Ad De Cocq

I warmly welcome you all on our company anniversary and for having successfully completed 10 years. So on today’s occasion, I also like to say a few words. I still remember the day that Jerome and I had the idea to start a company after his retirement. We were in our early sixties and I visited Jerome on a regular base in Lagos, he was at that time technical director of Consolidated Breweries and I was director of Adeco BV, discussing ongoing projects or searching for new business opportunities.

In one of these visits, we talked about how I started Adeco BV in 1986, after 20 years of working at Heineken Technical Services in Zoeterwoude the Netherlands. Jerome told me that he was much too young to do nothing, Bose his wife was also still working and sitting alone at home and doing nothing was not an option for him. So it was 2007 that we came to the agreement to start Adeco Project Engineers, West Africa.

After receiving the official documents from the government the name was slightly different and longer namely Adeco Project Engineering BV, West Africa limited. Jerome started as Managing Director, with just a handful of people and a very limited amount of resources.

Executive Director Ad De Cocq Discussing with MD Jerome Bello

Starting from there till today, the company has covered a long and evolutionary journey.

Years back, we had started with millions of dreams, hopes and an immense enthusiasm and today when we are celebrating another year of its birth, nothing has changed. Except for the fact that we have made most of our dreams come true. Companies are like families. Build them with our heart, putting our blood and sweat into it with solely one purpose to fulfil, that is to make it grow and flourish.

Together we can make our dream come true. The dream of making Adeco a company which is known for its quality products, quality services and commitment towards work. Today, on this fortunate day of us completing one more successful year, I, as Director of this company am feeling extremely proud to say that we are constantly getting closer to our bigger dream, as we make the smaller ones true, one by one.

In all these years which have passed, we have seen all its success and failures, highs and lows, even crisis, everything. But one thing which you never did was to ‘give up’ I would never have been able to picture this successful journey without you, Jerome. Also, the employees and technicians have always been the strength and backbone to the company. For the entire year, making extended working hours, early logins to the systems, working from home and what not, you have done it all when work has demanded it.

L-R Stephan De-Cocq, Ad De-Cocq (Director), Engr Jerome Bello (MD)

But today is a day to enjoy, it’s a day to celebrate our dedication, your passion for your work and the vision of perfection in everything we have been assigned to. I hope for more anniversaries, many more success stories and many more achievements to come our way. So let’s not stop ourselves from dreaming, let’s not settle for less, let’s not restrict ourselves to what is conventional and let’s not let the failures and even days of sadness discourage us.

I wish you all the very best for the coming challenges and tasks and always remember, together we can make anything happen, WE PROVIDE SOLUTIONS!