The founders of Vermeeren Bros, Fred and Frank Vermeeren, immigrated to Australia among their family of thirteen from the Netherlands in 1952. After a perilous boat trip which found them dealing with sea sickness, passengers disgruntled at the amount of washing they had, and a visit to Cape Town in South Africa, they ended up in Melbourne. From Melbourne, they caught the train to Adelaide and from there they found their way to Georgetown. After finishing school, the boys’ mother put them to work at a local blacksmith.

After a move in 1963 brought them to the business’ current location, Keith in the state’s South East, Fred and Frank began working at a business of their own creation: Vermeeren Bros Engineering & Irrigation. The name hailing from their own, symbolising their dedication and passion for the business. The company grew steadily as it became renowned for its high-quality workmanship and value to the community. The workshop began trading at a location on Wynarling road where it was found that the brothers needed more room to fill the needs of the business ambitions. In 1984 the Brothers upgraded their business to a location on the forefront of the emerging industrial district, positioned on the Dukes highway they opened their business to new and welcomed customers.

This new location of the workshop was filled with equipment and personnel that allowed continued skilled application of the high-quality work they had always been known for. This at the time included fourteen staff, four of which were sons of the original Vermeeren pair. Further success was achieved at this location with the continued production of the ‘cattle crush’ which became a staple for farmers across Australia. This product was distributed across Victoria, South-East South Australia and some even made their way to Alice Springs. The ‘cattle crush’ made frequent appearances in local newspapers and stock journals furthering the spread of the excellence that Vermeeren Bros had to offer. Furthermore, this new location allowed the brothers to further their work with the creation of their well-known mini spreaders. This ingenious invention was designed to enable the easy spread of snail bait from the back of a ute. An added bonus was the ability to provide a controlled spread of mice bait, which proved to be handy to combat the many mouse plagues that have occurred.

In 2000 the company took its first steps in a new direction. Fred & Frank stepped back from the day to day operation of the organisation and their sons Steve & Anthony (who worked for Vermeeren Bros) took over the business. Since then, with the aim of continuing the expansion of their previous successes and innovating for even more future success the pair of cousins have asserted themselves as forward thinkers. Frank himself holding the belief that the pair have “…got better ideas than we had.” Since its creation Vermeeren Bros have been proud supporters of the Keith Diesel and Dirty Derby an event known for its demolition derby, tractor pull and speedboats. As volunteers throughout the years and even participants in the header demolition derby, Vermeeren Bros acknowledges the good it does for the local community. Vermeeren Bros also sponsor the Keith and District show, further demonstrating their commitment to the local community.

A recent and newly welcomed addition to the business included the establishment of Irrigation Industries, which has enabled the business to further its commitment to providing irrigation solutions to its highly valued customers. Irrigation Industries enable us at Vermeeren Bros to have increased buying power as thanks to Irrigear’s long-standing relationships with loyal suppliers we are able to find you the best product at the best price so that we can support your needs. This partnership also aids in asserting a strong industry presence as relationships formed through Irrigear are cemented by shared experience and trust, with the common goal of growth. This goal of growth is furthered through the meetings and conferences attended by Vermeeren Bros and Irrigation Industries employees as they aim to share knowledge to assure that they provide the best possible solutions to their customers.