In 2019 Royal BAM Group nv turns 150. To underline the Group’s commitment to sustainability, the European construction company will plant 150,000 trees throughout 2019. More information about the history of BAM and the various jubilee activities can be found on www.bam.com/150.

Carpentry shop

With an annual turnover of approximately €7 billion, approximately 20,000 employees and ten operating companies, BAM is one of the major European construction companies. The history of the company goes back to May 1869, when Adam van der Wal opened a carpentry shop in Groot-Ammers, a farming village in the Alblasserwaard (east of Rotterdam). His son Jan van der Wal started to work as a contractor outside the region in Vlaardingen and The Hague, where he finally settled. The third generation Van der Wal – Joop van der Wal, born in 1902 – joined his father in 1926 after studying civil engineering in Delft.

The company name was changed to Fa. J. van der Wal and Son. In 1927 the family business was converted into a limited liability company ‘N.V. Bataafsche Aanneming Maatschappij van Bouw- en Betonwerken v/h J. van der Wal and Zoon’ (soon shortened to ‘BAM’). The company has been listed in Amsterdam since 1959. On 31 March 1971, the company name was changed to BAM Verenigde Bedrijven N.V. (from 1973: BAM Holding N.V.). The name Bataafsche Aanneming Maatschappij remained in use for the non-residential construction activities until 1992. After that, BAM was no longer used as an abbreviation, but as the company’s official name. BAM’s history is characterised by the acquisition of many smaller and larger construction firms; in particular around the turn of the century, BAM has grown strongly through acquisition of, among others, NBM and HBG.

150,000 trees worldwide

CEO Rob van Wingerden:

“From our origins as a small family business we have grown into a leading European company. Over the years we have created impressive buildings and infrastructure through which we have enhanced the lives of many people. We are very proud of that. We want to celebrate this historic milestone in a way that benefits everyone and that underpins our commitment to the preservation of our planet. That is why BAM will plant 150,000 trees around the world in 2019. With this gesture to future generations we underline BAM’s mission to contribute towards a sustainable environment. Sustainable in terms of quality experience for the hundreds of thousands of end-users of our projects, and sustainable in terms of solutions for our clients and value creation for our shareholders.”

According to Rob van Wingerden, sustainability and the future of BAM are closely intertwined.

“By embracing digital construction and the latest technologies, we can respond to our clients’ needs more effectively and carry out our business activities more safely and sustainably. This in turn helps us to remain as one of the most attractive companies in our industry for new employees, our clients and our construction partners.”

For the tree-planting activities, BAM has entered into a partnership with Trees for All. Trees for All will plant around 100,000 trees in its reforestation projects in Bolivia and Uganda. In addition, 50,000 trees will be planted in the various European countries where BAM operates.