Comtest was founded by our father, Hein de Groot. He has always been fascinated with electro technique, from boosting a little scooter with a moped engine to repairing radio and radar equipment in KLM cockpits. In 1985 Hein de Groot got the chance to start a company selling measuring equipment. Having bought a house and having a young family, this was a big thing to do. However, our whole family breathes entrepreneurship. We see possibilities as opportunities. Hein took the jump and launched Comtest. Soon he realized that clients who needed measuring equipment also needed test chambers. Selling chambers was the logical next step.

In 1999 Comtest wanted to focus on building and producing its own test chambers. We, -Rik and Bas de Groot- started helping our father. We bought a welding cart, drill string and milling machine and started producing. We learned by doing, sticking our feet in the mud. This was a bonus because if we speak to our clients now, we know every little detail about our product, how it is built and what it does. Nowadays, we have a very skilled R&D lab, which invented our ‘Javelin Tip’ polystyrene absorbers for improved performance and a cleaner workspace, and our patented oscillating wall stirrer technology for reverb chambers.

Like our father, we are all about people. Our products must be of excellent quality and developed by forward thinking. This is preconditional to us. It’s people that make the difference. We are driven by stakeholder value, not shareholder value.

We are and will be a family business. Although we’re from a small place and a small country, we think big and act globally. Our Dutch factory in Zoeterwoude is where all our magic happens. A can-do mentality is what we have to offer. It’s in our DNA. We can, and we will make it work. We have been doing that for 38 years now and will continue to do so in the future. Together with you.