VDL Berkhof
VDL Berkhof is a Dutch manufacturer of coaches and buses and part of the VDL Groep . The company, which was founded in 1970 under the name Carrosseriefabriek Berkhof, began exclusively with the repair of buses with ten employees in the first year and a half. By 1982 the number of employees had grown to 80. Tour buses were mainly built on DAF chassis .
In 1985 production was relocated to a new 10,000 square meter facility in Valkenswaard . 132 people were now employed there. In 1989 the plant was expanded by a further 10,000 square meters, the capacity was 350 vehicles per year.
In 1989 the bus manufacturer Hainje in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, was added with an annual output of 120 vehicles and a workforce of 180 people. The brand name was subsequently given up in favor of Berkhof.
In 1994 the Belgian manufacturer VDL Jonckheere in Roeselare was taken over, a coach manufacturer with an output of 400 vehicles per year and 500 employees. The Berkhof Groep thus reached 1200 employees
In 1997 the group of companies was renamed from Berkhof Groep to Berkhof Jonckheere Groep . In 1998 it was taken over by the VDL Groep , but has only officially been called VDL Berkhof since 2003 .
In Valkenswaard the coaches, among others of the Berkhof Axial type , in Heerenveen the regular buses, etc. a. of the Berkhof Ambassador 200 type . There are also other bus production locations, albeit within the VDL corporate group. In addition to buses, Berkhof also manufactures trolleybuses .
