It all started in 1929, when Margriet Bourdeaud'hui, together with her husband, Polydoor Adriaens, started a farm. Due to the size of the family (6 children) the need arose to expand the activities and in 1936 Margriet set up a primary brickyard. The brickyard that was then equipped with field ovens could be modernized in 1947 with a ring oven, which would remain in production until 1970. All the children were old enough and at work when Margriet started the operation of a slaughterhouse in 1952 in Zottegem, to which later a meat trade would be added. This involved an acquisition of a small pig slaughterhouse with an average slaughtering capacity of 30 to 40 pigs per week. The family currently owned the following businesses: a brickyard in Elst, a brickyard in Ellezelles, a p.v.b.a. Avibo in Anderlecht (cutting of pigs), the N.V. Garage Moderne in Brakel (Mercedes trucks and passenger cars), the p.v.b.a. Agrihal (fresh meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy products) and finally the p.v.b.a. Adriaens meat plant. Finally we end up at the export slaughterhouse N.V. Etn Adriaens in Zottegem. This slaughterhouse was built between 1960 and 1962. In the same 1962, there were already 47,000 slaughterings. Five years later, the existing installations were also expanded, for an investment of around thirty million Belgian francs. However, on December 12, 1973, those investments had risen to 78 million francs. In 1963, N.V. Etn. Adriaens in Velzeke 63,796 pigs slaughtered. Add to that the 11,788 other slaughtered animals, including: piglets, sheep, cattle, calves and horses and a total of 75,584 slaughter is achieved. In 1968 this number of slaughterings increased to 154,128, including 131,389 pigs and in 1973, 301,220 animals were slaughtered, including 292,736 pigs. These record figures could only be achieved thanks to the total efforts of the 65 workers and 8 employees who were employed in the same year 1973. The material and technical accommodation was also not omitted and the fleet, in that year, had 6 trucks. Good for 260 tonnes of refrigerated transport. Every truck covered approximately 150,000 km per year. In 1971-1972, another 40 million francs were invested in cutting rooms, slaughter and cooling installations. From 1974: Opening of more than 30 butchers, spread throughout Flanders, housed in various companies, also together with other partners. An investment program of 68 million francs was set up for 1974-1975 for, among other things, a new freezer and the buildings / machines for the production of fat and bone meal. In 1985 there was a thorough adjustment of the infrastructure in function of the new applicable European directives. From 1990 we get a management buy-out: Gerard Adriaens continues with sister Gerarda and buys out other brothers and sisters and a start is made on finishing the butcher's shops. N.V. Etn. Adriaens was taken over by Covavee and a collaboration was established with Covameat and Comeco. In 2002 the slaughter of pigs was stopped and only cattle were slaughtered and cut. This decision resulted in thorough adjustments to buildings and frigos. 2009 became the year where a completely new, modern slaughter line was put into use. The old slaughter line was adapted to frigos and cutting room. Meanwhile, we are already in a very important year, namely 2011, where an alliance was formed between Adriaens and Viangros, namely 'Vivanda'. This is also the year that led to the total destruction of the slaughterhouse as a result of a fire. To ensure continuity, the cattle were slaughtered in the slaughterhouse of Aubel, after which they were first cut in the buildings of Viangro (Anderlecht), then in the buildings of Bonimex (Laarne) and finally in the buildings of Carniportion (Zottegem) and then Later to return to a completely new and ultramodern building in the slaughterhouse street in Velzeke. The inconvenience to our customers was kept to a minimum during this entire build-up. The reconstruction took place in 2 phases, first the slaughter line so that that activity could be resumed in its own buildings and then the further elaboration of the cutting rooms and freezer. After the complete reconstruction, the number of slaughterings in 2016 had already risen to 73,242 cattle, resulting in 3,144,922.52 kg of boned meat and 21,037,622.19 kg of meat left in carcass. Another takeover followed in 2017, this time by the Veviba group. The year 2018 was another eventful year, a year where the Verbist family stepped aside and a completely new board of directors was appointed.
