SCHIEDAM – Construction has begun of a new headquarters for Vetus, the Dutch designer and maker of boat systems. The new 9,500m2 facility doubles the warehouse space from the company’s current capacity.
The new headquarters is going up in the same Schiedam neighborhood where Vetus founder Willem den Ouden was born. It will be ready by the end of 2024 and will offer better facilities to showcase products and conduct in-water tests with dedicated mooring spaces for Vetus demo boats.
The new head office reflects Vetus’ growth strategy, which was initiated a few years ago.
Ground was broken in a ceremony in which piles were driven into the ground to support the new facility. Roy de Vette, the grandson of the Vetus founder, said at the ceremony, “We can’t wait to embark on this new chapter as we move into our state-of-the-art headquarters, which happens to coincide with our 60th anniversary year,” he said.
The roof of the new building will carry an array of solar panels to generate energy. No natural gas will be used to heat the building, relying instead on sophisticated heat pumps, making the building almost energy-neutral.
Vetus is committed to joining the Yanmar Green Challenge 2050, an ambitious company-wide undertaking to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and harmful substances in all activities by 2050.
The new warehouse will feature automated storage and retrieval systems and have a larger pallet capacity than is currently the case, helping Vetus to store, process, and ship products much more efficiently.
The new warehouse plays a significant role in Vetus’ long-term growth strategy which has already led to a stronger global presence by opening branch offices and team expansions that have driven significant sales increases.
