VIP guest: Prime Minister Alexander De Croo is given a tour of our family business

We had a VIP guest today! The Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo, visited our family business. This visit took place as part of work to promote Belgian industry. The Prime Minister was able to see with his own eyes how the Bekina Group continues to innovate and grow, 60 years and three generations on. 

The day began with a warm welcome. Thomas Vanderbeke, CEO of Bekina, gave an interesting presentation, to which the Prime Minister listened attentively. He was very impressed by everything we do. It turned out that he was no stranger to Bekina, as he is already familiar with our comfortable safety boots. After this, the Prime Minister (provided with a pair of boots in a colour of his choice) was given a tour of the factory and laboratory. Thomas spoke passionately and the Prime Minister was clearly interested. At the end of the tour, he received a pair of Bekina Boots to take home. 

Prime Minister De Croo knows how important SMEs are to Belgian industry. Despite increasing competition from lower-wage countries, Bekina has stayed true to its local character. Over the years we have grown to become a worldwide name in polymer solutions. At Bekina Boots no less than 92% of our boots travel beyond our national borders. Both near and far. Bekina Boots are well known on the American market too. Despite the import duties of 37.5%, we have succeeded in getting a foot in the door in this challenging market. In this way we make a contribution to a positive Belgian balance of trade. At the same time, as a family business, it's very important for us to stay close to home. Literally and figuratively. Our daily business operations and production are carried out locally in Kluisbergen, in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes. 

Bekina never stops moving. During the tour, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo could see our commitment to innovation. We also continue to grow, increasing our customer base and workforce. While there are a lot of reports in the press about closures and shrinking companies, we are still actively recruiting. We are currently looking for a number of new employees to join our team. If you would like to become part of the Bekina family, make sure to take a look at our job page.