The IJzertoren is at the top of the list of iconic buildings with Nelissen bricks. After World War I, everyone was tired of war. The IJzertoren was built in 1930 to symbolise the idea 'Never again war'. But shortly after WWII, two attacks destroyed the peace symbol and memorial for the fallen in Diksmuide. Workers built a new tower 84 metres high between 1952 and 1964. The former subsidiary of Nelissen in Tienen supplied all of the facing bricks. And 30 years later, the Kesselt factory was asked to supply the bricks for the restoration. The basis for this was the decisiveness of Pol Grutman (76) from Alken, who for 35 years has been a representative that embodied the family approach of Nelissen.
'What tactics did I use as a representative? Well, tapping into my wide network and pampering the customers. That is the only secret', confides Pol Grutman. 'I contacted them regularly and always kept my eyes and ears open. It was the same with the IJzertoren. Through a mutual acquaintance, I met Rudy Vereecke, the architect in charge of the renovation. I treated him at the Limburg "mussel king" restaurant in Tongeren. And after that, we chatted over a whisky at the bar in my house. That's how we got ball rolling.'
Cooperation clinched in house restaurant
'Just like Pol, I liked to seal partnerships at the table', says Gaston Nelissen, eminent member of the third generation. 'Which is why I like to invite customers to Chateau Neercanne on the border between Riemst and Maastricht. Over time that became our go-to restaurant.' Rudy Vereecke remembers it vividly: 'I have fond memories of that dinner even though it was 25 years ago. It makes Nelissen's family customer approach tangible.'
A lorry caravan to Diksmuide
'The original specifications for the second IJzertoren in 1952 showed that Nelissen supplied 350,000 bricks', continues the West Flemish architect. 'I didn't work in the company at that time', says Gaston Nelissen. 'But I'd heard the impressive stories and seen the pictures of the long caravan of lorries, chock-full of bricks in front of the IJzertoren.'
A custom-made brick to match the original
'It was obvious the Kesselt brickworks be chosen again for the restoration. It's a question of coming as close as possible to the original', explains Rudy Vereecke. 'But that particular brick was no longer in production. Which is why we asked for a new brick to be made especially for the IJzertoren – based on the meuse brick: a handmade, reddish-brown, and well-fired brick. It is also resistant to frost, weather, and wind. We were welcomed in Kesselt with open arms. And Gaston was immediately willing to produce the lookalike brick, even though the order was relatively small.'
New restoration with Nelissen bricks
'In the meantime, another 30 years have passed,' muses Rudy Vereecke. 'It's time for a second renovation. And we will be calling on Nelissen again for this.' He has been appointed to coordinate the restoration as an architect: 'Consider Nelissen the preferred supplier for the facing bricks of the IJzertoren.' And that was said by Rudi Vereecke, the house architect of the IJzer Pilgrimage Committee – owner and manager of the listed monument by the river IJzer.
From the archives
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