What you give attention to grows
Discover how our journey started and how we grew into a leading employment agency that connects talent and companies. Our history is steeped in dedication, innovation and the pursuit of creating valuable connections
Upforce was founded in 2023, but has more than 20 years of experience in the temporary employment industry. SEP Peeters, Verbeek uitzendbureau, Progress uitzendbureau, Direct People and Techwork wanted to make a greater impact to help people find a suitable job. This was the reason to merge into one powerful company; Upforce.
SEP Peeters Oirlo
The employment agency SEP Peeters Oirlo was founded in 1997 when it started with Polish temporary workers, but the name SEP Peeters was already active in the poultry industry in the early 1980s. The need for additional workers was so great that in 1997 it was decided to switch to a temporary employment agency in addition to providing services in the poultry industry. From 2000 onwards, services within the poultry industry were stopped and SEP Peeters switched completely to temporary employment.
SEP Peeters was located in Oirlo and approximately 600 temporary workers were employed from here. Before 1997 only in the poultry industry, but this quickly changed to various sectors such as logistics, production, distribution and construction. In addition to seconding temporary workers, SEP Peeters also arranged housing, transport, insurance and necessary documentation.
In addition to fully relieving the worries of its customers and staff, the strength of SEP Peeters was communication, openness and listening to wishes and needs. This is why SEP Peeters was good at retaining both its customers and staff and many of these customers still work with Upforce.
SEP Peeters Oirlo in figures
Verbeek uitzendbureau
The Verbeek uitzendbureau was founded in 1998 by Jac Verbeek. The origins of the agency lay in Jac Verbeek’s horticultural company, where he offered seasonal work to Eastern European employees. From his own experience in horticulture, the idea arose to also offer these workers to other companies in the region.
In the early years, the Eastern European employees were mainly deployed for seasonal work. Over time, Verbeek uitzendbureau evolved and the model was expanded to fully employ workers. The agency grew steadily and employed approximately 10 employees during that period.
Verbeek uitzendbureau played an essential role in various sectors, including logistics, food, production, construction, metal and horticulture. With approximately 500 temporary workers employed, mainly Polish temporary workers were recruited, and in recent years Romanian temporary workers were also added.
Verbeek uitzendbureau was acquired in 2020.
Verbeek uitzendbureau in figures
Progress Uitzendbureau
Progress employment agency was founded in 1999 by 3 entrepreneurs from Sint-Oedenrode who noticed that employment agencies could not always meet customer expectations. To fill this gap, they set up Progress uitzendbureau with one branch in Sint-Oedenrode.
The team consisted of approximately 15 people and with this small team they managed to keep approximately 300 temporary workers employed. The temporary workers came from various countries in Eastern Europe such as Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Romania.
Progress employment agency had a focus on the logistics, technology, food and agricultural sectors, with its customer base spread throughout the South of the Netherlands (North Brabant and Limburg).
In 2018, Progress employment agency was acquired by Direct People.
Progress uitzendbureau in figures
Direct People
Direct People was a temporary employment agency based in Eindhoven, with a team of 10 dedicated employees. Direct People was founded in 2005 and was specifically aimed at Polish-speaking people who wanted to work in the Netherlands. With approximately 500 temporary workers, Direct People aimed not only to provide employment, but also to arrange housing and transport in order to provide maximum relief to temporary workers.
The specialization was within the Logistics, Technology and Food sectors, where Direct People carefully tailored the needs of both job seekers and companies to achieve the right match. Direct People was a link that not only offered work-related solutions, but also provided support in the field of residence and mobility, making them an integral partner for both employers and employees.
Direct People in figures
Techwork uitzendbureau
Techwork was founded in 2006 by the owner of Eurotech Group. He saw many Slovak migrants at the Eurotech branch in the Czech Republic who had skills that were in short supply in Venlo. This is how the idea arose to set up a temporary employment agency to fill this gap in the market.
The Techwork team consisted of 4 employees who together employed approximately 150 temporary workers at various companies in Limburg. As the name suggests, Techwork was mainly specialized in the technology and production sectors. Consider positions such as foundry workers, CNC millers and CNC turners.
In 2013, Techwork was acquired by SEP Peeters.
Techwork in figures
Learn more about our growth
We would like to tell you more about our inspiring journey to where we are now.