The history of YES Group

As a 17-year-old boy, Jan de Braal works in his parents’ family business. At that time, the company was active in the ground, road, and hydraulic engineering business. In the technical department, De Braal maintains Caterpillar machines.

Thanks to the wide variety of machines and engines in the company, De Braal learns to solve a wide range of problems. This experience comes in handy when he is later asked to repair ship engines for the shellfish fleet in Yerseke as an independent mechanic.

The first company under the group: Yerseke Engine Services B.V.

In 1990, Jan and Ida de Braal started Yerseke Engine Services B.V. A company specialized in the repair and overhaul of Caterpillar engines. The company formula consists of: personal contact with customers, good products and very fast service. Better known as the YES formula.

The YES Group: still a family business

Yerseke Engine Services B.V. has specialized in Caterpillar marine engines since 1990 and over the years has grown and expanded into Belgium and Romania but is still a family business.

The other companies in the YES group are YES Electro B.V., Antwerp Diesel Repair B.V., Industrial & Marine Solutions B.V., CF Techniek B.V., Diesel Mecanica SRL, Antwerp Naval Repairs B.V., and Barge Cranes Belgium B.V.

Although Jan and Ida de Braal still work for the company, today the management of the YES group consists of Willem de Braal, Christiaan de Braal and Andries van Belzen.