Image:Johan Thiels, Director of Administration, Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe
Anyone who has been driving along the E313 highway in Flanders’ Limburg province recently will have witnessed the construction and finalization of a vast, new complex. Here, Korean construction equipment heavyweight Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe has erected its brand-new European HQ. The multi-functional, cutting-edge building is fully geared for the future.
The general public knows Hyundai as ‘the car brand with the slanted H logo’. But through its many business divisions, the Korean company is also active in shipbuilding, green energy, robotics, hydraulic engineering, and so on.
Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe specializes in a range of industrial applications, including construction equipment and forklifts. Recently, the European branch of the Hyundai Construction Equipment subsidiary opened its new European headquarters in Tessenderlo, Flanders.
In facts and figures
- Parent company: Hyundai Construction Equipment
- HQ: Ulsan, South Korea
- Present in Flanders since: 1995
- Site in Flanders: Tessenderlo
- Number of employees in Flanders: 100+
- Website: www.hyundai.eu/en
A multifunctional HQ
The new, multifunctional complex includes a three-story office building with a surface area of 5,400m2, a 13,000m2 warehouse, a European training center called the Hyundai Academy, an event hall and a showroom. There is also ample space for expansion: 81,000m2 of land that enables the company to double its warehouse capacity when necessary.
The new headquarters will play a key part in the firm’s long-term strategy of growing its international success. “Our choice of Flanders is a clear signal to the market: ‘we’re here and we’re here to stay’,” says Alain Worp, managing director of Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe. “For me, this is only the beginning of our successful path to the future.”
The inauguration of the building took place in October 2017 and was well-attended by local government officials and Hyundai’s European partners. Acknowledging the strategic importance of the investment, Hyundai’s senior management team flew in from Korea, and many local government officials were present as well.
Hyundai and Flanders
Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe has been active in Flanders since 1995. Its European distribution center for construction equipment was first located in Geel. When continued growthrendered the site too small, Hyundai’s management decided to move to a new location in Tessenderlo in 2014.
In 2017, the company channeled EUR 30 million into its recently-opened, multifunctional headquarters in Tessenderlo, creating another 20 jobs.
