TBL Techniek

Agricultural Machinery

Paul te Boekhorst has been active in the development and production of agricultural machinery for over 25 years. Since 2016, he has been continuing this work with his own company, TBL Techniek in Lettele. He produces made-to-order machinery for customers in the Netherlands and abroad. In the past year, TBL has also been developing its own product line in agricultural machinery.

Specialisation

Paul is a firm believer in specialisation. ‘You need to be a specialist; it’s better to focus on certain types of machinery and become the best in your field.’ TBL, for example, has built up extensive experience with transfer trailers, bagger combines and other machines for wheat harvesting. TBL developed these machines for a Swedish company. The Scandinavians use the machines themselves and export them on to other countries in Europe. TBL collects the machine parts from all over Europe and part of the assembly takes place in Lettele.

Developing and engineering machines takes a lot of time and energy, so there was a need to bring machines to the market under an own brand name. The business started with the development of high-class slurry injectors of different widths varying from nine to fifteen metres wide. The machine measuring fifteen metres features a specially patented construction and is currently the only slurry injector of this width on the market. The first five TBL slurry injectors have already been sold, and Paul expects to sell between six and ten more in the spring of 2019.

TBL Care

Paul’s wife, Bernadette, has worked about 20 years in the dental hygiene business. The demand arose for a new type of wheelchair recliner so wheelchair-bound patients could be treated in an ergonomically sound manner. The current recliners did not meet all requirements and were also very expensive. TBL developed a new recliner which is also adjustable in height. The first TBL recliners have found their way into healthcare institutions, dental practices and UMCs. The number of buyers is expected to grow quickly. This product was created for a different branch to the agricultural equipment industry, so a separate business unit was set up: TBL Care.

The future

The German market could be a very interesting prospect for the slurry injector. Slurry injection is compulsory in the Netherlands, whereas in Germany (with the exception of Bavaria), it’s not. There is a chance that this regulation will also apply in Germany in the future. This will open up a large market for TBL.