'Men of steel' celebrate their 50th anniversary

N. Knoll B.V. is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Westland family business has been active in the design, production, conservation and assembly of complete steel constructions, stairs, fencing, welding and specials since 1972. In doing so, clients are taken care of as much as possible, says DGA Barend Knoll. "We like to think along with architects, contractors and end users to come up with the most beautiful designs and best solutions for each project. In doing so, we do not shy away from any challenge."

The story of N. Knoll B.V. starts in 1972 in a shed in Den Hoorn, where founder Nico Knoll is shoeing horses and doing (repair) welding work for various regional market gardeners. He is supported by his younger brothers Bas and René, who are still studying at the time, and later by his cousins Fred and Ruud. The work grew steadily, after which Nico and Bas decided to purchase an old farmhouse on Lange Broekweg in Naaldwijk in 1980. A huge step, especially financially, says Barend Knoll, because interest rates at the time hovered around 13%. "But in retrospect also a good step, because the company has gone through an enormous development here. After lengthy discussions with the municipality, we were allowed to demolish the old coach house and associated sheds in 1990 to make way for a new 250 m2 shed and a 4-ton crane track. Over the years, this location continued to expand. It was also here that we decided to expand the steel construction work and - for health reasons - to stop the farrier business." 

Since 1995, steel structures, stairs, fencing, welding and specials have been the core business of the family business, which at its peak employed 12 craftsmen. "In the early 2000s, our housing became so cramped that my father tried to build a larger building on Lange Broekweg," Knoll says. "However, this met with so much resistance from the municipality that he started looking out for an alternative. In 2005, he bought a property in De Lier. However, just before the planned move, he was able to rent out that property so well that the move did not go through. A fiscally attractive decision, but this did not solve our own housing problem. Because there was virtually nothing for sale at the time, the decision was made in 2007 to build our own on the new industrial estate Honderdland in Maasdijk."

New construction in Maasdijk

The new premises of N. Knoll B.V. were built in-house and put into operation in early 2008. "The energy-neutral building of approximately 1,200 m2 is equipped, among other things, with 5 overhead cranes from 2 to 4 tons, the latest welding machines, forced extraction and spot extraction in the welding hall, computer-controlled air ducts and extra-large electric overhead doors of 5 x 5.5 meters," Knoll explains. "In addition, about 200 m2 is reserved for our steel stock. We have 4 company buses and various lifting machines, which allow us to perform all common small and large projects. We also actively cooperate with companies in the region, so that we can provide our customers with a total package. Our employees in the office work with the latest programs and draw in 3D, so that customers get a good insight into the designs. From the 3D model, production is also controlled."

Modernization and automation

The move in 2008 is the beginning of a new chapter for N. Knoll B.V., but also of the financial crisis. In addition, Nico Knoll becomes seriously ill. His youngest son, Barend, is just entering the business at that time, with the ambition of taking over the company in phases over a period of ten years. Unfortunately, things turned out differently. Nico died in 2012. Two years earlier he had to take a big step back and Barend took over the company. He was supported for several years by his brother-in-law, Evert van der Schoor. Together they managed to keep the family business on track. They also saw opportunities to modernize and automate processes, relieving the 'men of steel', while further increasing production. The fully automatic sawing machine, drilling/milling machine and pre-programmed welding machines are fine examples of innovations that allow all work to be carried out under the correct quality standards (CE marking NEN-EN 1090).

Rich history, beautiful projects

In the anniversary year, Barend Knoll looks back on a rich history, with numerous fine projects. As examples, he mentions the entrance to the Equinox office building in The Hague, the top floor of the KPN building in The Hague and the large, wide staircases and glass balustrades for the Hudson's Bay branches in The Hague and Rotterdam. "We also had the opportunity to realize a walkway in the conservatory of a villa in Wassenaar under a ridge height of 9 meters and with a floating staircase," he says. "But the smaller works are also worthwhile for us. In the Westland region we have already been able to realize many residential houses, garden rooms and roof structures with special shapes in recent years, of which we are enormously proud. In the coming years, we are happy to add many large and small projects to this list."