Bollegraaf was established in 1961 as "Machinefabriek en Plaatsnijbedrijf H. Bollegraaf". The founder, Hartog Bollegraaf, was a scrapyard owner and trader in scrap iron. But Hartog preferred to build rather than break. He started producing vertical balers in his plate-cutting plant. After the first balers, the company began developing stackers and conveyor belts, and they were asked increasingly often to provide comprehensive waste processing solutions. What was previously a purely Dutch company now became a multinational.
In 1988, the company was taken over by the second generation, its current director. He expanded the company considerably, particularly in the area of comprehensive solutions.
In 2000, the plant suffered a major fire. But the company was now strong enough to turn this setback into a challenge: A new factory building was built, where all the available know-how could be implemented in dedicated production methods.

The Appingedam plant is one of the world's most advanced machine plants for the recycling industry. For instance, many welding processes are done by robots, ensuring a highly constant weld quality. Plates are cut using CNC-controlled plasma equipment, and processed automatically on a CNC-controlled plate bending machine, also robot-controlled.

Bollegraaf is now fifty years old. That also means fifty years of experience and know-how. This has resulted in an extensive, technically advanced range of products. But there are still higher aspirations. Actually nearly all the balers produced by Bollegraaf over the 50 years of its existence are still operational!