Bart Versluys: Since 1908, the Rise of a Belgian Real Estate Empire
Bart Versluys
Bart Versluys, head of the Versluys Construction and contemporary Marc Couckehas steered the construction company's expansion from its bases in Ostend. With a history dating back to 1908, the family business shows the construction of over 7,200 apartments along the Belgian coastline. Versluys' association with Marc Coucke dates back to 2015, when the latter invested in half of the holding company Versluys Invest through a55 million contribution, plus an additional 20 million euros for the development future of the group and the fortune of Bart Versluys is valued at 332 million euros.
The partnership with Coucke has enabled the group to transition from the realization of classic real estate programs, such as apartments, to large-scale projects, including the development of a stadium for KV Oostende soccer club. The financial commitment has also amplified the company's aims beyond the coast, targeting urban projects in cities such as Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels, as well as exploring potential acquisitions.
At the same time, Versluys holds a diversified portfolio including interests in commercial real estate at Romania and a collection art valued at 17 million euros. His passion for art is reflected in his purchase of the "Fort Sint-Pol" estate in Knokke. This emblematic site will house the 'Versluys Foundation', designed to showcase his private collection as well as first-rate art exhibitions, in keeping with the historic artistic vocation of the premises.
The Group is also committed to real estate development quality and accessible. One example is the Oosteroever in Ostend, a collaboration with the construction group CFEwhich aims to transform a portion of the port into a new neighborhood. The ambition is to address the shortage of affordable, quality housing on the coast.
Versluys and Coucke also called for the simplification of condominium laws to speed up building renovation, with the aim of overcoming the obstacles posed by isolated owners.
Today, Bart Versluys continues to lead the Versluys Group, as the emblematic figure of a company that embodies both family heritage and innovation in the construction sector, and has an esteemed heritage of its own. 325,000,000.
