24.08.2022
Roger van de Weghe 1946 - 2022
We have received the sad news that Roger Van de Weghe of Belgian crane and access rental company has died.
He passed away peacefully at home on Friday 12th August, following a six year battle with ill health and cancer. He leaves behind his wife Manuela, daughter Annick, son Philippe and first wife Martine. A small family funeral was held on Saturday.
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Roger van de Wheghe
The Van De Weghe crane business was established in the Antwerp suburb of Wilrijk after World War II by Roger’s father Isidoor, with premises on Boomsesteenweg - the old road to Brussels - using ex US military equipment, originally offering cranes and excavators for rent. Roger took over the business in or around 1967 and began adding larger cranes and later on a heavy transport division, helped by acquisition. When he began exiting the mobile crane business in 2005, the company had a fleet of 115 cranes, many of them larger models. See:
Michielsens and Van de Weghe to merge crane fleets.
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The original Van de Weghe premises
In the early 1980s he entered the aerial lift rental market and as a Grove crane buyer naturally took on the Grove Manlift product line, becoming a distributor, initially on an unofficial basis.
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Van de Weghe cranes and platforms at work
A personal view
While not seeming to be the sportiest of people, I understand that in his youth Roger was a decent horse rider and showjumper. He and his first wife Martine had stables and a riding centre at their home on the north side of Antwerp where they hosted a prestigious annual show jumping event. He also became a half decent golfer and would drag you out on to the golf course after work, whether you liked it or not.
Roger van de Weghe was a larger than life character with an unforgettable laugh and smile and used his facial expressions to great effect when negotiating. As the Grove district manager for the Benelux region, I recall him nagging me to have a formal distribution contract confirming him as the official Grove Manlift dealer. I told him that the informal arrangement he had worked fine and was strategically handy when dealing with major competitors, and that to all intents and purposes he was the official distributor. Eventually he wore me down and one day I arrived in Wilrijk with a standard Grove distributor contract for him to sign.
He took one look at the thick document and close typed legal text and looked up with a sheepish expression, and exactly as I had anticipated said: “No no I don’t want this, all I want is a single sheet of paper with the words ‘Roger you the dealer on it’, then you and I sign it, and everything is good.” Then after some consideration and a couple more looks at me added, in a slightly more subdued tone: “I think we stay like we are,” followed by a sheepish smile and notification that it was time for lunch.
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While he had all the trappings of wealth none of it seemed to matter much to him, he just enjoyed life. When we first met, he drove a Porsche 928, a really fancy car at the time, but it was an absolute tip, particularly inside, and if I recall correctly, it broke down at least once because the oil or water ran dry! The fancy car was just not important to him - or so it seemed.
After leaving Grove at the end of the 1980s I would bump into him at trade shows, usually Bauma, and his big smile would light up the world, he would grab me and introduce me to whomever he was with saying something like: “Hey this is my very best friend, Leigh.” In all my years I have never met someone quite like him. He was like a big slightly chaotic teddy bear of a man, but highly professional, canny and smart. He chose and cultivated some great people along the way, such as Paul Spaepen who went on to set up Grove dealer BLE. In all my dealings with him Roger van De Wheghe was a totally open book, I never saw anything devious or underhand. If he was not happy about a proposal, he would show it with a pout and restless movements.
Sadly, I have not seen him for a long time, something I deeply regret.
Roger was unquestionably an industry character, one like no other, a totally unforgettable force of nature. The world has lost one of the good ones.
Rest in peace Roger
Leigh Sparrow
JJ
I agree with Leigh - Roger was a great person to work with - I have fond memories of dealing with him - he had a habit of coming up with nice surprises. (For the record,
it was Rene Victor who worked with him when BLE took on the Grove dealership)
Roger your memory brings a smile to me.
Rest in Peace.
JJ
Ian James
As a young DM for Grove Manlift, I remember being nervous about my first meeting with Roger. He was hugely respected in the industry and certainly within Grove and I didn't want to mess it up. I needn't have worried, Roger was an absolute gentleman and immediately made me feel at ease. He had such a warm personality and a great sense of humour. I echo Paul's sentiments in that we are unlikely to see the like of Roger again.
RIP.
paul-richards43
Such sad news, I have fond memories of working with Roger and Paul in Belgium in the 80’s, Roger was such a character - I know it’s cliched, but I suspect that, unfortunately, we won’t see his like again.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends
Gino van Roeyen
Een grote meneer in de verhuur van machines , stond aan de wieg van verhuur hoogwerkers in Belgie , de Grove hoogwerkers met hun typische masten , RIP Roger
Bill G
Your description of Roger, Leigh is him to a tee, lovely man, spent many hours with him socially and on the golf course. A larger than life character. Rest in peace Roger.