DS in time

International equestrian sport events rely on De Sutter Naturally for an unique appearance and the guarantee of saf Peter De Sutter got to know equestrian sports as a stable boy under top rider Eric Wauters. He noticed that there were no professional solutions for horse fences and field gates at that time. A gap in the market. So, he set to work as a creative entrepreneur. This was the start of De Sutter Naturally. Top quality, safety, durability and exclusive appearance.

For 20 years, De Sutter managed to impress with one type of fence. The sturdy Classic: A board secured between two semi-round posts made of creosoted softwood.

Jeffrey De Sutter is getting the hang of it. The then 14-year-old 'son of' helps with the installations during the holidays. Eventually - after graduating as a horticulturalist - he started as a full-time installer in 2000.

Sustainability is always an important criterion in the selection of our wood. Initially, all fences were made of wood from Belgium and Germany. For gates, we could not find any wood that met the quality criteria. Peter finally found it in Brazil. Durable and high quality tropical hardwood. The Sutter do Brasil - the factory in Brazil (now sold) - grew into a company with 70 workers.

Belgium still remains the most important market, but horse lovers from various other countries can appreciate the quality and exclusivity of De Sutter Naturally. As the first supplier of hardwood fences and gates, we are and will remain the reference par excellence.

Natural curves, difficult differences in level, beautiful straight lines... When installing our field fences and gates, we leave nothing to chance. Thanks to the in-house developed post driver, we can install the posts without concrete or cement. The tracks on the machine make it possible to work on any surface. With lasers and sensors, we ensure that the posts are on exactly the right position.

De Sutter Naturally grows. The new building in Kampenhout - centrally located in Belgium - gives us a professional image and opportunities for growth. A greater stock allows us to respond almost immediately to the demands of our customers.

Jeffrey is a passionate entrepreneur, just like his father. He started his own company - Top-Jumps - with a range of showjumping materials.

Respond quickly to customer demands? We do. With our in-house production unit, we can not only produce more, we can also monitor quality optimally. For example, our CNC computer-controlled machine works to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. Thus, we make horse fences and field gates with the highest degree of finish.

With the rising prices of hardwood in Brazil, we are looking for new opportunities. Since 2010, we have been importing our high-quality, sustainable hardwood from Africa. The durability class 1 wood - the highest quality achievable - arrives in Antwerp, where we cut to size and produce our fences and gates locally in Belgium.

In 2011, we took over Equinan from Zulte, a builder of fences and field gates for horses, as well as other animals. Equinan - as a specialist in wire mesh - also serves broader market segments. An expertise that De Sutter Naturally perfectly complements to further expand our total service.

We receive an FSC label. Such a label guarantees that the wood comes from responsibly managed forests and is subject to strict rules and control. Incidentally, it is the only label of its kind that is supported by environmental organisations such as WWF and Greenpeace. 
Our wood also meets the PEFC standard. This label guarantees the consumer that the wood comes from sustainably managed forests.
 

We are launching a new product: the Square, with a unique design with a rounded top. Still a best seller!

Increasing demands and a large stock require expansion. Top-Jumps is also growing. We compensate it by expanding with 4 000 m² of additional warehouse space.

A new regime with an ambitious Jeffrey at the helm who focuses on expansion and export. Since then, De Sutter Naturally has experienced unprecedented growth. 

At the customer's request, we developed a shelter. With the same value and quality as our fences in terms of durability and safety, we have a new top product in our range.

An occasion that called for not one but two festive evenings.

De Sutter Naturally, Equinan and Distrifence (international B2B distribution network) become one. We are also opening a third branch in Herentals.

We are strong in wood. That is why we are expanding. We use our wood for new applications. The natural material, which is ecologically sound, lends itself to various applications.

The scarcity of wood makes us innovate with other materials. The result is Infinity in RECO design: recycled plastic composite or 100% recycled plastic. An out-of-the-box development that we have been focusing on in recent years. The most ecological solution on the market, even the end product can be recycled.

De Sutter quality now has a registered name: Densiforce®. The new quality mark for the production process of our impregnated softwood range. Your ultimate guarantee for a more environmentally-friendly process, extending the life of our wood to 20 years and more.

De Sutter Naturally takes over the company “Lenaerts’ Gates”. By doing this, it expands its services in a niche market and enters the residential market with wooden driveway gates for home use. A perfect addition to the existing offer.

We are opening the gates of a new showroom in Turnhout. This new location will host both our fences and a wide range of residential gates, in an experience garden unique of its kind. The opening of this innovative showroom in Turnhout marks an important milestone on our path to growth.

For more than two decades, S.E.B. steered the growth of our fences in France. Thanks to its success, Groupe Normandie Drainage and the De Sutter family have teamed up to continue this growth through a new entity: De Sutter France. De Sutter France is based in Normandy, but we continue to offer and install our fences throughout France and even French-speaking Switzerland.

The partnership with the Münster-based company Berger, with whom we have been working closely since 2005, is strengthened by a full acquisition by De Sutter Naturally. As part of the generational change, Theo Berger hands over the management to Lars Göran Cordes from De Sutter Naturally.

We are taking the next step in our expansion by entering the European market with our Residential Gates. Our ambition is to become the quality reference for residential wooden gates in countries such as France, Germany, and Spain.