Karel Glaaser joins World Demolition Awards judging panel

ACDE Europe CEO Karel Glaaser and Maria Glaaser with the 14-ton BLTB-280-5-W hammer at Bauma Munich. (PHOTO: D&Ri/KHL)

Karel began his career in the late 1970s with the Dutch Caterpillar dealer. He went on to join US based Cameco Industries (now part of John Deere) as international sales representative for construction, gaining international expertise in construction and land development projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Karel later joined the Dutch Komatsu dealer, where he set up a department for demolition and recycling attachments.

In 1994, Karel founded ACDE Europe to distribute demolition and recycling attachments across Europe. Over the next two decades, he represented major global brands including Mantovanibenne (MBI), Rammer & Rambooms, and distributed brands including Okada and Atlas Copco,

In 2017, he transitioned from distribution to manufacturing, launching proprietary product lines. “It was time to do better—offering our own products under our own name,” Karel recalls.

Today, ACDE Europe produces a full portfolio of attachments, including hydraulic breakers, grapples, shears, and pulverizers. Under Karel’s leadership, the company operates a central European logistics hub in the Netherlands, leads technological innovations such as the B®BI-LUBE auto-greasing system and B®TRACK&CHECK platform, and joined the Open-S Alliance to promote standardisation across the industry.

In 2025, the firm introduced big breaker line, which ranges from 5-ton models to the 14-ton BLTB-280-5-W — the largest serially produced hydraulic hammers in the world.

Beyond business, Karel actively supports the demolition community as a long-time sponsor of the European Demolition Association (EDA) and Deutscher Abbruchverband (DA). With more than 3,300 followers on LinkedIn and a consistent presence at industry events like Bauma, his voice continues to shape the future of hydraulic attachment technology.

The 2025 World Demolition Awards, organised by D&Ri, will take place in November in Nashville, United States, as part of the annual World Demolition Summit.