Abstract: This article presents an analysis of the archives of Les Entreprises Générales Henri Ruttiens et Fils and Les Entreprises Louis De Waele. It aims to understand the context of the creation of these companies and the profile of the two Belgian general contractors during the period 1870–1930. Comparing the information gathered with existing research on the professionalization of general contractors, it is clear that these Belgian contractors had a mixed profile. In addition, this analysis provides an outline for future research on the archives of other general contractors.
