The evolution and expansion of Betic Consulting Engineers continues and has taken a new step with the announcement of the takeover of the engineering consultancy EKOplan. This acquisition comes after Betic , an international group based in Belgium, and announced its growth ambitions.

The purchase of EKOplan allows Betic to broaden its technical engineering expertise and to include in their team employees with advanced and market-recognised skills, specifically in water management engineering.

"We have known Christian Schröder and his team for many years, having worked together on projects since 2002. We share a similar mindset, with an innovative approach to solutions, and it seems very natural for us to collaborate," explains , founder and managing director of Betic. "EKOplan was not particularly for sale, but the opportunity to bring our two offices together arose and we seized it,” says fellow founder . "I am now 56 years old and my two daughters have chosen other career paths,” says EKOplan managing director Christian Schröder. "So I had to think about the future of my company now, and as I see Betic more as a partner than a competitor, it was not a difficult decision to make.”

Meeting each other's needs

Betic had determined back in 2016 a set of goals to achieve in the coming years. "Opening up our expertise in water treatment was one of them, as was bringing us closer to the German and German-speaking markets in Luxembourg," says Christnach. By acquiring EKOplan and integrating their team into that of Betic, they are responding directly to these expectations. "This acquisition is an opportunity for both teams" adds Determe. "For Betic, it allows us to expand our expertise in water treatment, to strengthen the teams in electricity, HVAC and sanitary facilities. For EKOplan, to strengthen the skills related to the various areas of expertise, to support projects developed in BIM, to provide language support and to offer new career prospects for its employees.”

Better coverage of the territory

This takeover is also an opportunity for Betic to increase its presence in Luxembourg and to be closer to its customers and the various construction sites throughout the country. Indeed, after the opening of the office in Wiltz in December 2020, a region where Betic has large-scale projects underway, the acquisition of EKOplan provides an address in Steinheim, in the east of the country.

These two new centres complement Betic's multiple geographical locations, with its headquarters in Dippach. "We are aware of the difficulties associated with traffic in Luxembourg. This multiple positioning across the country offers our employees the possibility of being closer to the sites they are involved in and an opportunity to work closer to home and therefore spend less time commuting. This contributes to well-being at work, which is an important point in our management", adds Denis Lecanu, Betic communication and talent manager.

At a time when the recruitment and retention of talent is a sensitive issue, this positioning will also be an opportunity for Betic to attract new employees from the east of the country, and even from Germany. With the addition of the 12 EKOplan employees, the Betic team now counts 84 people. Further recruitment is planned for the coming months.

A smooth transition

From a managerial point of view, Schröder will remain in charge of projects in the field of water management engineering (treatment plants, catchments, wells and springs, planning of distribution networks, regulation modules, water storage tanks, disinfection plants, etc.), as well as the commercial development of this activity.

Meike Ensch, currently Head of HVAC department at Ekoplan, will continue to manage the Steinheim team and will join the steering committee of Betic Ingénieurs-Conseils as team manager. The committee is composed of  Christnach and  Determe, managing directors, and , partners-team managers, Pierre-Yves Guillaume and Elise Rein, team managers, Isabelle Snyers, accounting and administration manager and Denis Lecanu, communication and talent manager.

This article was originally published in and has been translated by Delano.