New premises for Damen Marine Components

With capacity for approximately 80 people, the new buildings will be used for both offices and production purposes.

Damen Marine Components Netherlands (DMC NL) has laid the first foundations for its new premises in Hardinxveld, the Netherlands. With capacity for approximately 80 people, the new buildings will be used for both offices and production purposes.

With construction of the new buildings beginning as the first foundation pile was driven into the ground on the site of DMC former head office, the company’s motivations to build new premises were twofold.

The first reason was to provide one working space for the greater number of personnel resulting from the merger of DMC and Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS) earlier this year. Following the merger, the company has already incorporated the same administration system for all offices, says Damen Marine Components Managing Director Steef Staal. “But soon, with all Dutch personnel working at one location, we can really push forward with our long-term strategy.”

To this end, the new premises will have capacity for the full array of disciplines; namely engineering, supply chain management, sales and support, project management as well as finance, HR and ICT. “And, of course, this also creates the conditions for team spirit and streamlined working relationships.”

Growth potential

The second reason to build the new premises was due to the sheer growth potential that DMC is witnessing. This market expansion includes the portfolios of both the original companies; DMC’s nozzles , and VDVMS’s rudders and steering gear. “However, there is room for growth too,” says Steef Staal. “This is why we are planning to expand our portfolio and introduce some new products.”

In terms of architecture, the design of the new premises will clearly show the company’s connections to the Damen Shipyards Group. However, as Steef Staal explains, it was also important for the company to maintain a certain amount of its own identity. “Yes, we are a Damen company, but that doesn’t mean that all our contracts originate from Damen. On the contrary, over 80% of our turnover is actually non-Damen related.”