For Aerts Trucks, 2026 will be more than a year of celebration. The family business is celebrating its 50th anniversary and at the same time turning a new page with the arrival of Maxime Aerts (30), daughter of manager Bert Aerts and Maggy Schepens and the first representative of the third generation.
The foundation of the current Aerts Trucks was laid in 1976, when Karel Aerts started tinkering with vehicles in his own backyard. From 1985 onwards, Bert and Karin Aerts helped shape the further expansion and professionalization of the activities. Today the company has three branches in the Bornem, Mechelen and Dendermonde region and approximately 70 employees.
“We have a strong past, but you cannot continue to rely on that. You have to keep innovating. With Maxime we are not only bringing in the next generation, but also new energy and a fresh look at growth,” says Bert Aerts (Manager Aerts Trucks). “We continue to build on our foundations, but at the same time we adapt to a changing market. The role of a concession, retailer or service partner is fundamentally shifting. While the traditional model focused strongly on product, maintenance and local presence, today the role is evolving into that of a strategic partner, with an emphasis on total care, operational efficiency and long-term customer support. At the same time, there is a clear consolidation movement in the sector, both on the customer side and with suppliers and manufacturers. For dealerships, this means that relationships do not disappear, but becoming more complex: more formal and more strategic, but still strongly based on trust and proximity. The sector is also facing a clear transition towards zero emissions. At the same time, the economic conditions remain challenging, with pressure on margins and continued uncertainty thinks along, switches quickly and remains reliable.”
In that respect, Aerts Trucks has brought in someone with Maxime Aerts who can support the next phase. “Over the past five years, Maxime has worked in an environment where she helped build the growth from a start-up to an international scale-up in e-commerce. There she learned how quickly organizations can evolve, and what is needed to properly organize that growth, both in terms of processes and teams and in strategic choices,” explains Bert Aerts.
