From Barges to Big Business: VandeGrijp’s Evolution Since 1928 into a Global Leader in Steel Construction and Equipment Rental

A gripping answer

Beginning operations as Fa. A v/d Grijp during 1928 as a company focused on the selling and renting of flat top barges and houseboats, today the VandeGrijp Group has grown into an internationally operating company specialised in the production of steel tubes, piles, tubular constructions and the rental of pipeline systems and floating equipment for both onshore and offshore projects. The group currently comprises two companies, with one side of the business focused on manufacturing while the other operates within the rental market.

VandeGrijp was previously featured in Energy, Oil & Gas magazine in April 2015, during which time Managing Director, Paul Nederlof discussed the on-going development of a new pile hammer and the company has continued to progress positively in the months following its last appearance despite challenging market conditions. “Over the past 12 months we have completed the building of an innovative new pile hammer for a company that was developing this technology for the offshore wind sector. The pile hammer itself was delivered on time and was subsequently successfully tested. In spite of difficulties in the oil and gas market we completed a lot of work for offshore contractors and dredging companies, including the delivery of several spreader bars, pile followers and spud poles,” Paul elaborates. “Market conditions are not favourable since investments within the oil industry are significantly down and several big dredging projects are nearing an end, further reducing market investments in that industry. The offshore wind industry however is still booming for many companies, which generates a market for tools and repairs that has continued to create work for us and we completed 475 projects during 2015. From small to large projects, our expertise is in the ability to carry out so many diverse projects at the same time. The eye-catching projects last year naturally were the larger ones, like the pile hammer and the spreader bars, but the lower pipes and dredger board lines that we constructed were no mean feat either!”

Across all of it operations, VandeGrijp maintains the highest levels of quality and customer service and acts in accordance to ISO 9001 and ISO 3834-2 specifications and is fully EN-1090 qualified. The company further assures the quality of its output through detailed analysis of its production process and continually works to find ways to improve even further. VandeGrijp also currently has more than 150 weld qualifications and encourages the continuous education of its employees. At present it employs some 50 people plus subcontractors and maintains property that encompasses 85,000m2 of space, including three well-equipped production halls and a harbour with its own RORO quay. The company’s 3000m2 production hall is used for the construction of limited series and custom pieces while its hall with the smallest area contains a highly efficient pipe mill where VandeGrijp produces flanged pipes with a capacity of up to 4.5km per month as required. The company’s third production hall has a floor space of 2600m2 but has increased height that allows it to be used for the production of large tube sections up to 10,000mm in diameter. “Our manufacturing facilities are located close to Rotterdam harbour providing good access to the world by road or water and we have our own harbour with RORO load out quay and 7000 square metres of covered production area. The covered production area contains three roll bending machines with varying bending capacities of up to 150mm wall thickness and there is also a pipe mill for flanged dredge lines or pipes of up to 25mm wall thickness,” Paul says. “The main strength of VandeGrijp is our flexibility in terms of timescales and varying types of project. We are capable of delivering thick walled tubes within very short time periods, but at the same can also fabricate more complex projects.”

On the rental side of the business, VandeGrijp maintains a comprehensive fleet of equipment, including dredge line components that are ready for deployment following the culmination of several rental projects during 2015. Within both its rental and manufacturing operations it is the aim of the company to be able to deliver an expert service extremely quickly, therefore in addition to its stock of rental equipment VandeGrijp maintains close relationships with trusted steel suppliers to ensure the rapid turnover of manufactured projects. During the duration of 2016 and beyond VandeGrijp will continue to work to deliver expert solutions in rented and manufactured pipes and equipment, while ensuring the highest levels of customer service. “The main focus of our company during the next 12 months is to continue to deliver quality products matching our customer’s specifications on time – every time. We aim to continuously reduce the fabrication period between order and delivery, thus helping our customers reach their goals,” Paul concludes. “Our long term strategy is to further strengthen our flexibility and be a smarter part in our customer’s supply chain.”

VandeGrijp IGS B.V.

Services: Equipment manufacture and rental