In 1995, a new private limited company was established by
Sjef Peeraer: Jemarel BV, trading under the name Deeproot Europe. Sjef took over the sales activities from Pius Floris, including the dealership for Deeproot root guidance panels for Europe.While Pius shifted his focus to his tree care business, he continued to play an important role for us and within the green sector as an ambassador, advisor, and mentor.

There was significant disruption caused by tree roots in infrastructure, yet no suitable solution existed at the time. GreenMax, then operating as Deeproot Europe, provided the answer with root guidance and root barrier systems. In addition, we offered a few solutions for tree trunk protection and tree anchoring.

Eric van Oss took over Jemarel BV. Soon after, the first employee joined, followed by a small team that gradually expanded internationally to the Benelux, Germany, France, and, a year later, the United Kingdom.

We decided to move beyond offering a selective product portfolio, which included root guidance and protection, tree trunk protection, and tree anchoring, and instead provide solutions for the complete design and layout of the planting area.

As GreenMax continued to grow, we moved in 2006 to a premises in Heeswijk-Dinther, where we had a larger office space and a warehouse.

In 2007, the trade name Deeproot Europe was changed to GreenMax. Olaf Sleutjes, who was handling our advertising at the time, came up with the idea for the new name: GreenMax. It immediately sounded right and was easy to remember across Europe. And the name says it all: maximum green!

At the time, virgin materials were the industry standard. In 2007, we transitioned our products to recycled materials, driven by Eric’s personal mission. Why use new materials when so much waste is already circulating worldwide — waste that can be perfectly transformed into products that support the healthy growth of trees?

In 2008, we carried out a pilot project in Amersfoort using a tree pit system. It was an immediate success. The tree planted in paving within our system grew better than the free-standing trees along the waterside! In 2010, this led to a major tree pit project along Kanaal Noord in Apeldoorn. This milestone was made possible with the help of Anton Dekker and Lex Kipperman, two municipal officials who, in Eric’s view, are the pioneers of tree pit systems in the Netherlands.

As our product portfolio expanded, our previous location became too small. In 2012, we therefore moved to the business park in Heeswijk-Dinther. Here, we established our own office and a larger warehouse at De Morgenstond 14.

With the establishment of our production company GrePro, we gained control over the entire production process from start to finish. This enabled us to develop new products at a rapid pace, while offering our customers the best prices, a large stock, and fast delivery.

GreenMax continued to grow rapidly, just like the many trees now supported by our solutions. To accommodate this growth, we constructed a new building with office space and a warehouse as an extension to our existing premises. This marked the second expansion at the location where we are still based today (De Morgenstond 16).

All the knowledge and experience we had gained with tree pit systems since 2004 culminated in 2017 with the development of the TreeParker system. One of the key requirements during the design process was that TreeParker should be produced using recycled materials. At the same time, the system needed to be cost-effective, affordable, easy to install, strong, high-quality, and logical to use. Our entire team contributed countless variations and designs. Ultimately, the TreeParker system was selected as the best solution.

As soon as the construction of the second building was completed, we quickly began work on our third premises at De Morgenstond 18.

The TreeParker system required a project-based approach and quickly gained traction. As a result, a dedicated team of specialists was assembled to focus entirely on this area, which led to the establishment of TreeBuilders.

By this time, we had built an impressive portfolio of projects featuring our products. The TreeParker system, for example, was used at various UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Pearling Path in Muharraq (Bahrain), and Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid.

More and more countries around the world are recognising the value of trees in public spaces, as well as the solutions offered by GreenMax and TreeBuilders to support them. Articles such as “From America to the Middle East: a company from Heeswijk-Dinther ensures that roots and paving do not clash” and “Even the King helps GreenMax grow” have appeared in various newspapers.

GreenGuard was acquired by GreenMax. Its solutions are a perfect addition to the complete design and layout of the planting area. GreenGuard focuses primarily on natural solutions that enhance soil life and biodiversity. This way, we can offer our customers a broader range of solutions.

GreenMax Group was officially established. It became clear that there was some confusion regarding the connection between GreenMax, TreeBuilders, GreenGuard, and GrePro. To address this, we created an overarching group, allowing all companies to continue operating under their own names and branding.
At the same time as the establishment of GreenMax Group, Elco van Uden joined as co-owner and partner.

Due to the growth of all companies and looking to the future, we built a new warehouse close to our main location.

GreenMax was honoured with the FD Gazellen Award 2023. The FD Gazellen Awards are among the most prestigious business awards for fast-growing companies in the Netherlands. This is a milestone we are proud of, an achievement made possible together with our team, customers, distributors, and partners.

Remarkable projects followed in quick succession. GreenMax’s root ball anchoring was used in the vertical forests of Trudo Tower and Wonderwoods. Our solutions also support trees in ARTIS, Blijdorp, Disneyland Paris, and Efteling. The TreeParker system found its place on the rooftop terraces of the Skypark Business Center in Luxembourg. Past projects have also proven their long-term value. For example, cycle paths in Drunen have been free of root heave for over 14 years thanks to our TRG root guiding system.

TreeBuilders was approached by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to take part in a documentary showcasing remarkable projects with a distinctive Dutch signature surrounding the Olympic Games. A film crew from Amsterdam travelled to Paris to capture the trees planted in the TreeParker system near the Eiffel Tower. An interview with us was also recorded. The documentary was shown at the TeamNL House.

GreenMax was awarded the title “FD Gazellen International 2024”. This prestigious title is given to companies that successfully expand beyond national borders. Once again, this is a shared achievement made possible by our dedicated team and, of course, by our international partners across more than 35 countries.

The GreenEvent is the day for knowledge and inspiration in the field of greenery. In 2023, GreenMax launched the very first edition in Heeswijk-Dinther, which proved to be a great success. In 2025, we organised the second edition together with FURNS and Den Ouden at the Inspyrium in Cuijk. Through GreenEvent, we explore various perspectives on urban greening, share knowledge, inspire, and create ambassadors for greener cities.

Our office at the current location was completely renovated and expanded, including the addition of a new meeting space and an upgraded showroom. The icing on the cake was the introduction of a new fitness room and personal training facilities, all focused on employee wellbeing and team building.

The Dutch Trade Mission Fund (Oranje Handelsmissiefonds) is a fund for Dutch SMEs aiming to expand their market position internationally. Out of 300 companies, 10 winners were selected. After an extensive evaluation process — based on product or service strength, ambitions, sustainability, financial health, and motivation to grow internationally — GreenMax achieved the number 1 position!

To this day, we continue our mission: giving trees the opportunity to grow old healthily amid concrete, paving, and buildings. In doing so, we make our living environment greener, healthier, and future-proof.
Worldwide.