RELLY: the new standard for landscapers

It has been tumultuous years for De Schans of Hedel, a prominent supplier of machinery for pavers, landscapers and building and construction companies. But after ending a successful partnership and other challenges, a bright future now glows thanks to the introduction of the RELLY: a mini-shovel developed entirely in-house. 

Founder and owner Reinoud van de Schans views the future with confidence. "The RELLY is the result of everything we have come across in the market, combined in one machine." His ambition? To sell at least a thousand RELLYs annually before 2030. 

Van de Schans is self-taught and has always been fascinated by technology. After his first work experiences at Ahlmann and in the paving industry, he decided to start his own company. The result? The first four-wheel-drive paving machine, which was later put into production by the Geens brothers.

In 1997, together with the Geens brothers, Van de Schans presented the first Knikmops 90, a machine that perfectly met the demand for multifunctional construction machines. This collaboration led to success, with De Schans becoming a Knikmops dealer in Scandinavia and Germany. 

Yet De Schans and Geens did not always enjoy a happy marriage. On July 1, 2023, the cooperation was therefore terminated. "The discussion about quality and further development of machines continued to diverge," Van de Schans explains. "This eventually led to the termination of the distribution agreement." Despite this breakup, De Schans continues to supply parts and perform maintenance for the Knikmops. This transition process was difficult, but still led to new opportunities: room was created for the development of the RELLY.

The CO2 performance ladder created new challenges in the industry. A major customer asked for an electric Knikmops, but the Geens company ran aground technically. De Schans therefore took matters into its own hands and developed an electric variant together with UMS. This led to the creation of the RELLY 1.0e. "Soon customers were asking for a diesel variant. You ask, we turn, so in 2020 we started developing it."

De Schans invested in new technology and doubled its workforce to 40 full-time employees. "Our old premises were no longer adequate, but after several renovations, we now have a modern production hall and showroom of over 230 square meters," Van de Schans says proudly.

Recently, De Schans signed a cooperation agreement with Delwi Groenink to scale up RELLY production. "We will continue to develop protomachines and specials in-house," Van de Schans emphasizes. So far, some 400 RELLYs have been sold. But De Schans is thinking bigger: the goal is to sell 1,000 machines annually between 2028 and 2030, including 70% for the export market. 

In addition to technical and commercial activities, De Schans also focuses on the future. "The overview of all activities can no longer lie with one man," says that one man, Van de Schans. "My own role will change, because my son Ad is currently completing his commercial studies and will manage the company together with me and the other managers. "With this approach and the successful development of the RELLY, the future looks promising for De Schans.