About us

History

From our origins as an engineering company, we have evolved to become a worldwide pioneer in filtration-as-a-service solutions, fully closing the loop for our customers.

2023

Aiming for the future

Launch of our new brand to align with our focus on sustainability.

CFO Julie Santens takes over as new CEO from Mario Hertegonne, who is appointed Chairman.

We embark on the rollout of our North American growth strategy with our first investment being the acquisition of the activated carbon reactivation and exchange business of Evoqua Water Technologies.

2022

Expanding our regions

We acquire the mobile gas filtration business of UK-based Environ Consultants, accelerating our growth in the UK and Ireland.

2021

Our plans for growth accelerate when we are acquired by major investment firm Blackstone from previous investor EQT, who retains a minority stake.

2020

We open our fourth furnace at our Belgian headquarters, strengthening our leading market position in European as a closed-loop purification solutions provider.

2019

We are awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal in CSR, establishing us as a best-in-class industry leader in terms of sustainability.

We expand our presence in the Nordics with our acquisition of Odoroff’s mobile filtration business in Finland.

2018

Acquisition of the activated carbon business of Italian biogas company F3 Fenice Energia, strengthening our position in the Italian market.

2017

Swedish investment firm EQT buys Desotec from AAC and its founders, supporting our plans for growth through international expansion and investment in our mobile filter fleet and reactivation capacity.

2016

Our growth continues with the establishment of Desotec Italia, and the doubling of capacity at our mobile filter technical plant in Izegem, Belgium.

2015

We inaugurate our third reactivation furnace and our second distribution center.

Our new CEO, Mario Hertegonne, leads the development of a pan-European strategy with five target market segments: air emissions, biogas, chemicals, remediation, and wastewater.

2013

Establishment of Desotec Iberica, with a new branch located in Tarragona, Spain.

2012

Development and patent of the world’s largest mobile air filtration system: the pioneering Aircon V-XL®.

We establish service centers in Poland and the UK.

2009

Opening of second reactivation furnace, expansion of mobile filter fleet, and investment in specially designed truck for filter replacements.

2004

Inauguration of our first reactivation furnace in Roeselare, Belgium

1995

We choose to specialize in activated carbon, with a focus on environmental applications for the purification of liquids and gases.

1990

Desotec is founded by Joost Desmet and Bart and Peter Sobry, with an initial focus on water treatment and sludge processing.