History of Berenschot

The development of the firm, from the Second World War till now, is largely a reflection of the development of the Dutch economy. The war years, the reconstruction, the growth of the welfare state, the renewed market-oriented thinking and globalisation are trends that are visible and tangible in everyday life.

Professional developments are also perceptible . Founder B.W. Berenschot was strongly influenced by so-called scientific management. Today we would call this ‘measuring is knowing'. At the same time, he was a man with a sharp eye for actual practice. This combination of theory and actual practice became the foundation founding philosophy for the Berenschot management consulting firm.

Since then, times have changed. Berenschot has moved with these changing times and, in part, has also provided direction to these changes. Our home base is the Netherlands, but our field of expertise is worldwide. Our contracts are characterised by global economic and political relationships, which is already the case since before WWII.

BerenschAtkamer

The BerenschAtkamer is a permanent Berenschot exhibition area at its Van Deventerlaan offices in Utrecht. The exhibition illustrates Berenschot's history by means of panels and showcases.

Berenschot’s buildings over the years

In 2000, Berenschot moved into a modern office building near the centre of Utrecht and its arterial roads. The building was designed by the American architectural firm Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), which also designed the Hoftoren in The Hague, among others.

The following is a selection of various (historical) buildings that have housed the head office or branches over the course of the years.

The company began centralising its operations in 1971 and established its head office in Utrecht. The Amsterdam branch closed down. An auxiliary office remained in Hengelo until 1975. In 1999, Berenschot opened up a branch in The Hague.

B.W. Berenschot (1895-1964)

Our founder, B.W. Berenschot (1895-1964) was a real entrepreneur who considered entrepreneurship to be the exact opposite of giving up. An impressive man with a vision and feeling for the things that would become important to the consulting profession in terms of skills as well as markets. His appointment as a Professor at Delft University of Technology as well as the bestowal of the American Wallace Clark Award confirmed his national and international knowledge and skill.

Berenschot graduated in civil engineering from Delft University in 1921. In 1923, he joined Hijmans & Van Gogh, a consulting firm for industrial organisation and metal working. At that point, the Netherlands had around 15 people professionally involved in advising companies in the area of industrial organisation. Various individuals employed by the Hijmans & Van Gogh Bureau started their own management consultancy, which Berenschot and J.M. Louwerse did as well in 1925. Their Adviesbureau voor Bedrijfsorganisatie Louwerse & Berenschot (Louwerse & Berenschot Management Consulting Firm) originally focused on industry, particularly the textile industry in the Twente region and the metal, clothing and confectionary industries. During this period they established the foundation for the knowledge of these market sectors.

In 1938, Louwerse and Berenschot terminated their collaboration due to a difference of opinion concerning how the profession should be exercised. Berenschot realised that a consulting firm had to be more than the private hobby of various specialists. Only a large firm would be able to ensure its own continuity. In 1938 he established the Raadgevend Bureau Ir. B.W. Berenschot (B.W. Berenschot Consulting Firm).

He died unexpectedly on January 23rd, 1964, at the age of 68.