Metaglas founder Piet Groenendaal passed away

Tiel entrepreneur Piet Groenendaal died Wednesday, April 8, at the age of 84. Groenendaal was the founder of Metaglas and creator of many Metaglas products.

The story of Metaglas began with a convenient solution for ventilation. The glass factory where Piet Groenendaal worked did not see a future in it; therefore, Groenendaal started for himself. In 1975, he founded the company Metaglas and started making hard-glass flap windows. Groenendaal developed a frameless hard-glass flap window that could be easily installed in a wooden, mostly existing, frame. This is the beginning of Metaglas' current success. Especially when he came up with an insulated version during the oil crisis. Shortly thereafter, Groenendaal also invented the popular Methermo aluminum window system, the basis of which can still be found in Metaglas' insulated systems.

The Tiel-based company grew to become a specialist in facade elements. More and more and more innovative. In 1999, Groenendaal passed the baton to his daughter Heske Groenendaal and son-in-law Waldo Duin. Since then, the company has grown into a young and innovative medium-sized family business with approximately 120 committed employees. Thanks to years of experience and knowledge, Metaglas has built up a broad product portfolio from aluminum windows and doors to noise barriers and rear windows.

Groenendaal remained involved with Metaglas until the very end: interested, personally interested and always with a story to tell. He had the habit of stopping in as often as he could, taking a tour of the production hall and having a chat with the employees. But also in the office, where he always expressed his appreciation for the developments the organization was going through.