POSITIVE OUTLOOK IN PERSPECTIVE When I look back on the past
possible freedom and decision-
that the demand for process
two years and think about the
making speed.
equipment had disappeared
results that we have achieved,
completely. The orders that
the moment that we bought
Fantastic turnaround
were being placed were usually
Gouda Vuurvast and delisted
The crisis struck Gouda
granted at prices that were well
it is one of the more powerful
Vuurvast fast and suddenly; it
and truly below cost: not the
memories. It was our biggest
disappeared with equal alacrity.
most attractive of conditions
takeover to date. At the begin-
In July 2010, we took advantage
for booking an order. We were
ning of September 2008, we
of the possibility for part-time
therefore using part-time
signed the takeover and a week
unemployment insurance for
unemployment insurance
later, the U.S. bank Lehman
our personnel in Gouda, but by
as much as possible at FIB
Brothers failed, which turned
August 2010, we had to bring in
Industries in 2010. Fortunately,
out to have been the starting
all of our resources in order to
that, too, was temporary. In the
short for the worldwide finan-
hit production levels of 100%.
last months of 2010, demand
cial crisis. Within a very short
returned just as quickly as it had
time, major production orders
The situation has remained
that had been placed with Gouda
the same every since and
Vuurvast were cancelled, and the
we are now working out an
Starting in January 2011, the
company's capacity utilisation
investment project to increase
FIB Industries order book is
rate quickly dropped to between
the production capacity in Gouda
once again looking good, we are
40% and 60%.
by approximately 60%. Once
working at full capacity and the
again, it becomes clear that
crisis seems to be behind us.
The shock was great, but the
things can change quickly and
And partly because we had also
f lexibility of our personnel
that maximum f lexibility and
invested heavily in production
in confronting those kinds of
adaptability are constantly being
equipment at FIB, we are looking
problems proved to be even
required from everyone.
at a promising future here, as
greater. With all hands on deck,
disappeared a year earlier.
well.
we forged ahead. Fortunately, we
Still a temporary dip
didn't need the banks in 2008
As the most pressing concerns
A record
to finance the Gouda takeover
were easing at the Gouda
Fortunately, orders and capacity
and with our healthy financial
companies, we were confronted
utilisation remained good at
position since then, we haven't
with an strongly decreasing
the offshore operations and also
needed the banks since, either.
order book at FIB Industries.
the construction division kept
That gave us the maximum
When the crisis broke, it seemed
the ship on a reasonably steady
W V L S TA A L B O U W E R S •
RIJNDIJK TECHNICAL SERVICES •
RIJNDIJK STEEL CONTR AC TING •
RIJNDIJK ENGINEERING •
P&K R AIL •
M E B R A M E TA A L B E W E R K I N G •
L E N G K E E K S TA A L B O U W •
I N T E R S T E E L S L O VA K I A •
HSM STEEL STRUCTURES •
HSM OFFSHORE •
G O U D A V U U R VA S T S E R V I C E S •
G O U D A V U U R VA S T B E L G I U M •
GOUDA REFR AC TORIES •
GOUDA FEUERFEST •
GFD SERVICES •
FIB INDUSTRIES •
ANDUS GROUP SERVING THE INDUSTRY
volume 3 | no. 6 | April 2011
about you AND US A S S E L B E R G S V E N T I L AT O R E N •
HotLine
course. The results and turnover
turnover growth in nearly all of
of course, that our clients have
do what we do. Being a reliable
at Andus Group as a whole, were
the Andus subsidiaries and we
also had to work under difficult
supplier for our valued customers
rather stable in 2009 and 2010,
are positive about the results.
conditions in these times. And
in industry: That is and will be
and, even more importantly, on
I can therefore only be proud
apparently, they have come
our mission.
the black side of the ledger. If we
of how we have managed the
back to us as soon as their own
now, April 2011, look forward, we
difficult period. I am especially
markets began recovering.
have a positive outlook. With an
proud of our employees. The
order portfolio of â‚Ź160 million,
way that they have shown their
That gives us a good feeling
we have reached a new record.
f lexibility in difficult times,
of confidence. Our clients are
Our order book has never been
shows where the true strength of
after all - and that's what we all
so high. In 2011, we forecast
our company lies. I also realise,
agree upon - the reason that we
Tom van Rijn, CEO
FIB INDUSTRIES HAMMERING AWAY At FIB Industries, we met the three sales managers, Harold van der Veen, Willem Heddema and Peter Scholten. FIB also has to bring all of its resources to bear right now. The chemical industry is picking up again and the good contacts that have been kept over the past few years are now paying dividends in terms of impressive orders. The three are enthusiastic and
transported by road. Spectacular!
proudly lift the veil on the order
The second column is for Shell
book over the past few months.
Moerdijk. Also not small fry:
"For the Shell Gas to Liquid
30 m' long and 4.3 m' across.
installation in Qatar - the largest
This column will be delivered
such installation in the world -
in mid-2011. It's a so-called
we have been given a follow-up
'fully dressed' column, complete
order that is related to the high-
with platforms manufactured
tech industrial burners that we
by Intersteel, cabling and even
delivered in 2009. It's a unique
lantern pools. Once we have
product that stands out by its
delivered the column, all that is
size, the choice of the materials,
left to do, is to plug it in and off
and the high degree of accuracy.
they go.
We also booked some significant
And, finally, let's not forget
follow-up orders from GE. They
the storage tank for DOW in
relate to the enormous air-intake
Stade. That order also shows off
and air-outf low systems that are
the strength of FIB. By working
used in gas turbines. We also got
closely with the DOW engineers,
an order to supply two, how shall
we have been able to make the
we say, 'large' columns. The
vessel 'transportable'. We have a
first is an absorption column for
great deal of in-house expertise
Dynea. How big do you want it?
and assist clients in developing
36 m' long, nearly 4m' across
clever solutions, usually resulting
and a weight of 30 tonnes. That
in 'co-makership'."
is the maximum that can be
Unique in the Netherlands
fully automated. It cuts holes
"It should come as no surprise
into convex surfaces up to 6 m'
to hear that the atmosphere
in diameter, profiles plates and
here is completely different
makes tube-tube cuts, and it
than last year. Not only do we
does it all with a high degree of
have splendid orders, but we
precision. To house the robot, we
have also invested heavily in our
have set up a separate workshop
production. We now have an
with an operating control room.
ultra-modern plasma cutting and
It's great! We are back in busi-
welding robot. With the robot
ness like never before!"
operating three workstations, this configuration is unique in the Netherlands. Its work is l. to r.: Willem Heddema, Peter Scholten and Harold van der Veen
CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE In the foreword to this Hotline, we already talked about how both the Refractory division and FIB Industries have turbulent times behind them. But also that the tide has turned. That is why we want to give some attention to the most recent developments at the Gouda companies and FIB. Because that shows just how resilient the Andus companies are. Marcus Schuchmann, Arie van
construction of a new storage ware-
Vliet and Philip Knipscheer are
house and a shipping hall. But the
the managing directors of Gouda
most important is yet to come. We
Refractories, Gouda Vuurvast
recently bought the adjoining 2.3
Services and Gouda Vuurvast
ha of industrially zoned property.
Belgium, respectively. They
Over the next 18 months, a new
gladly tell us about their plans
production facility with a third
for the future. "When I started as
tunnel kiln is to be built there.
Director of Sales & Marketing in
That means an expansion of our
mid-2009," Marcus Schuchmann
New shipping hall
Expansion of company premises in Gouda
production capacity by 60%. That
workshop, prefab works can be
our own facilities. With the new
says, "things were not going well.
increase in scale will be good for
done more efficient and we will
built workshop, we will be able to
The order book was only 33% filled
Gouda."
be able to meet the increasing
handle larger prefab orders more
demand in the market for prefab
efficiently." All things considered,
and there was a depressed mood. We were in the middle of the crisis.
Connecting with the market
work. Philip Knipscheer "the
they all three are enthusiastic
That turned around completely a
Arie van Vliet joins in: "The
same goes for Gouda Vuurvast
about all the building activities
year later, however. Projects that we
construction activities that we see
Belgium. We are also building
and investments. Not just because
had been fighting to win for a long
now on the Gouda premises also
a new office building, storage
of the expansion and the improve-
time, were finally granted and we
go for Vuurvast Services. We are
warehouse and prefab workshop.
ments in efficiency but "It also
booked some large orders. That is
getting our own new office build-
Clients increasingly want to have
contributes to the positive atmos-
when the strength of the company
ing, warehouse and workshop,
maintenance related refractory
phere in our companies. People
and the group shows. We worked
complete with overhead cranes.
works done outside of their own
see those new buildings and
hard on delivering those orders
Until now, we have done our
facilities. So they send us part of
workshops going up, they see that
in time and were able to convert
prefab work in a rented workshop
their installation and we do the
we are investing. That enforces
that success into investments. In
in Vlissingen, but with the new
installation of refractory linings in
confidence in the future."
New office building and workshop at
l. to r.: Arie van Vliet, Marcus Schuchmann
Artist impression Gouda Vuurvast Belgium
Gouda Vuurvast Services
and Philip Knipscheer
Geldermalsen, we put two new packing machine lines into operation immediately and in Gouda, we started upgrading the company's premises. The factory buildings have been provided with new wall cladding. That was the first step. We are now engaged in the
SPLENID ARCH BRIDGE IN NORWAY When you visit the Norwegian
express it this way: "‌it is very
town of Brandanger, you will
critical work. One mistake and
see yet another example of HSM
the bridge will collapse like a
Steel Structures craftsmanship.
house of cards." For that reason,
A slim and slender bridge in this
the bridge is first constructed
no-man's land. It is a special
on a specially built quay as a
cable-stayed bridge with crossed
pre-fab construction, including
stays, which you won't see in the
the concrete road surface. Two
Netherlands. That doesn't make
enormous crane barges were then
it easier to build, though: the
used to transport the construc-
stability of the 200 m' long arch
tion to its final destination. The
bridge (total length 300 m') can
unsuspecting tourist travelling
only be achieved by connecting
through this quiet area will be
all of the stays. Project manager
surprised when contemplating
Anton van der Elst and Project
how such a special bridge could
engineer Erik-Jan van de Sijden
have come to be there.
QUALITY, SAFETY, HEALTH & AND THE ENVIRONMENT AT A HIGH LEVEL André Kraaijvanger is the QSHE officer (Quality, Safety, Health and Environment officer) at Andus Group. One might think of his job as a combination of policeman and accountant. Strict, keeping an eye on the regulations, etc. And, yes, that is part of the job. But André is primarily someone who is concerned with practical matters. Realistic and driven to continuously improve how things are done. "Quality, safety, health and the
The highest standards
have been reported in these
environmentally aware' hand-
concern about environment is
"It is good to see that our QSHE
audits. An extraordinary result,
book. With that book, we want to
essential in the work we do,"
management systems (ISO,
which the certifying bodies
emphasise once again that we all
he says. "Good quality, both
SCC) also lead to results. Our
confirm. These good results do
have to be aware of what we are
technically and organisationally,
operating companies are audited
not mean that we can rest on
doing and act in such a way that
and safe working will result in
every six months to a year by
our laurels, however. Far from
everyone goes home safely at the
satisfied clients. Our employees
TüV, DNV or Lloyd’s. In 2010,
it. There is still work to be done.
end of every day and that the
also benefit from good working
over 20 audits, including a
Such as in the respect of failure
impact of our doing on the envi-
conditions, and society is
number of recertifications, were
costs, for example. Recently I
ronment is as little as possible."
being served if we minimize
carried out successfully within
read an article about the failure
the impact of our activities on
our subsidiaries. Moreover six
costs in the building sector
Always new challenges
the environment as much as
of our operating companies are
rising to 11% in 2010. That is
"Yes, the standard is always
possible. In fact, QSHE is almost
SCC-petrochemical certified.
troubling, especially when you
being placed higher in terms
a prerequisite for us being able
That is the highest achievable
take into consideration that net
of quality, safety and the envi-
to do what we do. If you don't
standard within SCC. Only
profit margins are only between
ronment. Good Corporate
have QSHE well in order, you are
minimal and, easy to correct
1% and 2%. There is still some
Governance is becoming ever
offering someone a disservice."
deviations from the standard
challenge in this area for Andus
more important. Not only profit
Group, too!"
and loss figures are important, but also the consequences for
Getting home safely
society and the environment
"Another challenge is maintain-
have to be considered.
ing, and, if possible, improving
To summarise, we can state
our high levels of safety. We
that Andus Group is a company
operate in a market where very
that not only operates at the
strict safety regulations are set.
top of the market, but also one
And rightly so. Within Andus
that takes its responsibilities
Group, safety has always been
for the safety and health of
one of our priorities and fortu-
its employees and all others
nately we have relatively few
involved. We also take the envi-
incidents. But one can never be
ronmental aspects related to our
'satisfied' with that result. There
company activities into account.
has to be a continuous aim for
We can be justly proud of the
improvement. To demonstrate
fact that we have been collec-
just how important the Andus
tively successful in doing so!"
Group feels safety and the environment to be, we recently presented all of the employees with the "Working safely and
HOTLINE IS A P U B L IC AT I O N O F T HE A NDUS G RO U P H o t L i n e a p p e a r s s e v e r a l t i m e s a y e a r. The publication aims at keeping employees, clients and suppliers informed of developments within the Andus Group.
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