DEME Environnement marks 35 years of service in Belgium and France

DEME Environnement, a pioneer in soil remediation and brownfield redevelopment, proudly marks 35 years of service in Belgium and France.

Founded in 1990 as Écoterres and now part of DEME Group NV (Euronext Brussels: DEME), DEME Environnement has completed more than 800 projects across Belgium and France. The company has become a reference in remediating contaminated soils from industrial, urban, and public infrastructure sites, managing and valorizing polluted sediments from inland waterways and transforming brownfields into productive land through public-private partnerships.

To mark the 35th anniversary, a commemorative event was held in the presence of Mr. Hugues Bayet (Mayor of Farciennes), Mr. Olivier Vanderijst (Président du Comité de direction de Wallonie Entreprendre), Mr. Yves Coppieters (Walloon Minister for Health, the Environment, Solidarity and the Social Economy) and Mr. Thibaut de Villenfagne (representative of Mr. Minister Desquesnes, Vice-Chairman and Walloon Minister for Territory, Infrastructure, Mobility and Local Authorities). The presence of such esteemed dignitaries underscores the strong public-private collaboration and long-standing commitment to sustainable environmental solutions.

Originally named Écoterres, the company marked a pivotal milestone in its history in 2024 by adopting the name of its majority shareholder, DEME – which holds a 75% stake – and becoming DEME Environnement. The remaining 25% is held by Wallonie Entreprendre, a public investment and development organization in Wallonia, Belgium, and a much appreciated shareholder in Écoterres for more than 25 years. With headquarters in Farciennes and recycling centers in Tubize, Charleroi, Liège (Belgium), and Wambrechies (Hauts de France), soil remediation projects and environmental dredging in Wallonia, Hauts-de-France and Lorraine, the company employs over 90 direct staff and supports up to 200 indirect jobs through its sites, labs, and subcontractors.

For more than two decades, DEME Environnement has been at the forefront of soil remediation, environmental dredging, sediment treatment and sustainable brownfield redevelopment, turning contaminated and disused industrial sites into vibrant, purposeful spaces. In response to growing urbanization and land scarcity, DEME has pioneered a circular approach – acquiring and remediating brownfields to create new opportunities for industry, housing, and biodiversity. The company’s multidisciplinary model goes well beyond being only a contractor for the environmental works and the soil remediation, encompassing full-site redesign, permitting, and master planning. DEME Environnement is also the last Walloon company to own dredging equipment and holds a four-year framework contract with the Walloon waterways authority.