Company story

The beginning: ambition in an old workshop (1975–1980)

In January 1975, Jef and Denie Timmers, sons of a construction worker from Houthalen, founded their own company: pvba Gebroeders Timmers. Perfectly attuned to each other and driven by ambition, they started designing and producing small steel constructions in an old workshop.
Soon, the projects increased in size. Industrial clients discovered the quality of their work, and it quickly became clear: this was only the beginning.
In 1976, the brothers built their first new production hall at Europark in Houthalen. Customers began asking them to design and manufacture overhead cranes and gantry cranes — the start of a new area of expertise and the foundation of what, 50 years later, would become TCS, the largest designer and builder of lifting equipment in Belgium.
 

Growing in craftsmanship and technology (1980–1990)

The 1980s were a period of growth and professionalization. The site in Houthalen gradually expanded, and the team grew with skilled professionals: engineers, project managers and technical specialists in both fabrication and site operations.
In 1987, the pvba structure made way for Timmers nv.
The first engineering and design software systems were introduced — and to this day, TCS closely follows technological innovations.
 

International ambitions and expansion (1990–2000)

In 1992, the brothers took a major step: they founded Timmers Group and acquired a participation in the young East German steel construction company EPESTA.

This was soon followed by an investment in a brand-new production facility in Blankenburg (Harz), where the first steel structures were produced one year later. To this day, EPESTA remains a key pillar within the group.

Meanwhile, Timmers nv had grown into a recognized quality label in the steel construction industry. The company achieved the highest European certification for expertise in the fabrication of statically and dynamically loaded steel structures and began building a strong reputation beyond Belgium. Projects followed in France, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The company further specialized in industrial overhead cranes and heavy steel constructions using advanced design techniques, increasingly acting as a turnkey contractor for complete industrial construction projects.

In 1999, Timmers Group acquired a Limburg-based industrial construction company and established a new production facility in Prachatice, Czech Republic, now known as TCS sro.
 

From family business to international player (2000–2010)

In the early 2000s, Timmers continued to grow under the wings of the founding family, always with a clear vision for the future.
In 2007, a new generation — both family members and external managers — took over the leadership.
Timmers NV became TCS: Timmers Cranes and Steelworks.
The key to TCS’s success lies in the combination of entrepreneurship, technical expertise and the strong commitment of its people.
As one team — with a forward-thinking engineering and design department, decisive project management and dedicated teams in assembly, production and service — the company delivered increasingly complex projects far beyond Europe, even across the Atlantic.
During this growth period, the commercial and production support of Epesta in Germany and TCS in the Czech Republic played a key role.
 

Timmers Group: international cooperation & strengthening (2010–today)

Over time, Timmers Group evolved into a group of independent yet complementary companies:
• In 2010, a participation was taken in Lievens und Partner, a leading engineering and architecture firm in Aachen (Germany).
• In 2018, LTing, an engineering office in České Budějovice (Czech Republic), was founded.
• In 2021, Spiess Krane, the renowned German crane manufacturer from Solingen, joined the group.
Today, Timmers Group employs around 250 people, including 120 at TCS in Houthalen.
 

Our strength? Skilled people with passion.

What started in 1975 with two brothers in an old workshop has grown into an international group with projects across Europe and beyond.
But one thing has never changed:
our passion, our craftsmanship and the commitment of our people.