Boelens de Gruyter

Our organisation

Making the difference

Our focus

We want to make a difference in how people live, work and spend their lives. We are a property developer with a wide range of projects, ranging from large-scale residential construction and office developments to distribution centres. We build compelling, distinctive projects that inspire people, with a focus on users and their connection with the environment. That’s because we believe that the power of people is in the connection between people. What we do is designed to always reinforce that. We achieve this by producing the best plans in our multidisciplinary team and working intensively with our partners. In the process, our focus is on three key aspects:

  • Connected internally. How the building functions for the people who use it every day.
  • Connected to the environment. We believe that a building is never developed in isolation.
  • Connected to the future. Our aim is to create sustainable, future-proof buildings.

ESG

Sustainable business is the foundation of any healthy business.

In a world where space is becoming more and more scarce, we create places where people feel secure, not isolated but connected. A sustainable built environment with the smallest possible environmental footprint and well-thought-out public spaces built to the highest standards, where people can function effectively and efficiently, now and in the future. Because a high-quality built environment is a sustainable built environment.

Planet

We were founded in 2007 and our strength lies in inner-city redevelopment. Thinking based on preservation is in our roots, in our DNA, simply because it’s often the sensible option. We look at what we can keep and what we can build on. This isn’t just about the structure, the building itself, but in particular about everything around it, the surroundings. If we can better understand people and their environment, we can achieve better results. A better building. To this day, sustainable development is our ambition. Our aim is to have a positive impact on nature, society and the climate. We do this by working with our partners to reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the energy transition.

Examples of our projects include the successful transformations of the Parool tower and the Trouw building on Amsterdam’s Wibautstraat. The redevelopment of the former KPN building in ’s-Hertogenbosch is another prime example of inner-city redevelopment. At the moment, we are working with several partners on the new suburb of Merwede in Utrecht. This is where a former industrial area is being converted into one of the most sustainable suburbs in Europe. A neighbourhood where people and mutual interconnectedness are key.

People

We are a diverse organisation where everyone feels committed and valued.
Our organisation values and creates space for different visions and opinions. Rather than conflicting, we see this as growth. We encourage our members of staff to participate in social projects. Small, local initiatives that help us to set something big in motion in our everyday work. That is how we get the best out of our people, so that we can offer people the best solutions.

Profit

Our vision for a healthy environment that offers good quality of life requires sustainable real estate. That is why existing real estate is redeveloped or made more sustainable, and we set high quality standards for new buildings. Sustainability and social aspects are a standard feature of our internal reporting and evaluations. They are basic principles that are the best guarantee for longer-term returns for us and our partners.

Governance

Boelens de Gruyter is managed by a board of directors that work together with the management team.As a member of the Netherlands Association of Property Developers and Investors, Boelens de Gruyter complies with the applicable code of conduct.

Our values

We are project developers with a wide variety of projects. From large-scale residential and office developments through to distribution centres. We want to make a difference in how people live, work and enjoy their home lives. We fulfil this mission by strengthening the connection between people. Everything we do must always aim to strengthen that.

In a world where space is becoming increasingly scarce, we create places where people feel safe, not isolated but connected. Where people can fulfil their potential. Sustainable places that are not only internally connected, but also connected to their environment. We achieve this by developing the best plans within our multidisciplinary team and by working closely with our partners.

Since we began in 2007 we are strong in inner-city redevelopment. Thinking from a conservation point of view is therefore in our origin, in our DNA. Simply because it is often a wise choice.

We always first look at what we can keep and what we can build on. This isn’t just about the structure, the building itself, but in particular about everything around it, the surroundings. If we can better understand people and their environment, we can achieve better results. A better building.

Today, sustainable development is still our ambition and we work together with our partners to reduce CO2 emissions.

Examples of our projects are the successful transformations of the Parooltoren and the Trouwgebouw on Amsterdam’s Wibautstraat. The redevelopment of the former KPN building in ‘s-Hertogenbosch is also a striking example of inner-city redevelopment. In Utrecht we are currently working with a number of partners on the new Merwede district. Here, a former industrial area is being transformed into one of the most sustainable urban districts in Europe. A neighborhood in which people and mutual solidarity are are at the core.

We are a diverse and inclusive organization where everyone should feel involved and valued. Our organisation values and creates space for different visions and opinions. Rather than conflicting, we see this as growth. This is how we get the best out of ourselves to offer the best solutions for people.

Governance

In addition to being a project development company, Boelens de Gruyter Ontwikkeling BV (BdG) is also an investor and initiator of various real estate joint ventures and funds through sister companies. In this role, sometimes in conjunction with one of our partners, we act as agents for co-investors, and it is our primary responsibility to maximize investment returns for our partners within the scope of the fund management agreements.

Responsible Investing Policy

Sustainability related disclosures

BdG is committed to invest capital in a responsible manner. Where BdG manages funds that qualify as Alternative Investment Funds (“AIF”) under the AIFMD, its primary responsibility is to act in accordance with the investment policy and framework of the AIFMD registration regime. BdG bases its decision making in the interest of each of those Funds and their investors.

In terms of the Sustainability Financial disclosure regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (SFDR), imposed by the EU, effective from 10 March 2021, BdG as fund manager of two AIFM licensed funds (“the Funds”) is required to disclose information on how sustainability risks and considerations are integrated in the investment decision processes. The SFDR is part of broader efforts initiated by the European Commission to stimulate sustainable finance.

Regulatory status AIFMD

BdG manages Alternative Investment Funds registered with the AFM and makes use of the exemption from the licensing requirement, as referred to in Section 2:66a of the Financial Supervision Act (the so-called AIFMD light regime).

ESG initiatives and disclosures

BdG recognizes that exemplary Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance will enhance the returns from investments. In addition, it could have an adverse effect on the value of the investment if not taken into account in the right way. Therefore, BdG takes ESG risks into account when evaluating all its investment opportunities. Analysing these risks is therefore part of BdG’s acquisition and due diligence procedure.

Material risks identified will be disclosed to (potential) investors in the information that is shared with them prior to investing in a specific investment fund (i.e. the information memorandum related to that specific investment).

No Principal Adverse Sustainability Impacts (“PAI”) statement

  • The investors in the Funds aim to preserve or grow capital and do not demand a PAI statement (yet).
  • To be able to publish a PAI statement there are several requirements to be fulfilled. Measures should therefore be taken to be able to draft and publish a statement and to comply with the obligations arising from it. The potential added value for the investors in the Fund of issuing a PAI statement is disproportionate to the costs and time involved in drafting and maintaining that PAI statement.

BdG (as fund manager) will reconsider the above if circumstances change in such a way that it is deemed necessary to review this decision. If the decision is reconsidered, BdG (as fund manager) will inform the investors in the Funds.

Integration of sustainability risks in the remuneration policy

When awarding variable renumeration to employees, the variable renumeration will be based on the performance criteria for individual employees. Variable renumeration is discretionary and dependent on the performance of the individual, the individual’s function profile, the AIFs, and the overall results of BdG.

Advisory Board

We live in a dynamic world in which changes follow each other in rapid succession. From our point of view, an organization must therefore be strategically agile.

We therefore regularly coordinate our vision and strategy with our Advisory Board. The primary purpose of this council is to support the management and to critically question our vision, ideas, and our strategic and tactical decisions.

Bob van der Zande

Van der Zande was trained in urban planning and worked at the municipality of Amsterdam for forty years. In June he started working at Balthasar & Partners, which advises on corporate strategy and management and on city transformation, area development and regional cooperation. He is also a board member and trustee of the international knowledge network Urban Land Institute.

Herberth Samson

Herberth Samsom is CEO of auction house TB Auctions (including BVA and Troostwijk) and co-founder of InShared. Before that, he was a managing partner at advertising agency DDB.

Privacy Policy

Boelens de Gruyter BV (hereinafter referred to as “BdG” or “we”) recognizes its obligation to keep information about you secure and confidential, and we take this obligation very seriously. We are using this privacy policy to inform you about what “personal data” we collect from you, with whom we share this information, and how we safeguard this information. If you have questions about the security of your personal data, you can contact us via info@boelensdegruyter.nl.

Boelens de Gruyter BV
Toetsenbordweg 55
1033 MZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
+31 (0)20 630 6530
info@boelensdegruyter.nl
KVK: 34288433

What personal data do we use, share and store?

  • Identification: last name, first name, date of birth, address, e-mail address place of birth, phone number and gender;
  • Company data: start date, company size, board of directors, management, company activities;
  • Personal data that you submit in order to apply to a job opening, such as you first and last name, date of birth, address, telephone number, nationality, marital state and all other information as submitted in your resume or submitted letter;
  • Financial data, limited to the purchase price, the (approximated) value of your real estate possessions and connected (approximated) rental income;
  • Data from the land register (Kadaster);
  • Data from the rental agreements as supplied by the lessor.
We can share the data with:
  • The governmental organisations, such as the Belastingdienst, UWV, Police, Justice, de Nederlandse Bank, de Autoriteit Financiële Markten and de Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, if BdG is legally forced to do so;
  • Tribes, because BdG uses its CRM-system;
  • HB-Vastgoed, because BdG uses its accounting and project management system;
  • Trans-IP, because BdG uses Trans-IP to host its database securely.;
  • Employees that work for BdG on a ZZP-base;
  • Potential buyers if we need to present a full information package

Third parties that process your personal data under the responsibility of BdG, will only do so under the terms that BdG agrees with them. BdG safeguards this commitment in (user) agreements.

As soon as there is no more need for the process or storage of your data, we will remove the data, unless there is a legal obligation to keep this for a longer period of time. In that case, your data will be stored for the duration of the legal obligated period.

Why do we collect your personal data and what legal ground do we use.

We need to collect your contact data to reach out to you to investigate whether you are open to a possible real estate transaction. We also use your email address, when required, to send you further information on BdG or a possible real estate object. Furthermore, we can send you emails for future marketing purposes. Also we use your address to inform you about our activities via mail or to invite you to one of our events. The legal ground for the processing of your contact details is the justified interest of BdG to deliver its services. Without this data processing, BdG can simply not deliver its services. The privacy violation is limited, as BdG bases the processing of your personal data on data that is publicly available (such as the Land registry Kadaster, the Internet, Basisregistratie Adressen en Gebouwen, the Telefoonboek and Chamber of Commerce KvK).

Contact data that we collect from public sources is only used to get into contact with you. If you do not appreciate this, we will not process your personal data anymore, expect for your first and last name and the reason that BdG will no longer contact you. You can always object to the processing of your data. (info@boelensdegruyter.nl)

We collect financial data, amongst which the actual value of the real estate.
BdG process the actual value of the real estate and the estimated rent in order to establish interest in the real estate proposition. The legal ground for the process of your financial data is the justified interest of BdG to carry out her services. If BdG would not process this information, it would not be able to make a selection of interesting objects and the target group would be too large to approach.

We process the previous data for marketing purposes to improve our services where needed and to optimally manage and inform our clients. Or to establish, maintain or expand a relation with a (possible) customer or supplier. The legal ground for this is the justified interest of BdG to keep its company healthy and to optimise her services.

The information we store in reference to recruitment.

The personal data submitted to BdG in connection with a possible job opening, will be stored for four weeks after the end of the job opening. If you have approved, your data will be removed one year after the end of the job opening. If you are hired, your data will become part of your personal file. We will process data that is relevant for the recruitment procedure, this contains at least the data that is submitted by the applicant, whether or not this was submitted via an external platform.

What are your rights?

If you have agreed to process your data, you can always withdraw your permission, without any negative consequence.

You have the right to object the processing of your data on the basis of BdG’s justified interest or the justified interest of a third party. In that case your data will no longer be processed, unless there are justified grounds for processing that are more important or that are aligned to the start, exercise or substantiation of a legal action. You always have the right to sign out of our newsletters or personal communication about our services or invitations. In commercial offers and newsletters BdG always offers a sign out possibility. If you request a removal of your data, BdG will do this within 5 working days. Your first and last name will be stored, to ensure you will not be contacted again.

Apart from this, you have more rights. You can ask BdG within reasonable time frames to provide insight into all personal data that we store from you.

Further you can ask BdG to improve, complement, change, shield or remove your personal data. To request this, you can send an email to info@boelensdegruyter.nl. BdG will respond to your request within 2 weeks. Also you can request BdG to put the data you have supplied to us in a file and to send this to you or – upon your request – to a third party. Furthermore you can ask BdG to temporarily not use your personal data, because they seem incorrect or if you have submitted a request for removal.

If you have a complaint about BdG or about the manner in which BdG processes your data, you can submit your complaint to the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens.

How does BdG ensure the safety of your personal data?

BdG takes appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data from abuse and illegal use. BdG agrees non-disclosure agreements with its staff and third parties that work with your personal data. Only the staff that is entitled to this, has access to your data.

When you visit our website.

When you visit our website, we automatically collect information via the use of cookies, such as your IP address, browser type, the pages you visit and the time and duration of your visit. We may also collect personal information, such as your (company) name, e-mail address and phone number, which you may voluntarily provide through our contact forms on this website or when you otherwise make use of our products and services.

Security

The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Links

Our website may include links to third party websites that offer related services or useful information, and those websites should have their own privacy policies. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites, products or services.

Our Cookie policy

We use cookies and similar techniques whenever you interact with our website. Cookies are small files that are sent along with this website and placed on your equipment by your browser. On each subsequent visit to this website, the browser searches for cookies and sends the available information stored therein to the servers of this website.

We uses the following types of cookies:

Technically necessary cookies

These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided.

Analytical/Performance cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use the website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. All information these cookies collect is aggregated. This information is used to provide aggregated and statistical information on the use of the website and is used to improve the contents of the website to enhance your user experience.

The website also uses analytics cookies placed by Google Analytics (including Google Tag Manager) to measure the number of visits and the parts of the website that are the most popular among the website’s visitors as well as for benchmarking purposes. This information is used to provide aggregated and statistical information on the use of the Website and is used to improve the contents of the Website to enhance your user experience. BdG has followed the Manual of the Dutch Data Protection Authority in order to ensure that Google Analytics is used in a privacy friendly manner. This means that BdG has instructed Google to remove the last three digits of your IP-address (“Anonymize IP”) and BdG has disabled the standard setting to share data with Google. Furthermore, BdG has concluded a data processing agreement with Google Inc. and BdG does not use other Google services in combination with the Google Analytics-cookies.

Functionality cookies

These cookies may store your browser name, the type of computer and technical information about your means of connection to the Website, such as the operating system and the Internet Service Providers utilized and other similar information. This information is used to technically facilitate the navigation and use of the Website. In addition, functional cookies may be used to store personal settings, such as language, or to remember your information for next visits if so requested. The information these cookies collect will be anonymized and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

This is our Privacy Statement. This has been updated lastly per 29 November 2022.

The content of this statement can be adjusted by Boelens de Gruyter unilaterally at any moment. This adjustment will be communicated via mailing, publication on our website or at the first following contact between you and Boelens de Gruyter.

Legal Disclaimer

Despite the constant care and attention we pay to our website and its content, it is possible that some of the information published is incomplete or incorrect.

Given the changeable nature of laws, rules, regulations and the inherent hazards of electronic communication, there may be delays, omissions or inaccuracies in information contained in this site. The information on this website is therefore only intended for general information purposes.

Boelens de Gruyter is not liable for any direct or consequential damage of any kind, resulting from or connected in any way from the use of, reliance on or action taken based on information provided on our website.

This website and its content are governed by Dutch law on ownership and proprietary right. Nothing from this site or from its contents may be reproduced, stored in an electronic data base or made public in any way, either electronically, mechanically, by photocopying, scanning or in any other way without the prior approval of Boelens de Gruyter.

Press

For more information about publishing, please contact our Press Officer:

Koolhoven
+31 (0)6 123 45 678
koolhoven@boelensdegruyter.nl