Polyvalent builder expands scope to bridge construction

Special measures on site, rising raw material prices, postponed investments by major customers, ...: 2021 was another year of challenges for ASK Romein. Although business picked up again this year, the multi-purpose construction company was not spared the aftermath of the corona crisis either. However, it did not prevent ASK Romein from looking ahead ambitiously and expanding its horizons once again. "In Belgium we were not really known as a bridge builder until recently, but we are changing that now," says CEO Ivan Vinck.

COVID-19 also left its mark on construction and infrastructure in 2021. The significant price increase for steel and all related components was a particularly heavy blow, but just like last year, ASK Romein was by no means complacent. This summer, for example, it invested in the purchase of a new shipyard in Vlissingen-Oost. "An important strategic expansion," emphasizes Ivan Vinck. "The plot in question is Shipyard de Donge, located next to the Hillebrand site (the steel construction company that ASK Romein acquired in 2017, ed.). In the fourth quarter of this year, we centralized all activities from our locations in Middelburg and Vlissingen there. Through a phased investment plan, we will gradually upgrade the shipyard to our high standards. The first phase will involve the demolition of some sheds, the construction of new roads, the renovation of existing offices and the realization of additional office facilities. Once all this is 'up and running,' we will proceed with the construction of a new quay, the replacement of the current cladding with a finish in our house style, the realization of a conservation hall, and so on."

The future looks bright

With the purchase of the new shipyard in Vlissingen-Oost, ASK Romein took another important step toward the future. "We have the ambition to grow into a bigger player in the bridge building sector in Belgium as well," Vinck explains. "In the Netherlands we are active in the middle segment, but we notice that a lot of government investments are planned in the coming years. Hence, we also want to be able to compete in the upper segment. With our new shipyard in Vlissingen-Oost, we already have a location where all the necessary facilities are available: a site area of 31,540 m² and a built-up floor area of almost 20,000 m², including a hall 170 meters long, 40 meters wide and 40 meters high. There we can easily assemble bulky modules, and then transport them across open water without the hindrance of locks or bridges. Geographically, we couldn't be better located: north of Belgium and south of the Netherlands. In short: "the future looks bright! Bridge building is a market segment in which we see many opportunities, as an ideal complement to our activities in steel and industrial construction, which we will of course also continue to develop."

New eye-catchers on the reference list

2021 brought ASK Romein many other beautiful projects, and the polyvalent industrial builder's impressive reference list continued to thicken. One of the many eye-catchers was the DistriPark Prologis Botlek in Rotterdam, consisting of two modern equipped distribution halls with a usable area of 19,310 and 15,852 square meters. With this project Prologis wants to indicate that so-called 'Brownfield sites - abandoned or unused sites - can be sustainably redeveloped.

'Bridge building is a market segment in which we see a lot of opportunities, as an ideal complement to our activities in construction and steel building'

Another great project is the new e-fulfiment center at Bleiswijk for supermarket chain Jumbo and Intospace. The entire project was erected according to the BREEAM 'outstanding' qualification. Features of the new building included HR++ glass, high-quality facade, floor and roof insulation, solar panels and energy-efficient building and site lighting (LED). The gigantic e-fulfilment center is no less than 40,000 square meters and was built to respond even better to the ever-changing shopping behavior of consumers.