Proud of ‘our boys’ Tinie Tijsen set out to ‘do something with wood’. This isn’t exactly what happened. He attended vocational school and was trained as a fitter/welder. In 1974, Tijsen joined BNG Steel Construction, which later became RijnDijk Steel Contracting. He is now the foreman at Mebra Metaalbewerking.
Working
together on great
projects
“After one year in works planning,
when I sit in the theatre of the
I made the transition to fitter/
Heuvel Gallery in Eindhoven and
welder. Back then, you really had
see the roof construction, I feel
to be skilled. There was no such
proud. Anyhow, I’m really proud
thing as computers. You were
that I work here. Seeing how the
given a scale drawing that you had
company is growing gives me a
to lay on a pipe and then you set
good feeling. When I spoke with
In the last annual report, the Andus Group presented once
to work. That involved fitting and
Tom van Rijn during more turbu-
again, alongside some excellent figures, a number of pictures of
measuring, cutting and so on.
lent times, he said: ‘Tinie, it’s like
completed projects. There were also plenty of photographs of
Now, the plans are worked out in
an old tree. You have to prune it in
Andus employees. We wanted to emphasise that projects can
the finest detail and the pieces are
order for it to thrive again.’ He was
only be realised through the continued efforts of our personnel.
all computer cut. But there are still
right, we’re in full bloom.”
Naturally, this also applies to the need for close cooperation
plenty of challenges as an archi-
with clients. For this reason, we’d like to hand the floor over to
tect’s concept is not always easy
employees and clients for this HotLine edition. As the running title
to carry out. We always have to
in ‘the newspaper’ says: HotLine, about you AND US.
make it anyway, often under great pressure. And if there’s something
We wish everyone an enjoyable holiday period.
that worries me, it’s the scarcity
Thanks for all your efforts!
of skilled guys. It seems that the metal worker is a dying breed.”
Andus Group Executive Board
Making beautiful things “But it is a fine trade. You know, we worked on the advertising mast at Schiphol Airport. That’s really amazing. As soon as you arrive in the Netherlands, you see something that ‘our boys’ made. And
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 •
LENGKEEK IJMOND •
I N T E R S T E E L S L O VA K I A •
INTERSTEEL NIGERIA •
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 PROJEC TS •
GOUDA FEUERFEST •
GFD SERVICES •
FIB INDUSTRIES •
ANDUS GROUP SERVING THE INDUSTRY
volume 2 | no. 4 | june 2010
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
Things grow when they get attention AVR in Duiven is a subsidiary of the Van Gansewinkel Group. The company converts waste into energy. For this purpose, it has three incineration lines that use a large amount of refractory brickwork. Robert Hageman is Maintenance Head of Waste Treatment at AVR. He is happy to talk about his years of experience with Gouda Services. Some years ago, this relationship came under pressure. But one of Robert Hageman’s mottos is the title of this article as it is an attitude of open and frank discussion that allows a relationship to survive and even to grow closer. alists and those of Gouda to
furnace is shut down costs
Pick apart contracts or look for solutions
of what our plant looks like. We
€ 50,000 and that it’s the duration
“Two years ago, we suddenly had
manner what precisely happened
have three incineration lines that
of Gouda Services’ maintenance
a problem. We had to shut down
in the furnaces and where neces-
are each closed down once a year
work that determines the length
a line for a week and a half when
sary to bring in counter-expertise.
for major maintenance work. This
of the shut down. So there are
it had been renovated only 6
Our objective: get to grips with
takes three to four weeks each
enormous interests at stake. The
months previously. You are then,
the combustion process and put
time and costs about € 2 million
“In order to understand the situ-
need to know that each day the
ation, you need to have an idea
investigate in an almost scientific
less often we shut down and the
as client and supplier, on opposite
this knowledge into product
per line. That is € 6 million per
shorter the production stoppage,
sides of the camp. You can choose
innovation or changes to work
year, so a lot of money. Of this
the better it is for us.”
to go through the contracts,
methods. Perhaps a different
amount, about € 400,000 goes
look at performance indicators
brick, different mortar, do the
into the brickwork. Then you
and start a legal battle. Shall
jointing differently. Extend the
we, shan’t we? Well, that didn’t
boundaries together and together
happen. Together with the execu-
invest in the future. Look, the
tive board of Gouda we came to
point is cooperation and creating
the conclusion that the interests
win-win situations. Having
at stake were too great, on both
faith in each other and a single
sides. We combined efforts to
mindedness about achieving
deal with the issue. But it was
things. And you can be sure that
one forward thinking action that
great things will grow from that
proved to be the most significant:
and have already. We have already
we decided henceforth to work
increased our annual revenue
with a SSG.”
because we no longer have unexpected shut downs and less main-
P&K and Asselbergs are relocating From 1 October 2010, P&K Rail and Asselbergs Ventilatoren will conduct their activities from a new location in Nieuwegein. The spacious production facilities will offer greater flexibility to adapt to variations in activity: from major welding orders to projects that involve extensive assembly work. The generous and attractive office space is directly linked to the factory. And another advantage: the new location is very accessible from the A2 and A27, as well as by public transport.
Extending boundaries
tenance work is required. And
“A SSG is a Small Smart Group.
naturally, that ref lects well on
We brought together our speci-
Gouda too.”
Automation cannot replace humans Sjaak van Egmond began his career with the Andus Group with a drawing internship at Lengkeek Staalbouw. He went on to finish his studies for the Eurocodes at RijnDijk Engineering, where he has now been employed as a structural engineer for two and a half years. He has a good dynamic going for him, in other words.
that’s not how it works. There are three factors to consider for any structure. Firstly, it has to be well designed. But that’s not the only factor. It also has to be really practical to construct. You have to be constantly aware of
New name for FIB
what is going on at the site, and what might go wrong. A hundred
FIB Industriële Bedrijven
girders that vary only a fraction
has evolved into a truly
from each other is a serious
international enterprise.
problem. And then there is the
Around two thirds of
third factor: the financial aspect.
production is shipped
One tries, of course, to make a
to foreign clients with
construction as cheap as possible.
orders coming in from, for
But that’s not always about using
example, the U.S., Canada,
“Our work is getting more diverse
it’s about providing a service
the least weight of steel. You also
Venezuela, China, Japan
every day. There is, for example, a
within a project - we go the whole
have to account for efficiency
and Australia. FIB has
clear shift in clients. We used to
distance. Serving the industry is,
in production and assembly. All
changed its name to FIB
work primarily for RijnDijk Steel
in fact, an appropriate term.”
these factors add up to a process
Industries to emphasise
that remains similar to doing a
this international profile
Contracting. Today, there are more and more Andus companies
Doing puzzles as a job
giant puzzle, in spite of all the
and simplify communi-
making use of our expertise. So
“Then you have the variety
wonderful computer programmes.
cations. Now it can move
we are working on many different
that comes with my job. It is
You remain dependent on your
forward with even greater
projects at the moment. Our
commonly believed that our work
ingenuity and creativity. And that’s
confidence.
services are also changing.
has become easier over the years.
what makes the job so great.”
We are offering a much more
Since automation has progressed
complete package. From engi-
so far, there is the false impres-
neering drawings to works
sion that you only need to look at
planning, you can bring us into
a screen to spot a problem. Push
every stage of the process or for
a button a couple of times and
the process as a whole. Actually,
the construction is altered. Well,
Fully automated packing system at Gouda Gouda Refractories produces refractory concrete in Geldermalsen. The process involved the manual filling of bags that were then stacked on pallets. This work method was very f lexible but in some respects completely outdated. In September, two fully automated bagging machines and a robot palletiser were put into service. This investment allows for a more consistent and cleanly packed product, higher productivity and considerably improved working conditions.
Unburdening the client In the Netherlands, we decided to contract out larger orders in order to protect market parties. The difficulties inherent in this have become apparent to everybody, particularly when it involves projects that take years. Jasper Tils has been project manager for the ‘Prince Bernhard’s Locks’ for the Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management) since 2008, and here looks back at working with HSM Steel Structures. “Let’s be honest, the start was not
step back, the other party needs
of HSM. The positive attitude.
easy. There were a few reasons for
to take a step forwards.”
If we have to work eight hours,
this. Besides the usual issues that
twelve or sixteen, we handle it:
you expect, such as additional
Doing what you promise to do
we deliver on what we promise.
design requirements, regulations
“This resulted in some confusion
And this is almost always
that change in the meantime or
in the beginning, especially since
achieved. It does mean that we
setbacks that you encounter at
the contract was non comprehen-
can’t always have an overview of
the offset, there was the change
sive. What is whose responsibi-
progress. Can you see that this
to the purchasing philosophy
lity now? What are the financial
can be really odd? Especially seen
at Rijkswaterstaat (RWS). RWS
implications? There was debate
in the light of ‘unburdening’ us
was actually always a ‘participa-
and relations were strained.
as client and the difficulties that
tive client’ before. We felt like
But this can also show you how
this entails for tendering work.
we were, and in fact we were
strong a relationship really is.
Process management and process
actually right at the heart of the
Trust survived as HSM always
skills will play an increasingly
project. But we all know the story
delivers quality and substantive
important role. This is where the
of ‘more efficient government’.
commitment. We sat down toge-
diverse skills will be found in
This affected RWS too. So we are
ther and made agreements about
the future. I am pleased with the
taking more of a back seat with
all the issues. This was good. You
outcome achieved and see HSM
projects and expect our clients to
saw the drive to pull it off, the
as an expert and strong partner.”
take care of things. If we take a
no nonsense, can do mentality
Fantastic order for Gouda Refractories The Hindalco concern, located in India, is one of
Major maintenance on a vital waterway completed
Asia’s largest aluminium producers. Hindalco placed an order with Gouda
The Prince Bernhard’s Locks in Tiel are the gates
Refractories BV to deliver
from the Amsterdam-Rijn Canal to the river Waal.
all the refractory bricks for
In 2007, HSM Steel Structures was commissioned
the construction of new
as general contractor to substantially overhaul the
anode baking furnaces at
locks and to ensure that the lock gates meet the
the Mahan and Aditya smel-
latest requirements to withstand high water. Both
ters. Over a period of over 1.5
the ‘wide’ and the ‘narrow’ locks received new gates.
years – until March 2012 –
Further, the gates were converted from electromag-
no less than 30,000 tons of
netic power to hydraulic. The locks are operated from
material will be shipped to
a completely remodelled control room. The celebra-
India. Gouda can, in part,
tory reopening took place in June.
thank winning this order on their leading position (technologically) in the anode furnace sector.
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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