Finding your way and continuing to find your way, that's what you do at APK Group

From handy harry on the wharf to maths prodigy in the finance department, at APK Group your career is never set in stone. Because as a growing family business, we not only welcome new faces, we are also happy to offer new opportunities to APKs who want to broaden their horizons. Call it a horizontal promotion, a career switch, or a step aside: these APK employees explain how they sought and found their new challenge within APK Group. Would you like to read along?

Nicky V. M.: "I get to work every day with colleagues who mean as much to me as I do to them. That's a real gift if you want to learn"

Meet Nicky: once a project administration employee, today a calculator in the study department. She started her career at APK Drilling in 2011 as a project administration assistant, but after 13 years in the stile, she felt the urge to broaden her horizons.

"I had previously indicated to my supervisor that I was looking for a new challenge," explains Nicky. "He believed the study service would be a good match for me and so I took my chance. Now I am working there as a calculator, where I prepare quotes for our drilling operations. That job comes with a lot of responsibility, because a mistake in your calculation can have serious consequences for our income. But that pressure also motivates me to fully master my new job."

And in the meantime, she is succeeding quite well, also thanks to the help of her fellow APKs. "If I have a technical question, I can always turn to my colleagues, both in the office and on site. I get to work every day with colleagues who mean as much to me as I do to them and that's really a gift if you want to learn."

So for starting APKs, Nicky has a golden tip: "At APK Group, you really get the freedom to learn your job to perfection. So take your time to do that too. Every site, every situation offers a new opportunity to grow, so feel free to take advantage of it!"

Leyton V. E.: "There is a good atmosphere here, without a strong hierarchy"

Meet Leyton: once a worker at APK Wegenbouw, today active in landscaping. In 2022, he was asked if he wanted to make the switch from APK Wegenbouw in Geel to Willy Reynders Garden Architecture in Beringen. And he was only too happy to accept.

"As a worker at APK Wegenbouw, I was already working occasionally on various projects for Willy Reynders Garden Architecture, " Leyton says. "When I was asked if I wanted to apply for them, I did not hesitate for long. The communication about my switch was therefore very smooth: I knew clearly what was expected of me and under what conditions I would be allowed to work."

Since then, Leyton has been active as a bestrater at Willy Reynders, a job he still enjoys doing. "I had known the guys at Willy Reynders Garden Architecture for some time, so the atmosphere was right from the start. At APK Wegenbouw, I was on a site for longer, at my current job I switch projects more often. That variety suits me better personally. And of course I also just really enjoy my work: creating people's gardens, that's where I get real satisfaction!"

Jan K.: "My experience as an executor is seen as a great asset by my supervisor in finance"

Meet Jan: once an executor, today finance business partner in the finance department. In 2019, he started as a contractor at Rasenberg in Dongen. After five years on site, Jan decided to take a new direction and work behind the scenes.

"When I told my business unit manager that I was looking for a new challenge, I sat around the table with several departments," says Jan. "My interest was in a position in the finance department, partly due to my finance background. I was given the opportunity to join the department for three days a week for a few months, so that both I and my new colleagues could discover how I would contribute."

"Everyone was very helpful during the induction period, which made me feel right at home here.

Fortunately, there was soon a good click with the team. "Everyone was very helpful during the induction period, which made me feel right at home here. Because of my experience as a contractor, I have a lot of knowledge of the work outside and am familiar with the way of thinking on the projects. My supervisor sees that as a great added value."

Whether Jan is satisfied with his career leap? "Absolutely. As a result, I enjoy working at APK Group. Otherwise, of course, I wouldn't have asked internally about new career opportunities, lol (laughs).”

Egon W.: The colleagues here are really of good will, and that makes this a challenge I get a lot of satisfaction from."

Meet Egon Willems: once CEO of Dierckx, today head of the procurement department at Business Development. Two years ago, the Dierckx family business was acquired by APK Group. That acquisition heralded not only a new beginning for Dierckx, but also for Egon's career."

"For ten years I ran Dierckx with passion," Egon tells his story. "But after the takeover by APK Group, I felt it was time for a different work-life balance. And so I discussed with management what I could do for APK Group in the future."

The answer lay with procurement, a department he has been building since 2024. "It is a completely new department, where I am working with a blank canvas. On the one hand, APK Group gives me all the freedom to develop this department, and on the other, I can constantly count on input from other departments to meet their needs. The colleagues here are really of good will, and that makes this a challenge I get a lot of satisfaction from."

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