtime. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to grow our parts inventory in the US.

Looking forward

‘We are grateful to all the clients, colleagues, and suppliers who have helped build Eqraft over the past decades, and especially since our fresh start in 2019,’ says Rutger. With several new offices, many new projects all over the world, and a growing team of enthusiastic colleagues, the future has never looked brighter. And we’re not done growing yet: in 2025, we aim to expand the team even more. ‘We’re currently looking ahead several years and deciding what we have to put in action now to make sure we get where we want to be in the future,’ says Rutger. ‘Our HR strategy is an important part of that: we need to hire tech-savvy colleagues to execute increasingly ambitious projects with our clients.’ The same goes for logistics, purchasing, and finance: we’re currently building on a long-term vision. As Rutger puts it: ‘We anticipate the future instead of waiting for it to unfold.’