People first, with results that last
At Vebego, we put people first. This is only possible with a strong financial foundation. And as this annual report shows, we have one. Thanks to the dedication of our employees and the trust of our customers, we achieved positive results, particularly in Belgium and the Netherlands. Although it was a challenging year, our turnover grew 4% to a new high of €1,543 million. The net result improved year over year to €7.6 million, and customer satisfaction (NPS) was +41, up 6 points.
In the Netherlands the new, multi-year contract with Rabobank and the new eight-year Schiphol contract were major highlights. Another achievement was the acquisition of Hoek, a company specialising in landscaping and green spaces. This has positioned Vebego Groen among the top-three in the Dutch market and strengthened our presence in the Randstad region. Despite ongoing mergers, the companies in Belgium also achieved good results based on long standing partnerships and new customers. In Germany, Vebego Facility Services, the merger company of hectas and Servico, regained a firmer foothold in the market. We recorded some notable commercial successes here in 2024, such as the new CBRE contract. At the same time, the situation in Germany remains challenging, partly due to the country's economic situation. In Switzerland we won two large new contracts for Shell and VAT Group. Unfortunately, the overall picture was less positive, largely due to disappointing returns from two investments.
Keep investing, keep innovating
In 2024, we continued to invest in both our people and innovation. As staff shortages increase, especially in healthcare, efficiency is more important than ever. That is why we partnered with Delaware to launch the joint venture capacityd®, a company that connects information systems and provides insight into capacity, resources and inventory. This helps reduce costs, improve quality and support staff. Artificial intelligence also plays an increasing role. Our chatbot Speach assists employees by answering their questions, while Assist Planner makes HR data-driven. By intelligently analysing absenteeism, turnover and productivity, we keep healthcare affordable and improve staff planning.
One brand, one family
2024 was also the year in which our strategic decision towards a single brand took further shape. More and more companies are flying the purple Vebego flag. In the Netherlands, for instance, Hago Zorg became Vebego Zorgservice. In Belgium, Care, Cleaning Professionals, Glanzer and Vebego Airport Services BE merged into one company with one name: Vebego Cleaning & Services. Whereas branding and marketing once received limited attention, the focus has fundamentally shifted. Our visibility has grown – not only through our cars on the road and in campaigns, but above all through the way our colleagues connect with Vebego.
The festive launch of these new companies – including a visit to a theme park with thousands of colleagues – and the pride with which employees wear their purple Vebego clothing show that we are no longer just one name, but also one family. During the last three years, I have also made a small contribution to our brand driving around in my fully wrapped Vebego purple electric car.
One culture, shared values
Vebego is a values-driven company. Sincerity, inclusion and kindness have long been at the heart of who we are. In 2023 our Beliefs & Behaviours were established. In 2024, we made these values more visible. We did so by reverse thinking: what kind of experience do we want our customers to have, and what behaviours support that? Our boards developed roadmaps and collected stories in leadership sessions. This led to a new set of Beliefs & Behaviours. In a world that often feels harsh, self-serving and transactional, we want our company to give without expecting something in return and be open to receiving in the same spirit. And we want everyone to feel that they are part of the Vebego family, where people help each other to succeed.
Creating & measuring value
Creating value for all stakeholders was a key priority in 2024. Our earlier decision to appoint a Chief Value Officer (CVO) to our Strategic Leadership Team reflects our commitment to balancing people, customers, society and finance. The new Value Creation Dashboard enables us to measure our progress in creating social value more accurately and track our performance in areas such as CO2 emissions, circularity, diversity, inclusion and employee engagement.
A people business
Our people are our company. We continue to invest in their development and create opportunities for people facing barriers to employment. In 2024, for example, in collaboration with Heroyam we helped a group of Ukrainian refugees find work, combined with Dutch language lessons. Our people-oriented approach is not only appreciated by our employees but also recognised externally: Poléanne Vluggen was named CHRO of the Year in 2024.
People focus
In 2025, we will continue to put people first and build on our services. We expect a stable development of turnover and results this year. And we will maintain our focus on developing people because, in the end, that is what it is all about.
Take Blerim Aljiti, when I first met him in 2010, he was working as a window cleaner in Switzerland. He had fled war-torn North Macedonia with his parents and ended up in the Zurich area. Blerim did not hesitate to approach me. He worked hard, stood up for his colleagues and is a professional. He was given the chance to develop and is a regional director. His children are proud of him and are doing well in school. These are the people who give me and Vebego energy. People will therefore be at the core of our strategy towards 2030. As a Strategic Leadership Team, we will develop this strategy further in 2025 to successfully lead Vebego into a healthy future.
I hope you enjoy reading this annual report! Ton Goedmakers, CEO