About Nelissen

Nelissen Eesti OÜ is the sole representative of the Belgian factory Nelissen in Estonia. Nelissen’s products are sold in Estonia since 2005. Our products include high quality ecological 100% clay bricks, brick slips, half bricks and special shaped bricks, brick slip corners and joint compounds.

Nelissen’s products are sold throughout Europe, Russia and Japan. The Nelissen factory was founded in Belgium in 1921. The factory owns quarries, from where they have been extracting red, yellow, pink and gray clay for over 90 years. The factory has become a major player in the European market for its modern, fully automated and computerized kilns, driers, lumbering machines and packaging equipment. Over 150 million bricks are produced annually.

The location, the excellent quality of materials and continuous quality control, long-term professional expertise and the use of the latest technologies have ensured the success of the factory. For example, the burning process is very important because it determines the quality of the bricks. Nelissen uses fully automated kilns. The burning of one brick alone takes 3 days in the kiln. Nelissen is devoted to the quality of the products. All products bear the BENOR symbol for non-icing under extreme conditions in accordance with the NBN B23-002 standard. In 1997 Nelissen’s Quality Assurance System is approved to meet the standard of NBN EN ISO 9002.

History

From local family business to a major player on the international market.

KESSELT, 1921

Nelissen Bricks was founded by grandfather Nelissen on the plateau of Kesselt. This location has a lot of clay (Löss), the raw material of hand-moulded bricks.

1937

A second factory was founded in Tienen. Why? The clay in Tienen has the same quality as the clay in Kesselt. And at that moment Tienen was an important city in Belgium. In 1982 this changes again. The production is concentrated again exclusively in Kesselt.

THE SIXTIES

The ring furnace makes room for the first tunnel kiln. In the 60s the tunnel dryer is introduced, therefore drying bricks is no longer seasonal. The industrialization comes with the development of moulding machines, which imitate the movements of the former professionals.

1988

A second division with a high-tech brick oven is established.
The oven is over 100 meters long. This goes along with the establishment of Nelissen Industries NV. The drying chamber is also expanded and automated and new machinery is created.
Nelissen sees how its production has doubled to 50 million hand-moulded bricks per year.

1990

Nelissen receives the Benor label in the highest category, in recognition of the excellent quality Nelissen produces.
Nelissen also gets a brand new office complex. It is a large showroom where everyone feels right at home.

1993

The family business ventures to the next big step. The company succeeded in maintaining its independence as one of the few companies in the world of bricks. A brand new furnace, dryers, composing machine, packing installation, all fully automated and computer controlled, lift the production of Nelissen to a European level of 100 million bricks per year.

1997

The quality system of Nelissen Bricks is certified according to NBN EN ISO 9001. Nelissen creates buildings that capture the imagination of everyone. Examples are the iron tower of Diksmuide, the Basilique of Koekelberg, Wijnegem Shopping Center, the County Hall and the prison of Hasselt, The Quay in Hasselt, the Town Square of Genk and soccer stadiums of Anderlecht, Standard and the King Baudouin Stadium, home of the Red Devils. The bricks of Nelissen find their way to over 20 countries. Important markets are the Netherlands, Germany, France, England, Italy, Sweden and Japan.

2013

Nelissen was and remains the specialist in the production of hand-moulded bricks. The company reaches the highest level in terms of quality and colour shade. The perfect location, the natural resources, the high quality, the unmistakable craftsmanship, the years of experience and the use of up-to-date technology still guarantee the success of Nelissen Bricks.

2014

Gaston Nelissen, Guido Gevers and Gisela Gevers have built Nelissen Bricks into a fixed value in the brick market with over 100 employees, passing on the torch to already the fourth generation of the family business. From now on, Carlos Jorissen and Joeri Gevers will take the commercial management of Nelissen Bricks on their behalf. The operational management will come in the hands of Burt Nelissen.

Eco

An ecological approach for the future

We are all working on it: the environment. Consciously dealing with our limited resources. Nelissen also asks itself the following question: How can we deal with this as an environmentally friendly company? How can we use an ecological approach over the temporal borders?

Nelissen uses a 100% natural product: Löss. That’s a good step in the right direction. The clay is mined in our own quarry. Then it is transported via conveyor belts to the factories. Here, the clay is processed ecologically. The clay is therefore an important part of our environmentally friendly approach.

Where can you find that ecological approach in the production process of Nelissen? That process is rather considered a recycling process. We don’t spill anything! The same goes for to the life cycle of a facing brick. Clay is processed into bricks. Those bricks are made to build houses that stand for at least 100 years. Furthermore the bricks are recycled again after degradation. That way they serve as foundation material.

ISO 14001

As a manufacturer of ceramic facing bricks, we rely since many years on a quality management system in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard to control the quality and the environmental impact of our products and services. Additionally, we aim to certify an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001.

Our policy is based on delivering sustainable and high quality products in accordance with the applicable requirements as a means of achieving customer satisfaction and improved environmental performance. Strict adherence to all relevant laws and other requirements is therefore of the highest importance.

The management and improvement of our environmental performance is already fully part of our policy. Concern for the environment is integrated into daily operations. By implementing an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001, we take responsibility for the effectiveness of this management.

By constantly improving our operations and processes, we want to minimize the environmental impact resulting from our production process. Our activities are based on the following guidelines: minimum noise and dust nuisance on the environment, optimal waste management and an efficient use of energy, raw materials and water.

That is how Nelissen contributes to an ecologically built future for the next generations.

Production process

From clay ball to superior facing brick

The loam that we reclaim from the plateau of Kesselt is called Löss.
Löss is a fine dust that came from northern Germany during the last ice age. It literally means loose soil. This raw material can easily be processed for the production of hand-moulded bricks.

The pit at Nelissen Brickworks shows different layers of Löss: grey, yellow, pink and red. The layers are extracted as desired and transported to Nelissen Brickworks, where the clay is purified.
Minerals and chemicals are only added exceptionally, for example for the production of manganese stones. Via conveyors, the clay is transported from the dosing machine to the mixing machine. By adding water, Nelissen Brickworks strives to the optimum plasticity of the clay.

The former stone makers put the sanded ball of clay in a mould.
After stripping of the excess clay, the mould was rotated and lifted out of the wet stone.
At Nelissen Brickworks, the profile stones or specials are still formed that way.

With the exception of the specials, the production of hand-moulded bricks is now fully automated. Advanced installations realistically imitate the movements of the former professionals. Each movement and operation is important. Furthermore, the installation is designed to produce about 8 different colour shades at the same time.

As a result of our craftsmanship this typical hand-moulded brick with irregular surface, varied colour shades and sand grains is created.

The water has to evaporate completely. That evaporation takes place in computer-controlled drying rooms according to an adapted program depending on the clay type and size of the hand-moulded brick. The drying should not only happen fast, but also regularly. After 24 to 48 hours, depending on the thickness of the stone, the bricks are ready for the oven. The dry hand-moulded bricks are then automatically stacked in a defined pattern on the kiln cars.

The baking determines the quality of the hand-moulded brick.
Nelissen has fully automated ovens. The latest technology is used for the production of these ovens. The settings of the oven are continuously monitored. The rest of the production is fully monitored by a log. After 3 days the hand-moulded bricks are baked in an oven of over 100m long and 7m wide. The computer controls the baking cycle and condition of the oven.
This results in over 80 different shades.

Thanks to investments, Nelissen has a continued growth. With a capacity of 150 million bricks a year, Nelissen Brickworks reaches a European level.

Quality

Nelissen Bricks considers customer-friendliness and quality of paramount importance. We are driven by our continuous pursuit of maximum customer-friendliness and always put the needs of our customers first. Environment and durability are concepts familiar to Nelissen and the production process at Nelissen is a leading example of this. Nelissen Bricks is ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment) certified.

ISO 9001

The ISO 9001 certification confirms that Nelissen Bricks organizes itself through a quality management system to meet customer demand and thus deliver quality products.
ISO 14001

As producer of ceramic facing bricks we currently have an integrated quality and environment management system in accordance with ISO 9001 and 14001 to control the quality and the environmental effect of our products and services. Our policy aims to deliver durable products of high quality in a safe and environment-friendly way in accordance with the demands that are applicable, to thus establish satisfied customers and improved environmental accomplishments. Through improving our activities and processes continuously we want to limit the environmental pollution, resulting from our production process.
CE-marking

The European harmonized standard NBN EN 771-1 “Requirements for masonry bricks – Part 1: Masonry Brick” explains, the characteristics that apply in the context of the CE marking. The mandatory CE marking indicates that the manufacturer guarantees the essential product characteristics meet the stated performance. The European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) indicates that a declaration of performance (DoP = Declaration of Performance) must be provided and that the CE marking must be affixed.
NL-BSB

This product certificate, issued based on the Dutch assessment guideline for the NL-BSB product certificate for ceramic products, states that the product meets the set environmental hygienic demands, set in the Building material resolution.
The requirements of the Building Materials handle the identification of the composition of a building material or product, and the maximum leaching behavior. With this assessment, it is possible to declare quality statements about the environmental characteristics of the products.
BENOR

The BENOR certificate indicates that Nelissen bricks meet the BENOR mark PTV23-002 for masonry bricks, on the basis of a production check-up.
Baustoffüberwachung BÜW

This certificate indicates that Nelissen bricks meet the Baustoffüberwachung büw DIN V 105-100 norm, on the basis of a production check-up. This certificate is issued by the Institut für und Überwachung von Baustoffen GmbH in Germany.
ATG certificate

With the innovative ISO•Façade system Nelissen obtained an ATG Certificate.
The Technical Approval Department coordinates at the WTCB all Belgian and European activities, running within the framework of the delivery of Technical Approvals for construction products and construction systems. These Technical Approvals are better known as quality statements under the “ATG” label. The ATG label implies that the construction product or construction system has been assessed favourably, which is mentioned as such in the Technical Approval in question. Therefore you can be certain of the reliable quality of ATG certified products. You can always refer to the website http://www.butgb.be/ for more information.
GOST-R

The Gost-R certificate is a conformity certificate proving that the products are in conformity with the Russian criteria.