The success story of Edward and Geoffrey Piguillet sounds like a fantastic entrepreneurial tale. It began in 1994 in an attic room in Berkel en Rodenrijs. Armed with a borrowed laptop, he set to work with his father and brother to recondition air-handling systems. Almost 20 years later, there is a brand-new building in the same Berkel, although there are no more borrowed laptops to be found there.

The Piguillet Group’s origins lie in the coating and cleaning of air-handling units. Terms such as sustainability, energy saving and higher efficiency quickly come to the fore. And in today’s market, where CO₂ emissions and sustainable business practices are paramount, there is no rest for this true Berkel entrepreneur.

 

“For instance, if there’s been a fire, there’s soot in the system. We use a patented system to blow that out. And that’s incredibly important for the utilities, shipping and offshore sectors,” explains Edward. Teams are flown all over the world to work on ships, for example those in dry dock. “We have teams working in Dubai, Singapore and Cadiz. A container of equipment is sent to the dry dock, where teams of four to six people get straight to work.”

Much more than just air

 

Piguillet now stands firmly on three pillars.  Air-side installations, for optimising climate control systems for offices and buildings; water-side installations, for cleaning and disinfecting commercial drinking water and process systems; and sustainability, whereby air handling units are optimised. This reduces energy and maintenance costs whilst also lowering CO2 emissions.

“It is during
emergencies that our added value really becomes clear”

And although there are a few other companies in the Netherlands offering somewhat similar services, Piguillet offers the ability to act extremely quickly in the event of an emergency and only leave once everything is safe and fully resolved.

Adjusting and relieving

“The work carried out by the mechanics is physically demanding. They almost always have to work beyond their limits,” Edward continues. “When a mechanic finishes early, it’s nice to have a colleague step in to help. Using the GPS trackers in the buses, the planner can see exactly where everyone is, where help is needed, and thus manage the team very efficiently.”

TrackJack’s journey logging is also used to monitor working hours. Every week, an administrator checks whether the recorded hours match those in the vehicles. “It’s a monitoring tool. At the same time, the mechanics know the GPS system is there and it offers a whole host of benefits. They don’t have to log mileage for the tax authorities or for additional tax liability, and of course no one says no to a helping hand from a colleague on a job,” says Edward.

From PostNL to prison

And where the family business began with three people in an attic room, it has since grown into a thriving organisation with over 60 employees.

In early 2022, the new premises were opened, from where calculations are made, sales are conducted and the administration is managed. The technicians are there from time to time, but are mostly on site with customers carrying out assignments. The new premises are, of course, fitted with the best climate control systems, but the bar and canteens also look perfect. 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 hold a Certificate of Good Conduct, as we are authorised to provide our services in all prisons in the Netherlands and at the Palace of Justice in The Hague.”