It’s common knowledge that our CEO Nadia took over the torch from her father René in 2002. But did you know that Bente Bosmans, granddaughter of Bère, and Nick Jansen, grandson of Henri, also have Jansen blood flowing through their veins? We brought the different generations together. The conversations that emerged are warm, relatable, and sometimes funny.

Do you know what your grandchild does at Group Jansen?

Bère (Bente’s grandfather): Everything with interiors, and that doesn’t surprise me, because she’s always been a color lady (laughs). I’m glad she works here and continues the family tradition. I also notice that she’s persistent, something she got from me and I consider a good trait. If you’re sure about something, you shouldn’t give up too quickly.

Henri (Nick’s grandfather): Actually, I don’t (laughs). Something to do with technology. But times have changed so much. We worked with trowels, now they sit behind computers and have online meetings. We used to meet once a month. There would be some table-thumping and then everyone would get back to work.

Why did you choose to work in the family business?

Nick (Henri’s grandchild): Building is in my DNA, so it wasn’t a difficult decision for me (laughs). I’m very happy with the variety in the job. One day I’m at a construction site, the next day at the office, then a meeting or training. That ensures that every day is different. Moreover, I have opportunities to grow further here.

Bente (Bère’s grandchild): That variety is indeed very nice. But also the mentality that prevails at Jansen. It just aligns with who I am. There’s a drive in this company that you don’t find anywhere else. Wanting to move forward, tackling things. It’s hard work, but also a lot of fun. You really experience something here.

Bère: You have to work hard everywhere, but an occasional party is very important. We used to do that in the past. Every Friday we would go for a beer. And everyone would work twice as hard to be able to get to the pub sooner. So I’m glad to see that there’s still room to let loose today.

What have you learned from your grandfather?

Nick (Henri’s grandchild): That hard work is always rewarded. I try to pursue that both at work and in private – for example in my snooker ambitions. He also taught me that collaboration is very important to achieve good results. And that you should be proud of what you do.

Bente (Bère’s grandchild): My grandfather is a real go-getter and someone who’s not afraid to speak his mind, but dares to say it like it is. These are qualities that I try to emulate myself. In addition, working hard and enjoying life at the same time is something we have in common.

Bère: She certainly learned from me about going out and enjoying life. Although Jef was the biggest party animal of all the brothers back then (laughs).

What are you most proud of?

Henri: We started in 1972 in a 4×8 meter space. That was our office, our meeting room, and our shop. By working hard, we built that up step by step. Especially when you can do that with your brothers, it gives a lot of satisfaction.

Bère: I was 14 when I started as a plasterer. Over all those years, we’ve always strived for the best quality. I think that quality has ensured that we grew from plasterers in Meeuwen to one of the largest class 8 contractors in the country. When you see how René and Nadia have taken this further… hats off. So I’m certainly proud that Jansen continues to grow generation after generation.

Was there also a ‘Belang van Jansen’ (Jansen’s Interest) in the past?

Henri: In our time it was called the Gypla, which stood for Gyproc and Plastering. Our Jef was the photographer and went around everywhere for photos. Although he sometimes forgot to insert the roll (laughs). We distributed that to all employees twice a year.

Bère: I remember articles about company football. Every year we played a tournament against the surrounding companies. One year I broke my foot and was in the hospital for a month. Fortunately, there are no photos of that (laughs).