Steel construction company doubles strategic location in port of Flushing

ASK Romein is a general contractor and steel construction company with several branches in the Netherlands and Belgium. To be a leader in all forms of steel construction, the group of companies acquired construction company Hillebrand in 2017. Last summer, a new step was taken in the growth ambition, with the purchase of the warehouses of former shipyard de Donge in Vlissingen. Thanks to this strategic purchase, ASK Romein and Hillebrand will be able to win even larger and more complex steel construction projects in the future.

Hillebrand manufactures and supplies complex steel structures for the bridge construction, civil engineering and offshore sectors. "At present, we are a well-known and valued player in the middle segment, but our ambition is to eventually also play a leading role in the higher segment," said Jan Krielaart, Business Unit Director at Hillebrand. "The purchase of the Donge is a logical step in this context. The former shipyard is located a stone's throw from our existing site in Flushing, at Kraayerthaven. Both locations will be cleverly connected by a new quay in the water. Moreover, the entire site will be converted in phases into a new, modern construction workshop for infra and offshore." 

No more restrictions

"The location in the port of Vlissingen is unique: on the open sea, south of the Netherlands and north of Belgium. But also with very deep waters, allowing the larger installation ships to dock directly," Krielaart said. "As a result, height, width and length restrictions on our structural elements are no longer an issue. Ships and pontoons can dock directly in front of our production facilities. In addition, all the bridges and offshore structures we build can be transported directly over open water without the hindrance of locks or bridges. To ensure optimal transport from the halls and from the finishing plaza across the quay to the pontoons and ships, the existing slipway of the Donge will be closed."

Complete realization in-house

In recent months, some of the sheds on the Hillebrand property have been demolished. Work is currently underway to construct new roadways, renovate the existing offices and create additional office facilities, Krielaart said. "Once all this is completed, we will proceed with the construction of the new quay, the replacement of the current cladding with a finish in our house style, the realization of a new conservation hall, and so on." All work will be carried out in-house by the ASK Romein companies. Within a few years the new building should be ready, but already now production is at full speed. At the beginning of November all activities and personnel were even moved from Middelburg to Vlissingen, creating one central and modern equipped location for infra and offshore.

With the new shipyard, Hillebrand has a location where all the necessary facilities for growth are available. The site area has been expanded from approximately 20,000 to over 50,000 square meters. In addition, the covered area has been doubled, from 10,000 to almost 20,000 square meters. An important part of this is a hall 170 meters long, 40 meters wide and 40 meters high, where bulky steel modules can be assembled.