Dealers from all corners of the world recently gathered at the GKB factory in Barendrecht, to celebrate 80 years of the GKB Group. In a two-day event, attendees were invited to reflect on eight decades of engineering expertise and treated to an exciting look ahead at what the future holds for all areas of the business – including new innovations in the GKB Machines portfolio.

Representatives from GKB’s global dealer network joined suppliers and friends for a company-wide celebration which marked not only 80 years of the GKB Group, but 40 years of GKB Machines. As a separate division since 1985, but still very much following the family ethos of the wider operation, GKB Machines has gained a reputation as an innovator in maintenance equipment – using knowledge and experience from the company’s contracting arm to design and deliver robust and reliable solutions to all modern turf maintenance requirements.

A series of presentations from speakers including Managing Director Jan-Willem Kraaijeveld explored the story of GKB, from its origins and development over the past 80 years through to its current position and future ambitions. Alongside the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to see a selection of GKB Machines’ latest equipment, providing a practical showcase of the solutions available across the company’s range for both natural and artificial surfaces.

The first evening saw attendees enjoy a gala BBQ dinner with opportunity here, and the following day, to share knowledge and experiences, strengthen relationships and celebrate the collective contribution of GKB’s dealers to the company’s success.

“It was fantastic to be a part of an event that brought together people from across the entire GKB network, with one objective which was to celebrate everything that’s been achieved over the last eight decades” comments UK Operations Manager Tom Shinkins. “We’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who took the time out to attend and look forward to exploring lots of exiting opportunities with the GKB brand together in the many years to come.”