23/03/26

Family business J de Jonge joins AYOP

J de Jonge joins AYOP! The family business, which started in 1954 as a mechanical welding and construction company specializing in the petrochemical industry, has since grown into a versatile player with a broad portfolio in engineering, construction, and maintenance. With the third generation at the helm, the company continues to expand and develop. We get to know J de Jonge better in conversation with CEO Alexander de Jonge and Operational Director Mechanical Max Vooges.

 

A family business in development

The history of J de Jonge begins with founder Jan de Jonge Sr. “My grandfather worked for Shell and then started his own business,” says Alexander. “From there, he brought his first onshore clients. In the early years, the focus was primarily on building infrastructure for companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, and Vopak, as well as storage companies and process plants. Over the years, our portfolio has broadened, and we now offer a much wider range of services. We operate worldwide, for example in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. With around 550 employees in the Netherlands and 50 to 80 people in Germany, plus more than 70 years of experience, we have broad technical expertise in-house.” Max adds: “Although the company has grown significantly, the culture of a family business remains palpable. We are an enthusiastic and motivated group of people with a lot of knowledge. We make decisions together. That culture also ensures that employees can continue to develop within the company and stay for a long time. I myself have been working at J de Jonge for 14 years now and have been given the opportunity to grow and take on new challenges.”

 

Contractor and manufacturing company in one

Today, J de Jonge focuses on the full mechanical scope of installations. “We engineer and build everything ourselves. For example everything that is needed in a terminal, to unload oil from a ship, bring it ashore, and process or store it,” says Alexander. “We can do this on-site, or we build prefab in our fabrication yards. We are a contractor and a manufacturing company in one. You don’t often see that combination in our market. Because we handle engineering, production, and execution in-house, we can effectively guarantee quality and planning. And that is crucial for clients.” In addition to mechanical work and the maintenance of installations, J de Jonge provides services in the fields of electrification, automation, and civil engineering. You can also turn to them for custom solutions for offshore projects, with specialties such as engineering, installation, maintenance, and modifications, as well as 24/7 support.

 

An extensive and challenging project

To illustrate the breadth of J de Jonge’s expertise, Max discusses a recent project: “Recently, we designed, built, and delivered a large prefabricated jetty structure, fully equipped with piping systems, cables, automation, and process equipment such as pumps and tanks. The client faced a tight deadline due to process changes. Because we possess all the necessary knowledge and capacity in-house, we were able to deliver this project from A to Z on-site in Germany within 9 months.”

 

New production facility for smaller platforms

Earlier this year, J de Jonge opened Offshore Fabrication Yard Vlaardingen: a production facility on open water, covering an area of ​​30,000 m² and with a loading capacity of over 4,000 tons. This facility is designed for the production of smaller oil and gas platforms up to 400 tons. “There are quite a few offshore contractors in the Netherlands who focus on large platforms weighing over 500 tons. These large platforms require significant production capacity from the major players, creating a gap for building or refurbishing smaller platforms. With this location, we are filling this gap,” says Alexander.

 

Strengthening the network within offshore operations

With the recent expansion, including the new manufacturing hall, the company is explicitly focusing on strengthening its position in this market and jointly utilizing knowledge, capacity, and facilities. Through its membership in AYOP, J de Jonge hopes to further strengthen the network in North Holland and bring the company’s capabilities to a wider audience. “We want to show what we can offer, including with our new facilities,” says Max. Alexander also sees opportunities in collaborating with other members. “In the end, you can never have everything you need in-house. By working with partners, you can serve customers better and strengthen each other.”