Since our foundation in 1954, Eltra has become the undisputed market leader in the distribution of electrical equipment and lighting for the home improvement market in the Benelux. Every day, from our state-of-the-art warehouse in Evergem, we deliver a wide range of home improvement products to more than 1000 shops in Belgium, the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
Eltra’s history starts in 1954 when the Verbeelen family in Antwerp starts selling electrical materials and appliances. The family further expands the company and joins Sonepar in 1995. From that moment on, the focus is 100% on DIY. In 2001, the takeover of Elar (NL) follows, which gives the company a foothold in the Dutch DIY market. The focus is no longer solely on DIY when Eltra is acquired by Heylen Group and Dirk Baum (CEO) in 2020. This lays the foundation for a growth strategy that will be made possible by the commissioning of a state-of-the-art logistics centre in May 2022.
Eltra’s core values form the basis of our thinking and actions. With our core values in mind, we get the best out of ourselves, do everything with passion and respect for each other and our environment. But above all, we do this while putting the customer first.
Eltra’s ambition is to be a reference in terms of socially responsible thinking and wants to encourage and inspire all its partners and stakeholders to achieve our goals together. We want not only to reduce our ecological footprint, but also to create a respectful connection between the company’s economic interests and its social impact.
We do this by focusing on 5 of the 17 SDGs (sustainable development goals) of the 2030 United Nations sustainable development plan.
How far along we are and what things we have already accomplished by the end of 2022 is shown on the infographic below.
Our CSR efforts are reviewed by the independent EcoVadis. Their system assesses companies worldwide on their performance with respect to: Environment, Ethics, Labor & Human Rights and Sustainable Procurement. We are proud to announce that we have achieved the EcoVadis Committed Badge in 2024. Naturally, we will work even harder on CSR and aim for an even higher score in the next assessment.
Eltra has a very experienced management team that is led by CEO and co-owner Dirk Baum. Together, they strive every day for a customer-oriented organisation in which there is a good balance between Eltra’s business objectives on the one hand and the interests of its employees and society on the other.
CEO / co-owner
Category Management Director & Sales Director (ad interim)
Logistics & IT Director
CFO
Heylen Group is a Belgian industrial holding company that invests in ambitious companies and entrepreneurs. The group applies a buy-build-and-hold strategy: what it buys, it builds on and keeps. Innovation, internationalisation and operational optimisation are central to this strategy.
The Heylen Group was founded in 2000 by a born entrepreneur. Thanks to a clear vision and the right people, Heylen Group has grown into a holding company with more than 30 companies and approximately 2,800 motivated employees. Today it is active in several European countries and in very diverse sectors, including consumer applications, staffing, food, coin production, fintech, corporate facilities, events and logistics real estate.