History of Foundry Bennink & Ten Cate Heerenveen
The origins of Foundry Bennink & Ten Cate Heerenveen date back to 1820, when Willem Isaacsz. ten Cate started a blacksmith’s workshop in Almelo. For four generations the craft remained in the family, and the company earned a strong reputation, among other things for wrought ironwork and stoves for Huize Almelo.

In 1897, an iron foundry was added. Initially, castings were supplied for the textile industry, and later mainly for sewer systems, such as manhole covers and street gullies – many of which can still be found today in cities like Haarlem. During the First World War, the company produced machines that were no longer imported from Germany, which accelerated growth. In 1960, Ten Cate opened a new site in Heerenveen; ten years later, the head office moved there permanently. From the 1970s onwards, the focus shifted to stainless steel and cast iron for mechanical engineering, supported by modern facilities and a laboratory.

Meanwhile, other players were active in the region, such as Voltawerk in Gorredijk (later Stork-Volma), which was acquired by Ten Cate in 1972. In Nijmegen, Foundry Bennink, founded in 1919, had developed into a specialist in high-quality small-series castings.

In 1993, the two companies joined forces in Heerenveen under the name Foundry Bennink & Ten Cate Heerenveen. Despite economic challenges, the company continually managed to innovate and strengthen its craftsmanship.

Today, Foundry BTC operates from Eurolaan 11 in Heerenveen. Production takes place at exclusive partners, while technical preparation, support, and quality assurance are handled in Heerenveen – in the spirit of two centuries of tradition, innovation, and quality.

Our expertise has earned us a solid reputation, offering more than 150 alloys in cast iron, steel, NI-RESIST, NI-HARD, stainless steel, duplex, super duplex, martensitic chromium-nickel steel, and nickel alloys—ranging from 3 kg to 12,000 kg per piece. We have specialized in the production of single pieces and small series of castings with the highest possible precision.